Humber River Regional Hospital's (HRRH) Dr. Anthony Mascia is one of 15 radiologists from across the country who were chosen to help care for athletes during the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.
Mascia, who is also the director of MRI at HRRH, was scheduled to leave for Vancouver the evening of Feb. 9, three days before the start of the Olympic Games, which run Feb. 12 to 28. "There are two polyclinics (a place where a wide range of health care services can be obtained without the need for an overnight stay), one in the athlete's village and one in Whistler, and I'll be based in Whistler," Mascia said hours before his departure. "Every province will be represented medically."Mascia, who will have access to a portable MRI machine strictly for athlete usage, had already received emails about alpine skiing and bobsled training injuries prior to flying west, so he anticipates a busy workload in the coming weeks. "We're going to be busy with the sliding sports," he said. This isn't the first time the Etobicoke resident has attended the Olympics as a medical expert. Mascia worked as a radiologist consultant during the 2000 Sydney Games but will be more hands-on this time around. "In Whistler, I'll be more in the trenches," he said. "I have a different role there. When you travel with (medical) teams abroad during the Olympics you're there as a consultant, to supervise. Only the host country can have medical staff actually tending to the athletes. So this time I'll have a bigger role."Along with tending to injured athletes, Mascia has high hopes for Canada in the medal standings. "We are a gracious host and we have strong competitors," he said. "I expect we will do well."