Brief Biography
Born in 1950 and raised in Toronto, Jeff Turnbull received a bachelor's degree from the University of Toronto in 1974 and his medical degree from Queen's University in 1978. He completed an internal medicine residency at the University of Western Ontario in 1982, and a master's degree in education at the same university in 1990.
After completing his internal medicine residency, Jeff joined the faculty at the University of Western Ontario where he combined clinical practice, education and research. He took on increasingly senior leadership roles during his 9 years in London, eventually chairing the Division of General Internal Medicine and serving as Deputy Chief of the Department of Medicine.
Jeff was recruited to the University of Ottawa in 1991, where he initially focused on medical education. He spent several years as Vice Dean for Medical Education, was a key figure in the Educating Future Physicians for Ontario Project, and served as president of the Medical Council of Canada. Known for his mentorship and wisdom, Jeff was
appointed Chair of the Department of Medicine in 2001, and served until earlier this year, when he became Chief of Staff at The Ottawa Hospital.
In the 1990s, Jeff became increasingly interested in providing better clinical care to homeless men in Ottawa. Along with others, he wondered whether a medical program that combined supervised alcohol consumption with compassionate clinical care would improve health outcomes. Jeff helped start Ottawa's Inner City Health Project, and has been its Medical Director since its inception. The Inner City Health Project has won numerous awards and received international acclaim for providing cost-effective care.
For this and other contributions, Jeff was recently awarded the Order of Canada.
In addition to his contributions to community health at home he has been involved in education and health services initiatives to enhance community and institutional capacity and sustainable development in Bangladesh, Africa, and the Balkans.
Over the last few years, Jeff has also been asked to assume several leadership roles on behalf of the profession. He served as president of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, and he has also chaired the CMA's Future of Medicine Project.
Jeff continues to practice internal medicine both at The Ottawa Hospital and at several shelters associated with the Inner City Health Project. He lives on a farm just outside Ottawa, where he raises cattle, horses, sheep and chickens.
For Jeff's Curriculum Vitae, click HERE
