The following has been sent on behalf of Dr. Wei Song, Department Head Psychiatry/EMD MHSU and Dr. Leah MacDonald, EMD responsible for Geriatric Specialty Services (GSS).
We are pleased to announce that Dr. Shahzad Khurram has accepted the role of Division Head, Geriatric Psychiatry.
This medical leadership role has been developed to consolidate and align responsibilities that were previously held across multiple positions, and to provide integrated leadership across specialty, acute, and tertiary geriatric psychiatry services. Therole encompasses:
- Specialty‑specific medical leadership within the Department of Psychiatry
- Program‑level medical leadership for Geriatric Specialty Services (GSS), in co‑leadership with the Division Head of Geriatric Medicine, Dr. Alyson Osborne
- GSS supports older adults with mental and cognitive health needs, as well as complex frailty, through specialized assessments and interdisciplinary care
- Medical leadership for acute and tertiary geriatric psychiatry services, including:
- Royal Jubilee Hospital 2 South East and 2 West units
- Oyster Harbour Geriatric Psychiatry Unit
- Cowichan Lodge Geriatric Psychiatry Unit
Dr. Khurram completed his general and geriatric psychiatry training in the UK and joined Island Health in 2017 as a consultant geriatric and adult psychiatrist in Victoria. He brings a strong commitment to advancing geriatric mental health services and to supporting teams through innovation, collaboration, and a focus on provider well‑being.
This consolidated role is intended to strengthen continuity and clarity of medical leadership, support integration across care settings, and provide focused leadership capacity for the ongoing development of geriatric psychiatry services. Having worked closely with Dr. Khurram, we have seen firsthand his commitment to seniors’ mental health and are confident that his leadership will make a real and lasting difference to seniors’ care across our region