Tell us a little about yourself!

I was born and raised in Toronto, and I’m married with three wonderful children. It’s my tenth year practicing Anesthesiology at Humber River Hospital and my second year as Chief of Anesthesia.

In one sentence, how would you explain your job to a friend?

Anesthesiologists play an integral part of your surgical team by preparing you for surgery, keeping you alive, safe, and comfortable during surgery, and helping you have a smooth recovery.

What is the longest surgery you’ve ever participated in?

That’s a tough question. There have been many long cases, especially during my residency; some extended beyond 12 hours and required multiple clinical teams.

How much of your job takes place in an operating room?

Although we are involved in many facets of patient care, approximately 75-80% of our work takes place in the OR.

What excites you the most about Humber right now?

Humber is continuing to expand its services, and that is quite refreshing.  Humber is also using its resources and unique technologies to focus on continuous quality improvement, clinical innovation, as well as maximizing patient and staff satisfaction.

Families can follow a patient’s surgical journey on status boards, thanks to STERIS RealView technology.

What are your three favourite pieces of technology at our Hospital?

I think the patient trackers and status boards help to keep families informed (even via text messages) about the status of their family members and also help improve workflow and efficiency. The Pharmacy Department’s medication dispensing and RFID tagging systems are fascinating. I’m also incredibly excited by the plan to one day acquire a truly class-leading Anesthesia Information Management System. I could go on about that for a while.

What is something awesome that you’ve done in the last year? 

I took up snowboarding last winter and loved it. I’m actually looking forward to snow this year!

What inspires you?

My children inspire me in many different ways, through their compassion towards others, love of learning, individuality, honesty, adaptability and optimism.

Are you a grateful patient of Dr. Bernstein’s? If you need a way to express exactly how thankful you are, consider showing your appreciation with a Gift of Gratitude. Dr. Bernstein will be recognized with a special pin and personalized card from you, and your donation will help future patients at Humber River Hospital receive great care. Click here to get started.