Dr. Marc Austin
Dr. Austin graduated from medical school at McMaster University in 1999. He completed his residency training in emergency medicine and family medicine from the University of Western Ontario in 2003.
He then joined the Sarnia emergency Associates group where he practised initially as a full-time emergency physician. At the early height of the opioid crisis he and two emergency colleagues had decided to open an opioid treatment centre in Sarnia. He then went on to co-open Bluewater methadone clinic as an addiction physician with his colleagues Doctors Donald and Barwitzki In 2004. The site of these practices quickly expanded to include Sarnia, Chatham, Wallaceburg, And Forest/kettle point.
He strives to maintain the most up-to-date education in opiate substitution therapy, mental health care and continues to practice evidence based medicine. In the last few years, this practice has also expanded to the creation of the RAAM clinic which provides care to patients with alcohol abuse and mental health disorders.
Dr. Austin also practises in primary care family medicine in Corunna Ontario with his colleague Dr Vouriot and they offer these services to the opiate addiction population.
Dr. Daniel Vouriot
Dr. Vouriot received his B.Sc. from the University of Winnipeg in 1991. He attended the University of Manitoba from 1991-95, and completed his Family Medicine Residency here as well. From 1997 to 2000, he was ranked Captain in the Canadian Armed Forces and provided preventative medical surveillance for soldiers, ensured fitness to serve and planned as well as directed medical support for all military operations.
Dr. Vouriot was deployed to Bosnia with NATO from February to June of 2000. By June 2001, he had completed his Emergency Medicine at the University of Alberta. In 2002 Dr. Vouriot was promoted to Major, and worked with the Canadian Contingent in Kandahar, Afghanistan. Here he was the medical commander of the combat mission 101st airborne division, and was responsible for training personnel in the response to chemical and biological weapons. He also screened personnel for fitness and disease before and after deployment. In 2003, Dr. Vouriot achieved his Advanced Diving Medicine at DRES Toronto.
From 2003 to 2015, he worked full time in the Emergency Department at Bluewater Health. From 2006 to 2011 he was appointed medical director of the Bluewater Health Emergency Department and Surgery. Dr. Vouriot has been working with Bluewater Methadone Clinic since 2011. Dr. Vouriot is also working as a family medicine physician at the St. Clair Family Physicians office in Corunna.
Dr. Gary Barwitzki
Dr. Barwitzki MD, CCSAM, CCFP(AM)(SEM)(EM), attended medical school at the University of Western Ontario and graduated in 1989. He then completed a family Medicine/Emergency Medicine Residency in 1993. He also completed a fellowship in Sport and Exercise Medicine at the Fowler Kennedy Sport Medicine Clinic in London, Ontario.
Dr. Barwitzki has had hospital privileges in Emergency Medicine at Bluewater Health since 1993. He was a founding associate in establishing Bluewater Methadone Clinic (BMC) in 2004. In 2013 he passed the International Society of Addiction Medicine (ISAM) certification examination. He currently holds a certification from the Canadian Society of Addiction Medicine (CSAM) and has received added competence in Addiction Medicine from the Canadian College of Family Physicians (CCFP).
Dr. Del Donald
Dr Donald did his bachelors degree in chemistry and biology at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby and then a degree in Medicine at the University of British Columbia. After this he did a rotating Internship at Dalhousie in Halifax.
He joined the Navy while in medical school and after his internship was posted to CFB Halifax, a tertiary military hospital for three years. He served on destroyers on two different NATO missions and as the Command Medical Officer on the second one. He received 14 weeks training and became a Flight Surgeon. During the time in the maritimes he worked frequently in civilian emergency departments both in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.
He moved to Sarnia in 1989 and was one of six physicians who started Sarnia Emergency Associates. He was the group’s original business manager and also served as the President of the Medical Staff for Sarnia General Hospital. Around 1997 he became Chief of the Emergency Department and continued this until 2004.
In 2004 Drs. Austin, Barwitzki and Donald started Bluewater Methadone Clinic. He continued part time in the ED until 2011. In 2016 he was invited to be site lead for the META:PHI project, set up a RAAM clinic as part of the project and worked to build bridges with other professionals and agencies working in addiction services.
When the acute withdrawal management unit opened he was offered a position as the Addiction Medicine Advisor which he is still involved in.