Dr. Kenneth Fung: Advocate for culturally sensitive mental health

On Thursday, November 30, 2017 the Council of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario will present the Council Award to Dr. Kenneth Fung of Toronto, Ontario.

The Council Award is presented four times a year to physicians who have demonstrated excellence in the eight physician roles identified as the essential qualities needed to practise modern medicine. Together, these roles create a model for the ideal physician. Further details on the Council Award can be found in the attached backgrounder.

Dr. Fung is a nationally and internationally acclaimed psychiatrist with particular expertise in cultural psychiatry. He has worked tirelessly to advance accessible and culturally inclusive mental health services for ethno-racial and marginalized communities in Canada.

He is the founding and clinical director of the Asian Initiative in Mental Health (AIM) at Toronto Western Hospital. AIM serves Toronto’s large Asian community, offering psychiatric services in English, Mandarin and Cantonese. The program is also a training ground for medical students and residents in cultural psychiatry. AIM serves over 200 patients every month in a comprehensive, integrated model of care.

Over the years, Dr. Fung has expanded his efforts to work with other Asian, Aboriginal, African-Canadian, Latino, and Portuguese communities to improve mental health and health equity. He is also a dedicated researcher, having led numerous studies in cultural psychiatry to advance the field, and conducting ground breaking community-based research and collaborations on other issues of stigma, such as HIV. 

“Dr. Fung's contributions to our profession are significant and more than deserving of this award,” says CPSO President, Dr. David Rouselle.

“His dedication, passion and expertise have helped break down barriers to care and the stigma often associated with mental illness in our communities, as well furthering our understanding of how historical, cultural and socioeconomic factors can shape a patient’s overall well-being and approach to issues of mental health.”

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario is the licensing and regulatory body governing the practice of medicine in Ontario.

Contact:
Tracey Sobers
416-967-2600 ext. 402