Professor of Surgery (Orthopaedics, Neurosurgery)

Professor of Biomedical Engineering

Faculty Of Medicine, Dalhousie University

Chief of Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery, IWK Health

Dr. El-Hawary is Professor, Department of Surgery with cross-appointments with the School of Biomedical Engineering and with the Division of Neurosurgery at Dalhousie. He also serves as Associate Chief of Surgery, Research Director of Surgery, and Chief of Orthopaedics at IWK Health.

Ron is currently on the Board of Directors of the Scoliosis Research Society, the Pediatric Spine Foundation, and the Canadian Pediatric Orthopaedic Group.

Ron has been Chair of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada Orthopaedic Examination Committee and has been President of the Pediatric Spine Foundation, the Canadian Pediatric Orthopaedic Group, and the Canadian Pediatric Spine Society.

Ron enjoys spending time with his family at their cottage, skiing, playing golf, and coaching basketball.

Pediatric Nurse Practitioner 

Tricia is the Orthopaedic Nurse Practitioner at the IWK. She is a nursing graduate from Dalhousie University who went on to obtain her Masters in Science as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner in Boston at Northeastern University. After working at Boston Children’s Hospital for several years she moved back to Nova Scotia for this role in 2006. In the role of NP, Tricia is able to see patients independently, assess and examine patients, prescribe medications, order and interpret diagnostic imaging, diagnose and manage orthopaedic conditions. At the IWK, she sees patients with a variety of orthopaedic conditions including patents with mild scoliosis. She manages the Scoliosis Brace clinic in collaboration with an orthotist. She also helps manage patients after scoliosis surgery and has developed care guidelines to optimize the care of patients undergoing this surgery.