An “extraordinary career”

With unwavering compassion and visionary leadership, Dr. Susan McNair has dedicated more than 40 years to improving the lives of survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence -a commitment that has earned her the distinguished honour of being named one of the 2025 YMCA Women of Excellence.

As Medical Director of St. Joseph’s Regional Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Treatment Program and a family physician at St. Joseph’s Family Medical and Dental Centre, Dr. McNair has tirelessly advocated for and transformed care for survivors across London and Ontario, leading to this well-deserved recognition.

Hosted every two years by the YMCA of Southwestern Ontario, the Women of Excellence Awards recognize the achievements of women who have made outstanding contributions in various fields. Dr. McNair is recognized as “a champion for survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence,” in acknowledgment of her decades of dedicated care and specialized consultations at both St. Joseph’s Health Care London and London Health Sciences Centre. Beyond her clinical work, she is also an associate professor at Western University, where she mentors and advocates for the next generation of health care providers.

Since the early 1990s, Dr. McNair has been a key leader in improving specialized care for survivors. As an innovative and dedicated advocate in Ontario, she played a central role in creating and launching the Regional Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Treatment Program (RSADVTP) in 1991.

Her clinical expertise, leadership skills and research also played a major role in the creation of the Ontario Network of Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Treatment Centres, which currently consists of 37 hospital-based clinics in Ontario.

In recognition of her outstanding contributions, Dr. McNair also received the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) Board Award in 2024, which honours physicians demonstrating exceptional dedication and excellence in their field. As a medical advisor to the provincial network, she continues to shape best practices and advocate for compassionate, trauma-informed care.

“I have had the honor to work alongside Dr. McNair for the past several years and witness her dedication and passion for victims of sexual assault and intimate partner violence,” says Cassandra Fisher, Clinical Manager of the RSADVTP.  “She represents the best ideals of St. Joseph’s where we seek to follow the values of respect, excellence and compassion.”

Among her many achievements, says Fisher, is identifying and filling a significant need for primary care for trauma survivors who do not have a family doctor. McNair found that more than half of patients seen at the RSDVTP had no primary care. Nor did many of these patients find success within the traditional health care settings.

“True to her nature, Dr. McNair started seeing these patients and created an informal clinic to fill the gap and meet the needs of this population,” says Fisher “We have seen many success stories come from this informal trauma-specialized clinic with many patients stating they did not know where they would be or how they would of survived if it wasn’t for Dr. McNair and the nurses supporting this program.”

St. Joseph’s congratulates Dr. Susan McNair on her recognition as a 2025 YMCA Woman of Excellence and celebrates the transformative work she continues to do for some of the most vulnerable members of the London community and beyond. Her dedication inspires meaningful change in the lives of survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence.