Write us    Phone: 250-595-1551    Fax: 250-595-1000
Write us    Phone: 250-595-1551    Fax: 250-595-1000

Dr. Rick Leather

Dr. Rick Leather

Dr. Rick Leather

BSc., M.D., F.R.C.P.C. F.C.C.S

CLINICAL INTERESTS
Dr. Leather’s prime clinical and research interest is in the myriad cardiac arrhythmia disorders that our patients present with. He was a Royal College examiner in Cardiology for 8 years starting in 1998 and was the Head of the Heart Health program at VIHA 2005-2007. In 2021 he was awarded the Magdy Basta award of excellence by the Canadian Heart Rhythm Society.

MEDICAL SCHOOL/RESIDENCY/FELLOWSHIP/QUALIFICATIONS
Dr. Rick Leather graduated from the University of Guelph with a BSc in 1977. After 3 years in a molecular biology research laboratory at the University of Toronto he attended Queens School of Medicine in Kingston Ontario from 1980-1984. Internal Medicine residency training was done at Western University in London Ontario from 1984-1987 followed by Cardiology residency training at the University of British Columbia 1987-1989. Electrophysiology fellowship was done at UBC then Western University in Ontario 1989-1991. He became a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians in 1989.

In 1991 he joined the Division of Cardiology at Vancouver General Hospital as a Cardiac Electrophysiologist in 1991.

In 1994 he accepted a position with the Division of Cardiology in Victoria with the aim of helping initiate the Cardiac Arrhythmia program in Victoria. The electrophysiology (EP) lab started at the Victoria General Hospital with procedures done in the cardiac catheterization laboratory. With rapid growth of the EP/Ablation program a separate EP lab opened at VGH then in 1999 the EP lab moved to the Royal Jubilee Hospital where it has grown to 2 full time EP labs with diagnostic EP procedures, catheter ablation procedures of many type, simple and complex device implantations as well as atrial appendage closure procedures with 5 cardiac electrophysiologists on staff within the Division of Cardiology.

HIGHLIGHTS/ACHIEVEMENTS/COMMUNITY SERVICE

He believes in the benefits of travel and physical activity and remains active in walking, golf and hockey. Music and reading remain passions.