Four new doctors have signed on with the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance (CKHA).
Dr. Elyse Epp joins the Emergency Medicine and Family Medicine Department, Dr. Matthew VanTil and Dr. Matt Milkovic join the Emergency Department and the Hospitalist program, and Dr. Raid Shaarbaf joins the Internal Medicine Department.
“We are so pleased to welcome Drs. Epp, VanTil, Milkovic and Shaarbaf to CKHA and the community of Chatham-Kent,” said Dr. Pervez Faruqi, Chief of Staff, CKHA, in a media release. “Their skills, and knowledge will make a positive impact on the delivery of safe, high quality care.”
Epp attended the University of Guelph and earned a Bachelor of Science with Distinction and completed her Doctor of Medicine at the University of Toronto. She completed her Family Medicine Residency in Chatham-Kent with an additional year of training in Emergency Medicine through Western University’s Canadian College of Family Physicians – Emergency Medicine Program (CCFP-EM). The CCFP-EM program provides an enhanced skills experience to Family Medicine graduates through training in higher acuity Emergency Medicine.
“I am so grateful for all of the incredible mentors I have in Chatham and how welcoming the Family and Emergency Medicine groups have made me feel the last three years in Residency. I am excited to be finally joining the team and to work alongside all of the wonderful doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists and other allied health at CKHA,” she said.
VanTil earned his Doctor of Medicine and completed his Family Medicine Residency in Chatham-Kent through the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University. He furthered his career by completing an additional year of training in Emergency Medicine through The University of Saskatchewan, College of Medicine, Department of Family Medicine and Enhanced Skills.
Originally from Blenheim, VanTil is excited to be back and working at CKHA in the Emergency Department and with the Hospitalist program.
“I’m looking forward to coming back and working in the Emergency Department with everyone that I know, as well as with the Hospitalists that I’ve worked with in the past. I am happy to be back,” VanTil said.
Milkovic earned a Bachelor of Medicine, from Graduate Entry Medical School at the University of Limerick in Limerick, Ireland in 2020. He completed his Family Medicine Residency in Chatham-Kent through the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University.
Originally from Chatham, Milkovic is excited to practice medicine in his hometown.
“I’m looking forward to officially joining the team at CKHA and to continue working with the hospital’s highly skilled inter-professional teams. I’d like to thank my preceptors and the Family and Emergency Medicine teams for their guidance and support during my Residency,” said Milkovic.
Shaarbaf started his medical education earning his medical degree in Baghdad, Iraq. He then completed his Internal Medicine Residency Program at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia.
He spent six years practicing Internal Medicine and five years as an Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine at Dalhousie University before furthering his own education again by completing a Fellowship in Adult Critical Care Medicine at the University of Toronto.
The new batch of doctors follows on the addition of two others to the CKHA team last month. Dr. Lana Shaiba has joined the pediatrics department and Dr. Maria Andrievskaya is now part of the critical care department.
