Dr. Michael Green celebrates retirement after over 40 years of service – NHH names birthing suite operating room in his honour
After over forty years of dedicated service, Northumberland Obstetrician Gynecologist (OB-GYN) Dr. Michael Green has officially retired.
On Tuesday, October 4, Dr. Green was honoured by his peers, and a number of former colleagues, in a small ceremony held at Northumberland Hills Hospital (NHH) to thank him for his outstanding contributions to the hospital and community.
In the presence of his colleagues and wife, Jennifer Green, Dr. Green was recognized for being a pillar in his field and, most notably, for helping bring ultrasound technology to the area.
As a token of gratitude for his dedicated service, NHH President and CEO Susan Walsh and Chief of Staff Dr. Mukesh Bhargava unveiled a special surprise: the naming of the birthing suite operating room in his honour.
“There are moments when we get opportunities that allow us to recognize special individuals for a long time. Today is one of those moments,” said NHH President and CEO Susan Walsh during her dedication of the new Dr. Michael Green Operating Suite. “Thank you so much for your service, Dr. Green. We hope you know just how much your personal dedication, service, and skill has meant to this hospital and this community.”
Dr. Green finished his fellowship in Obstetrics and Gynecology from the University of Toronto and partly completed training at Toronto Western Hospital under Dr. John Whetham.
Following his training at Toronto Western Hospital, Dr. Green obtained a six-month fellowship in Glasgow, Scotland at Queen Mother's Hospital, where diagnostic ultrasound was developed under Professor Ian Donald. During his fellowship, Dr. Green had the pleasure of interacting with Professor Donald, which became one of many memorable moments in his career.
During his time at Queen Mother’s Hospital, Dr. Green trained under Dr. Hugh Robinson, who developed the Crown-Rump Length measurement, a technique that is still used for dating pregnancies.
Dr. Green recognized the value of ultrasounds as a diagnostic tool and continued his training with Dr. Patricia Fleming, one of the first radiologists. Under her supervision, he became a full-time ultrasonologist and learned about general abdominal scanning.
Following his return to Canada, Dr. Green joined the staff at Toronto Western Hospital as an Obstetrician/Gynaecologist and a Diagnostic Ultrasonographer, providing ultrasounds for general abdominal assessments in addition to obstetrics and gynecology.
After five years at Toronto Western Hospital, Dr. Green relocated to Northumberland County and gained approval to open an ultrasound unit at the former Cobourg hospital
As technology and the scope of diagnostic ultrasound advanced, Dr. Green continued to update his skills and remained an active member of the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine.
Throughout his career, Dr. Green performed over 250,000 scans and is responsible for delivering and saving countless lives. His progressive work in ultrasound has been a substantial benefit to our community for physicians and patients alike.
Dr. Green conducted his professional work to the highest standards, while earning praise for his abilities and level of integrity. He continually demonstrated strong clinical judgement and is well remembered for his positive and collegial working relationship with colleagues, patients, nursing, and administrative staff.
“My wife and I have been blessed professionally and Cobourg was the perfect opportunity for us,” said Dr. Michael Green, after seeing the new signage in his honour. “I have been so fortunate in my career. I have never missed one Christmas with my family or any of their birthdays. It never felt like much of a sacrifice and was more of a pleasure. Thank you, everyone.”
“Dr. Green has been so kind. He’s been so generous with his time, and we are grateful for his contributions,” said Dr. Kathleen Barnard-Thompson, Medical Chief for NHH’s Maternal/Child Care program, and a co-organizer of the recognition.
“There are few giants in our community and Dr. Green is one of them. Dr. Green is a giant because he has been with our hospital for over forty years, touched many lives, and has shaped the practice of medicine in Northumberland,” said NHH Chief of Staff, Dr. Mukesh Bhargava. “Dr. Green brought ultrasound technology to NHH. It is something we take for granted every day but is critically important to patient care. Thank you for your service, and our very best wishes to you from NHH.”