Dr. Chris Loreto is ending his 31-year tenure as an emergency room physician at Timmins and District Hospital, retiring from the department he led for more than a quarter-century. Loreto, a heart attack survivor, said his retirement was not part of a long-designed plan but a necessary choice for his well-being. He acknowledged the significant pressures facing emergency medicine today as a contributing factor. “As my wife said to me, ‘Did you even have an exit strategy?’ and the answer was ‘No,’” said Loreto. “This is my exit strategy and sometimes the ones forced upon you are the best ones.” Mounting pressure on emergency care In reflecting on his career, Loreto expressed unwavering passion for his work but pointed to an increasingly demanding health-care landscape. He said the current environment makes a long career in emergency medicine particularly challenging. “With the lack of family docs, with the social ills that are out there today, the visit volume, the complexity of the cases are rising and so the pressures on the emerg,” he said. “You know, (it) makes it a career that is very short-lived ... So yeah, a bit bittersweet, but everything’s got a shelf life.” A legacy of pride and service Despite the challenges, Loreto said he is leaving with immense pride in the local hospital and its emergency team, offering a vote of confidence to the community it serves. “People in this town should be proud of this department, proud of this hospital, because we do some pretty good work here,” he said. His retirement from his full-time ER duties does not mark an end to his service. Loreto will remain involved in the medical community by helping with trauma calls, teaching students and working with the air ambulance service and the community paramedicine program.
