A legacy of growth, innovation and care: Celebrating Dr. Mathew Sermer

For much of his career, Dr. Mathew Sermer has been focused on what comes next.

The next patient whose pregnancy is too complex for most hospitals to manage. The next physician who arrives at Sinai Health from halfway around the world to learn from its experts. The next research question that could change how care is delivered for women and babies.

That future-focused mindset has helped shape Sinai Health’s Frances Bloomberg Centre for Women’s and Infants’ Health into one of the world’s leading programs for maternal, fetal and gynaecologic care.

Now, after more than three decades at Mount Sinai Hospital, including 13 years as Chief of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Medical Director of the Women’s and Infants’ Health program, Dr. Sermer is stepping away from his leadership role.

Yet the story of his impact is not really about a departure. It is about what he leaves behind: a thriving program that cares for some of the most complex patients in the country, attracts leading clinicians and researchers from around the world, and continues to push the boundaries of women’s health through research, education and innovation.

“I am certainly very proud to be working at Sinai Health and to be part of the Women’s and Infants’ Program,” says Dr. Sermer. “It’s a very dynamic place, and we provide exceptional care to patients in need.”

Building a world-class program for complex care and research innovation

Today, Mount Sinai Hospital delivers more than 7,300 babies annually, with nearly two-thirds of pregnancies considered high risk. The program cares for some of the most medically complex patients in the country, including pregnant individuals living with heart disease, cancer, kidney failure and other serious conditions. It is also home to the Ontario Fetal Centre, where multidisciplinary teams perform advanced fetal therapies and in-utero surgeries, transforming outcomes for babies before they are even born.

But Dr. Sermer’s vision extended beyond clinical care.

Hand-picked by pioneering obstetrician Dr. Knox Ritchie to help lead maternal-fetal medicine following the merger of Toronto General and Mount Sinai obstetrical services in the 1990s, Dr. Sermer played a central role in building upon the Hospital’s founding vision of integrated, specialized care for women and infants.

Over the years, he helped expand nearly every division within the department, strengthening programs in maternal-fetal medicine, gynaecologic oncology, urogynaecology, reproductive health and menopause care. Under his leadership, the department grew from a staff of 42 to 75 and attracted world-class talent from around the globe.

“When I was being hired, one of the promises was that I would help make this department one of the leading departments worldwide,” he recalls. “There was a plan, and we followed that plan.”

The results speak for themselves.

Sinai Health’s Women’s and Infants’ Program has become an international destination for training and education. Over the past five years alone, the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Fellowship Program has graduated approximately 140 fellows from 28 countries over the last five years. These physicians come to Toronto seeking exposure to the complexity, volume and innovation that define care at Sinai Health. Many go on to become leaders in their own countries and institutions.

At the same time, research has emerged as one of the program’s defining strengths.

Under Dr. Sermer’s leadership, research productivity quadrupled, helping establish the University of Toronto’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology as one of the world’s most productive academic programs.  

According to the most recent available data, the department ranked second only to Harvard globally in peer-reviewed research output and citation impact, with Sinai Health faculty contributing the vast majority of that work.

“What makes me most proud is the growth we’ve had over the past decade,” says Dr. Sermer. “But at the end of the day, to be successful, it takes a village. It’s not just one person.”

Turning vision into impact through philanthropy

That spirit of building for the future also defined Dr. Sermer’s relationship with philanthropy.

Throughout his career, he understood that donor support could do more than fund existing programs. It could help identify emerging needs, accelerate innovation and create entirely new models of care.

“Working with Dr. Sermer as a partner in philanthropy, the word I would think of is joy,” says Louis de Melo, President and CEO of Sinai Health Foundation. “He is so committed to the mission of what we’re trying to accomplish.”

One of the clearest examples of Dr. Sermer’s commitment is the Weston and O’Born Centre for Mature Women’s Health. Long before menopause and midlife women’s health became a national conversation, Dr. Sermer recognized a significant gap in care and worked alongside Dr. Wendy Wolfman to champion a vision for something different: a comprehensive, multidisciplinary centre designed around the unique needs of mature women.  

“We’ve been on that journey together since the beginning,” says de Melo. “Today, thanks to his efforts and the team involved, we’ve raised more than $63 million around an idea that he planted because he recognized a health-equity issue we needed to address.”

That same approach helped drive investments across the Women’s and Infants’ program, supporting expanded clinical services, research seed grants, fellowship training and the infrastructure needed to care for increasingly complex patients.

For de Melo, Dr. Sermer’s greatest fundraising contribution wasn’t simply helping secure philanthropic support. It was helping donors understand what was possible. “It speaks so much about the power of an individual who surrounds himself with a great community that will now take on what he's left and build upon that foundation,” he says.

Dr. Sermer leaves knowing the future is bright.

Succession planning has been underway for years, with the next generation of leaders already helping guide the department’s clinical, academic and research priorities. Interim leadership will be provided by a team of respected physician leaders who have helped shape many of the program’s recent successes. This team is comprised of:  

• Dr. Rachel Spitzer, who will take on the role of Interim Chief of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Medical Program Director for Women’s and Infants’ Health
• Dr. Wendy Whittle, who will take on the role of Interim Deputy Chief, WIH Informatics and Quality
• Dr. Jonathon Solnik who will take the role of Interim Deputy Chief, Gynaecology
• Dr. Sarah Ferguson who will take on the role of Interim Deputy Chief, Academics, Research and Promotions

“I have absolutely no doubt that the people who are following are going to accomplish their goals," says Dr. Sermer. "This department is going to grow and be even better than it is right now.”

That confidence reflects the enduring strength of the foundation he helped build. “I would be excited to come back in 10 years and see what people have done,” says Dr. Sermer. “I know they will bring the department to even greater heights.”