Elaine Gilfoyle

Associate Scientist
Child Health Evaluative Sciences

Dr. Elaine Gilfoyle is the Division Head and Medical Director of the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) and the Geoffrey Barker Chair of Critical Care Medicine at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKIds) in Toronto, Ontario.

Dr Gilfoyle completed her Medical Degree at the University of Western Ontario, London, Canada in 1999, her General Pediatrics residency at the same institution in 2003, and her Pediatric Critical Care Medicine fellowship at McGill University, Montreal, Canada in 2005. She received a Masters of Medical Education from University of Dundee, Scotland in 2012.

Dr Gilfoyle is currently the Chair-Elect of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada’s Critical Care Medicine Specialty Committee and the immediate past Chair of the Critical Care Medicine Exam Board. Areas of her research include a) long term outcomes in PICU survivors and b) teamwork during pediatric resuscitation, including the use of simulation to teach practicing clinicians

Research

Dr. Gilfoyle’s research program focuses on improving team performance during paediatric resuscitation events, in order to decrease errors, minimize delays, and improve adherence to international resuscitation guidelines. Errors and delays are common given the complex nature of the resuscitation environment, and are associated with poor patient outcomes.

Her research program began by studying team performance in the simulation laboratory, but is recently moving towards studying the real-life clinical environment by video recording and analyzing real resuscitation events. Ultimately, Dr. Gilfoyle’s aim is to better understand team challenges to allow development of better system processes and educational opportunities to improve performance which will translate into better patient outcomes.

Education and experience

• 2007–2008: Acting Division Chief, Paediatric Intensive Care Unit, Alberta Children’s Hospital, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
• 2005–2019: Paediatric Intensivist, Section of Critical Care, Department of Paediatrics, Alberta Children’s Hospital, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
• 2006–2012: M.M.Ed., Masters of Medical Education, Centre for Medical Education, University of Dundee, Dundee, Scotland
• 2003–2005: Paediatric Critical Care Residency, Montreal Children’s Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
• 1999–2003: General Paediatric Residency, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
• 1995–1999: MD, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
• 1991–1995: B.Sc. Hons, Biology, Physiology Specialization, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada

Achievements

• 2024: Chair-Elect of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada Specialty Committee in Critical Care Medicine
• 2022–2024: Vice Chair, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada Specialty Committee in Critical Care Medicine
• 2018–Present: Chair, RCPSC Critical Care Medicine Examination Board, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
• 2017–2019: Chair, Resuscitation Quality Assurance Subcommittee, Alberta Children’s Hospital, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
• 2015–2017: Vice-Chair, RCPSC Critical Care Medicine Examination Board, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
• 2012–Present: Member, RCPSC Critical Care Medicine Nucleus Committee, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
• 2012–2019: Chair, Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) Research Program, Alberta Children’s Hospital, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
• 2011–2016: Chair, Curriculum Development & Mentorship Subcommittee, Canadian Critical Care Trials Group
• 2009–2014: Member, RCPSC Critical Care Medicine Examination Board, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
• 2009: University of Calgary Department of Paediatrics Faculty Teaching Award, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

See a full list of Elaine Gilfoyle's publications