SR

ShemerRatnerMD, FRCPC

Specialist in Nephrology and Internal Medicine

I care for patients with kidney disease at Health Sciences North in Sudbury and hold privileges at hospitals across Northern Ontario. I also serve on the Board of Governors of NOSM University.

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Shemer Ratner

About

A nephron, the kidney's filtering unit. Each kidney holds about a million.

I'm a nephrologist at Health Sciences North in Sudbury, Ontario. My clinical work has spanned critical care units, inpatient wards, and outpatient clinics, and throughout it I've focused on clinical excellence and the best possible outcomes for my patients.

I earned my MD at Western University in 2014 and stayed on for a residency in internal medicine and a fellowship in nephrology, serving as nephrology co-chief resident.

Governance has been a constant alongside clinical work. I sit on the Board of Governors of NOSM University, and earlier served as Treasurer of the Professional Association of Residents of Ontario.

Clinical experience

  1. 2019–present

    Nephrologist

    Health Sciences North, Sudbury, ON

    Staff nephrologist, full time since January 2020.

  2. 2018–2020

    Locum internist

    Hospitals across Southwestern Ontario, including Woodstock Hospital, Tillsonburg District Memorial Hospital, Stratford General Hospital and Chatham-Kent Health Alliance

    Covered community ICUs, an internal medicine step-down unit, wards and consults.

Hospital privileges

  • Health Sciences NorthSudbury
  • Kirkland and District HospitalKirkland Lake
  • Manitoulin Health CentreLittle Current
  • Sensenbrenner HospitalKapuskasing
  • St. Joseph's General HospitalElliot Lake
  • Temiskaming HospitalNew Liskeard
  • West Parry Sound Health CentreParry Sound

As listed on the CPSO public register.

Consulting and non-clinical work

Alongside my clinical practice, I take on governance, advisory and medical education work. I welcome enquiries about board, committee, advisory and teaching roles.

Governance

I've worked in governance since residency, from provincial physician advocacy to the board of a medical school. My focus is financial oversight, risk and strategy.

  • Board of Governors, NOSM University2020–present. Elected faculty member; Finance, Audit and Risk Management Committee
  • Treasurer, Professional Association of Residents of Ontario2016–2017. Financial oversight for an association of about 5,000 residents; chaired the investment and human resources subcommittees
  • Provincial negotiationsMember of the PARO team that reached an employment agreement for Ontario residents
  • Ontario Medical Association BoardRepresented Ontario residents at board meetings while PARO Treasurer

Medical education

I teach residents and give presentations as a nephrology topic expert, and I've held education leadership roles since residency.

  • Nephrology topic expert presentationsPresentations on kidney disease topics
  • Resident teachingClinical teaching of resident physicians
  • Nephrology co-chief resident, Western University2017–2019
  • Resident representative, Internal Medicine Residency Training Committee2014–2017. Shared decision-making on the direction of Western's internal medicine residency program
  • Postgraduate education committees2015–2017. CPSO Education Committee, the Council of Ontario Faculties of Medicine postgraduate committee, and hospital postgraduate medical education committees in London

Leadership and governance

  1. 2020–present

    Member, Board of Governors

    NOSM University (formerly the Northern Ontario School of Medicine), Sudbury, ON

    An elected faculty member of the board, helping oversee the university's strategic direction and operations. I have served on the Finance, Audit and Risk Management Committee.

  2. 2016–2017

    Treasurer

    Professional Association of Residents of Ontario (PARO), Toronto, ON

    Elected by my peers to oversee PARO's finances and report quarterly results to its 5,000 members. I chaired the investment and human resources subcommittees, represented Ontario residents on committees including the OMA Board and the CPSO Education Committee, and was part of the negotiations team that reached a favourable employment agreement for Ontario residents.

  3. 2015–2017

    PARO Leadership Course

    Professional Association of Residents of Ontario

    Selected for a two-year program of quarterly leadership seminars for representatives identified as having leadership potential.

  4. 2015–2016

    Site Chair

    Professional Association of Residents of Ontario, London, ON

    Chaired local site meetings and led a thirteen-person general council. Sat on hospital committees including postgraduate medical education, resident relations, and the ePractice executive.

  5. 2014–2017

    PGY representative, Internal Medicine Residency Training Committee

    Western University, London, ON

    Represented my residency year on the committee that directs Western's internal medicine residency program.

Education and certification

  1. 2019

    Royal College certification in Nephrology

    Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada

  2. 2018

    Royal College certification in Internal Medicine

    Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada

  3. 2017–2019

    Fellowship in Nephrology

    Western University, London, ON

    Two-year fellowship. Served as nephrology co-chief resident.

  4. 2014–2017

    Residency in Internal Medicine

    Western University, London, ON

  5. 2014

    Doctor of Medicine (MD)

    Western University, London, ON

Research

  1. 2018

    Pilot study to determine whether cooled peritoneal dialysis fluid confers cardio-protective effects

    Ratner S, Tamasi T, So A, McIntyre C

    Poster presentation, American Society of Nephrology (ASN)

  2. 2015

    Heart block and temporary pacing during rotational atherectomy

    Mitar MD, Ratner S, Lavi S

    Canadian Journal of Cardiology

Patient information

One-page, plain-language summaries of common kidney conditions. They give general information to read and talk over with your own health care team.

Referrals and contact

Referring clinicians can fax referrals to the nephrology clinic at Health Sciences North, marked to the attention of Dr. Ratner.

Phone

705-523-7007

Fax

705-523-7340

Attention: Dr. Ratner

Clinic

Nephrology, 9th Floor, North Tower
Health Sciences North
41 Ramsey Lake Road
Sudbury, ON  P3E 5J1
Get directions

Not sure whether to refer? The Ontario Renal Network's KidneyWise toolkit sets out referral criteria for chronic kidney disease in primary care and includes an outpatient nephrology referral form.