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Through specialized care, the Clinic aims to address educational and research gaps in treating patients with darkly melanated skin.

OTTAWA – July 12, 2023 –The Ottawa Hospital (TOH)’s new Skin of Colour Dermatology Clinic, which opened in 2022, addresses gaps in care for patients with skin conditions and diverse skin types. As one of the first in Canada, the Clinic focuses on improving access to care and providing up-to-date treatments for patients with non-Caucasian skin types.

In addition to care, the Clinic serves as an education centre for medical students and fellows to learn more about treating conditions in darker skin. Through continued research and education, health-care providers at the Clinic have expanded the number of treatments they can offer for conditions like keloids, scarring alopecia, and vitiligo.

 “Throughout my training, it became clear that there was an underrepresentation of diverse skin types in dermatology, with very few images in textbooks showing conditions in dark skin types,” said Dr. Reetesh Bose, Dermatologist at TOH and founder of the Skin of Colour Dermatology Speciality Clinic. “Through the clinic, we have received a lot of positive feedback from patients and learners and continue to develop our work to ensure we serve our community, including Indigenous communities and newcomers to Canada.” 

As part of supporting equitable access to care, the Clinic helps ensure that TOH patients, regardless of their background, have access to the specialized dermatology care they need. The care delivered at the Clinic also contributes to the growing body of knowledge in multicultural dermatology and ensures that health-care providers have the tools and understanding they need to treat skin conditions in this patient population.

“I’ve been a patient of this clinic since May 2022 after being diagnosed with severe psoriasis. This is the absolute best health experience I’ve had in Canada after arriving here 20 years ago,” said Steve Seeriram, a patient at the Skin of Colour Dermatology Specialty Clinic. “Everyone from the Executive Assistant at the front desk to Dr. Bose and his team of interns and nurses have always gone way above and beyond to bring my psoriasis under control. If this clinic did not exist, I honestly don’t know how I would have made it through the past 18 months.”  

The Skin of Colour Dermatology Speciality Clinic runs once per week at the Civic Campus. Patients are referred to the Clinic by a licensed physician or nurse practitioner.

The Ottawa Hospital

The Ottawa Hospital (TOH) is one of Canada’s top learning and research hospitals where we are guided by our vision to provide the world-class and compassionate care we would all want for our loved ones. Our multi-campus hospital, affiliated with the University of Ottawa, is home to the Regional Trauma Centre and Cancer Centre, and to discoveries that are adopted globally. 

Backed by generous support from the community, we are focused on reshaping the future of health care to improve the health of our diverse population of patients from Eastern Ontario, Western Quebec, and Nunavut. 

For more information about The Ottawa Hospital, visit OttawaHospital.on.ca.