Physician Chiefs

Chief of Emergency Medicine
Joe Cherian, BSc, MD, CCFP (EM)

Dr. Joe Cherian graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1989 and later his Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Manitoba in 1993. He received his Emergency Medicine certification from McMaster University in 1996. Other areas in which he has furthered his expertise include: emergency department ultrasound, pediatric advanced life support, neonatal resuscitation, advanced cardiac life support and acute trauma life support. 

Dr. Cherian began his professional career as an Emergency Room Physician at Brantford General Hospital and Hamilton Health Sciences in 1996. He joined Joseph Brant Hospital (JBH) in 2001 as an Emergency Room Physician and since that time he has been appointed as the Interim Chief of Emergency Medicine (2010), Assistant Chief of Emergency Medicine (2012) and accepted his current role as Chief of Emergency Medicine in 2015. He also remains active as an Emergency Room Physician at St. Joseph’s Healthcare, Hamilton. Dr. Cherian is an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Division of Emergency Medicine at McMaster University and was the clinical Teaching Unit Director at St. Joseph’s Healthcare from 2008 – 2012.

When Dr. Cherian is not practicing Emergency Medicine, he enjoys spending time with his family, scuba diving and snowboarding.

Chief of Family Medicine
Arshad Hack, BSc, MD

Dr. Arshad Hack has been a full service Family Doctor in Burlington, Ontario since 2009, providing outpatient care in his office, and both inpatient acute medical care and obstetrical care at Joseph Brant Hospital (JBH).

He completed his Bachelor of Science degree with honours at the University of Toronto followed by his Masters in Health Administration at Dalhousie University. He then went on to earn his Doctor of Medicine degree at the University of Connecticut, and subsequently settled in Burlington while completing his Residency in Family Medicine at McMaster University.

Dr. Hack has been the Chief of the Department of Family Medicine at Joseph Brant Hospital since 2010 and Associate Clinical Professor at McMaster University since 2009. He is also an active board member with the Joseph Brant Hospital Foundation and is passionate about fundraising to improve the programs and services at JBH.

Dr. Hack has a special interest in full service community medicine, medical education and innovative programs and services that improve the healthcare experience. He currently lives in Oakville with his wife Dr. Crystal Hann and their two sons.

Chief of Pathology
Julian Hart, BSc, MD, MSc, FRCPC

Dr. Julian Hart has been a member of the medical staff at Joseph Brant Hospital (JBH) for almost 30 years, and has been the Chief of Pathology and Medical Director of the Laboratory for 20 of those years.

Dr. Hart is first and foremost a surgical and cytopathologist involved in the diagnosis and staging of cancer, lymphoma and other malignancies. He is also engaged by coroners to aid them in medicolegal death investigations.

Prior to becoming Chief of Pathology at JBH, he was the Medical Director of a Gamma-Dynacare Laboratory. Dr. Hart has a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Biology from the University of London (United Kingdom) and earned his Masters degree in Experimental Pathology and Toxicology from the Royal Postgraduate Medical School based out of Hammersmith Hospital in London (United Kingdom). He then completed his Doctor of Medicine degree at the University of Toronto.

His postgraduate and speciality training was undertaken in Los Angeles and Toronto area hospitals. His research interests in the past have included prostate cancer and investigating the toxic effects of drugs on the liver.

He is a member of multiple medical organizations specific to the practice of Laboratory Medicine and is a longstanding member of the Hamilton Society of Pathologists. When he is not practicing medicine, Dr. Hart enjoys spending his free time with family and friends.

Chief of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Dr. Christine Dejong, BSc, MSc, MD

Dr. Christine DeJong is Chief of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Joseph Brant Hospital and Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at McMaster University. 

In addition to Obstetrics, Dr. DeJong has an interest in Urogynecology and Colposcopy.

After earning her BSc from Calvin College in 1987, Dr. DeJong attended graduate school at the University of Guelph, earning her MSc in 1989. In 1992 she graduated from McMaster University Medical School and entered a residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Chief of Anaesthesia
Maneesh A. Deshpande, BSc, MD, MSc, FRCPC

After graduating with honours in Physiology from the University of Western Ontario in 1999, Dr. Maneesh Deshpande received the J.A.F Stevenson Gold Medal Award for graduating with the highest overall academic average in his class. He was also awarded the Sister Sheila Collins Bursary for Outstanding Volunteer service that same year. He continued on to earn his Masters in Physiology in 2001, including multiple scholarships for outstanding academic performance, before completing his Doctor of Medicine degree at Queen’s University in 2005. He completed his residency in Anaesthesia at the University of Toronto in 2010 and became a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons, Canada that same year.  

Dr. Deshpande began his career at Joseph Brant Hospital (JBH) as an anaesthesiologist in 2010 and directed the Acute Pain Service as Physician Chair for the Acute Pain Task Force from 2012-2014. From 2013-2015 he served as a course consultant for Thompson Rivers University (Kamloops, British Columbia), working on the development of their Anaesthesia Assistant program curriculum. He is currently an Assistant Clinical Professor (Adjunct) at McMaster University (Department of Anaesthesia). In 2014 Dr. Deshpande accepted the role of Chief of Anaesthesia at Joseph Brant Hospital.

 Dr. Deshpande’s research has been published in numerous scientific journals including the Biophysical Journal (2001), the American Journal of Physiology (2002) and Anaesthesia and Analgesia (2005). Outside of medicine Dr. Deshpande is an avid baseball fan. When not in the hospital, he spends his time travelling abroad, writing, and most of all, being a father.

Chief of Surgery
James Rogers, BSc, MD, FRCSC

Dr. James Rogers began his academic career at the University of Toronto, graduating with a double major in Mathematics and Biology in 1981. He went on to earn his Doctor of Medicine degree in 1985 before completing an internship at the Toronto Western Hospital, University of Toronto. He completed both his General Surgery residency (1991) and his Critical Care Medicine Fellowship (1993) at McMaster University.

Dr. Rogers has served the Burlington community since 1994 having established a busy and thriving General Surgery and Adult Critical Care practice. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons with certification in General Surgery and Adult Critical Care Medicine.

Throughout his academic and professional career he has been awarded numerous honours including: multiple academic scholarships, Best Community Surgeon Award from McMaster University (2009) and most recently the Bill Love Sr. Distinction Award from Joseph Brant Hospital (JBH) in 2016.

He is an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Surgery, McMaster University, serving as a respected mentor for medical students and residents during their clinical rotations at JBH. He remains an active member of both the Department of Surgery and Critical Care Medicine at JBH and has served as the Chief of Surgery since 2010.

Dr. Rogers was the Interim Chief of Staff at Joseph Brant Hospital from July, 2017 until August, 2018 and has also held the position of Chief of Critical Care Medicine during his time at Joseph Brant.

Actively involved in the recently completed Hospital Redevelopment project, Dr. Rogers continues to advocate for outstanding patient care and excellence. His ongoing involvement in both hospital-wide learning and technological advancements exemplifies the high standard of healthcare he brings to the local community of Burlington.

Chief of Psychiatry, Medical Director, Mental Health
and Addictions
Steve Selchen, MD, MSt, FRCPC

Dr. Selchen is Chief of Psychiatry and Medical Director of Mental Health & Addictions Services at Joseph Brant Hospital, as well as the Mental Health & Addictions Clinical Lead for the Hamilton Niagara Haldimand Brant Local Health Integration Network. 

He received his medical degree and psychiatric specialty training from the University of Toronto, and holds a Master’s degree from Oxford University.  He oversees a clinical, educational and research program in mindfulness-based approaches at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, and regularly leads educational and professional development workshops both locally and internationally. 

Dr. Selchen is focused on developing and spreading innovative models of care that create timely access to high quality, cost-effective services.  He is a passionate advocate for the promotion of well being, is known for bringing people together, and has a well-earned reputation for leading effective system transformation.

Chief of Pediatrics
Co-Director, Maternal and Child Health
Arinder Malik, BSc, MD, FRCPC

Dr. Arinder Malik began her academic career at Dayanand Medical College, Punjab University in India, and graduated with honours in 1983.

She went on to earn her Doctor of Medicine degree in Pediatrics there, completing her studies in 1988. By 1989, Dr. Malik was working as the Registrar at Holy Family Hospital in New Delhi, managing inpatient and outpatient wards for all pediatric patients. From 1989 to 1995, she was a Senior Resident and Pool Officer for the Pediatrics Department at the Lady Hardinge Medical College managing a high volume of patients. This experience shaped her ongoing interest in Developmental Pediatrics and Neonatology.

In 1995, Dr. Malik relocated to Sydney, Australia, taking the role of Registrar for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Westmead Hospital, a major referral centre in Sydney. In 1997 she became a Fellow Consultant at Canberra Hospital (AUS), followed by a Clinical Fellowship in Neonatology and Clinical Research in Pediatric Cardiology at McMaster University in Canada. From 2004 - 2009 she worked out of Brantford General Hospital as the Chief of Pediatrics, and in 2007 she earned her fellowship (FRCPC) with the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons, Canada.

In 2009, Dr. Malik joined Joseph Brant Hospital (JBH) as a Pediatrician and is also currently an Assistant Clinical Professor (Adjunct) at McMaster University. She accepted her role as Chief of Pediatrics and Co-Director of Maternal and Child Health at JBH in 2012.

Dr. Malik’s research into topics such as neonatal sepsis, neonatal myocardial ischemia and congenital syphilis have been published and presented at various conferences and in scientific journals around the world. She has been awarded a Fellows Award (2002) from the Irish American Pediatric Society and a Canberra Hospital Fellows Scientific Research Award from the University of Sydney, Australia (1998). More recently, she received a Physician Recognition Award from the Halton Region of Health.  

When she is not practicing medicine, or mentoring aspiring physicians, Dr. Malik enjoys volunteering in the community with a special interest in child advocacy programs in the Halton Region. She is an active member of the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder team for the Halton Region and works in collaboration with the Caroline Family Health Team for the Wrap Around Program helping families with children who have mental health needs.

Chief of Critical Care
Medical Director, Critical Care Program
James Dwight Prodger, BSc, MD, FRCSC

Dr. Dwight Prodger graduated from McMaster University Medical School in 1981, trained in General Surgery and Critical Care Medicine at McMaster University. He became a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada in 1986 and has been duly licensced to practice in the Province of Ontario since then. Dr. Prodger has been an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University from 1997 to the present. 

Dr. Prodger holds an Active Staff appointment in the Departments of Surgery and Critical Care Medicine at Joseph Brant Hospital in Burlington, with courtesy privileges at Hamilton Health Sciences. He continues his active General Surgery practice and participates in the Acute Care Surgery service at Joseph Brant. In addition, Dr. Prodger is an active intensivist in Joseph Brant Hospital’s closed model twenty-four bed intensive care unit. 

Dr. Prodger has served in several leadership roles including Director, Regional Trauma Program at Hamilton Health Sciences 1995-2000, and at Joseph Brant Hospital, President of the Medical Staff Association 2006, Chief of Surgery 2006-2010, Vice President Medical Affairs 2010-2011, Chief of Staff 2011-2013. Currently, Dr. Prodger is the Chief of Critical Care Medicine and Medical Director of the Critical Care Program at Joseph Brant Hospital. 

Dr. Prodger maintains an active educational role with McMaster University serving as the Regional Medical Director in Burlington, for the McMaster Community and Rural Education Program (Mac-CARE), Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine and is involved in teaching at both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. 

Dr. Prodger believes strongly in the role of mentorship in leadership development. He is keenly interested in system development, strategic planning and educational transformation.

Chief of Medicine

Prasanna Kumaranayake, BSc, MD