Dr. Kylen McReelis

The Section Service Award is awarded in recognition of significant service to the OMA, the medical profession, and the Section of Eye Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario.

Dr. McReelis obtained  his Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Medicine and then completed his ophthalmology residency also at the University of Toronto in 2005.  He still maintains a strong relationship with the Department  where he is involved running  a weekly resident teaching clinic at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre.

For five years – two as the section’s Chair – Dr. McReelis was a member of EPSO’s executive.  During his tenure he was involved in extensive work with the section as the point person for the Health Services Funding Reform Quality Based Procedures Committees. This committee has looked at cataract surgery, retinal services, and corneal surgical procedures.  Dr. McReelis served in several capacities representing the section on committees for the OMA including the Negotiations Advisory Committee in  2016 and the Relativity Review Committee in 2017-2018.  He was instrumental in developing policy around the introduction and facilitation of the use of femto cataract surgery in the province and was known for having maintained a collegial working relationship with the Ministry of Health despite the lack of a physician services agreement.  In 2017 along with Dr Cheskes, he was successful in lobbying the Ontario Government to ban scleral tattoos in the province.

Currently Dr. McReelis runs a comprehensive ophthalmology community practice located in Peterborough, Ontario that involves medical and surgical ophthalmology.   He participates in a regional on call program and is currently the Chief of Surgery for Peterborough Regional Health Centre.  He continues to be a member of  the Eye Health Council of Ontario, which has required extensive committee and policy creation work.

Dr. McReelis has been a volunteer on the CNIB’s Eye Van – Medical Mobile Eye Care Unit – which tours Northern Ontario providing essential vision care to those where accessibility is limited.   Locally in Peterborough, he is involved in teaching family practice residents and has supervised many final year residents in community electives with him.    In 2012, he started a regional ROP screening program in Peterborough as a response to an unmet need where children were travelling back and forth to Toronto or Kingston for screening exams.

Although no longer on the executive, Dr. McReelis continues to provide support and advice to EPSO’s leadership and represented the Section in the recent negotiations/arbitration process.  In spite of his busy work/life, he is always accessible and willing to contribute, mentor and advise the Section’s executive on matters impacting the profession.

Dr. Kylen McReelis was presented with his award at the Annual General Meeting held in Toronto on February 20,2020 in the presence of his peeers.

Featured in the photograph from left to right: Dr. Kylen McReelis and Dr. Baseer Khan, EPSO’s Tariff Chair