News
Retirement of Gaston Harnois, MD, on March 31, 2010
2010-03-22
It is with some regret that I announce the retirement of Gaston P. Harnois, MD, Director of the Montreal WHO/PAHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Mental Health. He will be succeeded by Marc Laporta, MD, who has served under Dr. Harnois as Assistant Director since the fall of 2007. Dr Harnois will continue to act as consultant on a part-time basis at the Collaborating Centre.
People like to talk about "institutional memory" these days, and how essential it is to an organization's success. Our own collective memory at the Douglas has been truly enriched by Dr. Harnois's leadership. As Director General of the Douglas from 1971 to 1988, he paved the route of community psychiatry.
Under his capable leadership, we modernized and expanded services to more Quebec regions and laid the foundation for what would eventually become the Douglas Hospital Research Centre. Indeed, the sweeping changes to Quebec's mental health policy emerged from a provincial committee Dr. Harnois chaired in 1989, and whose influential report bears his name.
A powerful intellect, administrator, educator and leader, he will be nevertheless remembered for his compassion. After a successful career leading the Douglas and spearheading change across Quebec, Dr. Harnois turned his humanity to serving others--those disadvantaged by history and geography. Appointed Director of the WHO/Pan American Health Organization Collaborating Centre in 1982, he traveled widely across Latin America and the Caribbean to bring much-needed mental health services to vulnerable populations, to help train mental health workers and assist in formulating mental health policy in those nations.
His leadership on the international stage is formidable: From 1975 to 1979 he was Secretary for the World Federation for Mental Health, and from 1989 to 1991 President of the World Association for Psychosocial Rehabilitation. And this doesn't even begin to describe his contributions to WHO initiatives as expert advisor and consultant, both on the front lines in other countries and at the WHO's head offices in Geneva.
His colleague in Geneva, Benedetto Saraceno, MD, recently wrote upon hearing of Dr. Harnois's retirement, "Our Department holds you in great esteem and your wisdom, knowledge and constant willingness to help WHO have been highly valued."
Marc Laporta, MD, will be the new Director of the Montreal WHO/PAHO Collaborating Centre. As a psychiatrist, leader and humanitarian, Dr. Laporta shares some of the same professional interests as Gaston Harnois. An activist and builder both in Montreal and in other countries, Dr. Laporta has earned the trust of the WHO, which recently mandated him to perform a reconnaissance mission in the earthquake-ravaged nation of Haiti. I wish Dr. Laporta much success in his new post.
People like to talk about "institutional memory" these days, and how essential it is to an organization's success. Our own collective memory at the Douglas has been truly enriched by Dr. Harnois's leadership. As Director General of the Douglas from 1971 to 1988, he paved the route of community psychiatry.
Under his capable leadership, we modernized and expanded services to more Quebec regions and laid the foundation for what would eventually become the Douglas Hospital Research Centre. Indeed, the sweeping changes to Quebec's mental health policy emerged from a provincial committee Dr. Harnois chaired in 1989, and whose influential report bears his name.
A powerful intellect, administrator, educator and leader, he will be nevertheless remembered for his compassion. After a successful career leading the Douglas and spearheading change across Quebec, Dr. Harnois turned his humanity to serving others--those disadvantaged by history and geography. Appointed Director of the WHO/Pan American Health Organization Collaborating Centre in 1982, he traveled widely across Latin America and the Caribbean to bring much-needed mental health services to vulnerable populations, to help train mental health workers and assist in formulating mental health policy in those nations.
His leadership on the international stage is formidable: From 1975 to 1979 he was Secretary for the World Federation for Mental Health, and from 1989 to 1991 President of the World Association for Psychosocial Rehabilitation. And this doesn't even begin to describe his contributions to WHO initiatives as expert advisor and consultant, both on the front lines in other countries and at the WHO's head offices in Geneva.
His colleague in Geneva, Benedetto Saraceno, MD, recently wrote upon hearing of Dr. Harnois's retirement, "Our Department holds you in great esteem and your wisdom, knowledge and constant willingness to help WHO have been highly valued."
Marc Laporta, MD, will be the new Director of the Montreal WHO/PAHO Collaborating Centre. As a psychiatrist, leader and humanitarian, Dr. Laporta shares some of the same professional interests as Gaston Harnois. An activist and builder both in Montreal and in other countries, Dr. Laporta has earned the trust of the WHO, which recently mandated him to perform a reconnaissance mission in the earthquake-ravaged nation of Haiti. I wish Dr. Laporta much success in his new post.
