David Esser

Background

About David Esser

With over 35 years of experience as a surgical assistant in various hospitals across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), I have assisted in all specialties, with a particular interest in laparoscopic procedures. I have also mentored and taught physicians interested in learning surgical assisting skills. I have held leadership roles at Humber River Hospital and Scarborough Health Network, serving as the division head of Surgical Assistants and holding various positions in the Medical Staff Association, including treasurer, secretary, and vice president. My organizational leadership experience includes serving on multiple boards of directors, such as the Ontario Medical Association, the Ontario Medical Foundation (where I was president), Beth Emeth Bais Yehuda Synagogue, and the Scarborough Health Network Board of Directors. As President of the Ontario Medical Foundation Board, I oversaw governance modernization and a strategic plan refresh, guiding the foundation to focus on social determinants of health. I created a smaller, selected board that included both physicians and non-physicians. On the Ontario Medical Association Board, I participated in the Charters and Workplans Taskforce and the initial Governance and Nominations Committee of the Board. We initiated board and council modernization, reducing the size of the OMA board, adding non-physician members, and restructuring the council into a Priority and Leadership group to provide the board with guidance on policy, remuneration, and advocacy issues.