J. Carter Thorne, MD, FRCP, FACP

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Dr. Thorne is on the Consultant Staff at Southlake Regional Health Centre in Newmarket, Ontario, Chief of the Division of Rheumatology and Director of The Arthritis Program; the latter is a unique Inter-Professional care program established to optimize outcomes for people who have arthritis and other rheumatic disorders. He is sought for his expertise in developing outcome based clinical programs, not only in arthritis care, but also shared care in a comprehensive musculoskeletal program, wound management and neuro rehab/stroke care. He is on the Steering committee of CARE, a European based project, addressing and identifying best practices in ‘non-pharmacologic management of arthritis’.

He is active in Clinical Research as Principal Investigator with The Arthritis Program Research Group Inc. As part of a strategic interest in identifying ‘Best Practices’, he has established an Early Arthritis Clinic, collaborating with a national initiative (CATCH, of which he is Operations Director), and an Osteoporosis Intervention Clinic. He sits on the Steering and Scientific Committee of the Ontario Best Practices Research Initiative, a collaborative attempt among stakeholders to describe and disseminate outcomes and best practices, in the management of Rheumatoid Arthritis. He worked with other Canadian rheumatologists who established the Canadian Rheumatology Research Consortium (CRRC) of which he was a Founding Member and Secretary-Treasurer. He is a founding member of the Ontario Rheumatology Association (ORA) and Past-President (2006-10). He is Vice President/President-elect of the Canadian Rheumatology Association (CRA). He is past Secretary-Treasurer of PANLAR, and on the Steering committee of CARE.

He has been involved in improving care for those with arthritis through the above initiatives, and his work with CRA and ORA, in best practices identification and dissemination strategies; and improving the health of the community, as a member of the York Region District Health Council (DHC) and Chair of the amalgamated Simcoe-York DHC.