Bridging Medicine, Communications and Creativity
Milestones Newsletter | Issue 12, Fall 2025 | Subscribe to Milestones
For PCMCH Governing Council member Dr. Paul Roumeliotis, the path to paediatric medicine was anything but traditional.
Long before he became the Medical Officer of Health and CEO for the Eastern Ontario Health Unit (EOHU), Dr. Roumeliotis (or “Dr. Paul” as he’s commonly known) was a professional musician – touring, producing records and even operating his own studio. Yet, it was a childhood fascination sparked by his mother’s work in a paediatrician’s office that eventually drew him toward medicine.
“It was really serendipitous,” he recalls of his entry into medicine. “I was a professional musician and the first to go beyond high school in my family. Pursuing medicine really melded my zeal to educate and empower people, and paediatrics was a natural fit because it’s all about communicating with parents.”
A pioneer in health communications
Dr. Roumeliotis’ dual passion for science and communications merged in the field of medicine. While training at the Montreal Children’s Hospital, he realized that clear communication was critical for parents supporting children with complex conditions like diabetes or asthma. That insight fueled a lifelong mission: to make health information accessible, accurate and empowering.
So, in 1995, he became one of the first physicians to go online, creating hundreds of healthcare-related educational videos, articles and tips for parents on his website, www.drpaul.com. He also makes regular television and radio appearances to connect directly with the public, providing easy-to-understand, evidence-informed information. In addition, he founded one of the early health communications academic departments in North America – the Multi-Format Health Communications program at McGill University’s Faculty of Medicine.
He strongly believes that the strategic use of new media technologies in public health messaging is essential to communicating with today’s tech savvy audiences. At the EOHU, he created and oversees a full production studio and communications team. As the only health unit in Canada with in-house production expertise and capabilities, the EOHU has created hundreds of public health programs and campaigns, in both official languages, many of which have been used across the country.
Today, Dr. Roumeliotis sees health communications as more vital than ever. “We have to be especially proactive to combat misinformation and build trust with the public,” he said. “Health communication isn’t an accessory to medicine; it’s an essential part of it.”
Leadership role with PCMCH
As a long-time member of PCMCH’s Governing Council, Dr. Roumeliotis has been instrumental in bringing a public health perspective to the table. He played a key role during the COVID-19 pandemic, liaising with the provincial and local health agencies, serving as the public face of Eastern Ontario’s pandemic response.
More recently, Dr. Roumeliotis supported efforts to advance awareness and uptake of the province’s respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) prevention program for newborns. This included providing valuable input and expertise in the development of PCMCH’s RSV fact sheets for parents/ expectant parents and healthcare providers.
“RSV is one of the leading causes of hospitalization in babies under two, and until recently, we had little way to prevent it,” he said. “Thanks to new antibody treatments and maternal vaccines, such as Beyfortus and Abrysvo, we’re now protecting newborns from severe illness. Last year, we reached about 75% of babies in Ontario, significantly reducing hospital admissions. PCMCH was a big part of this work.”
Despite his busy schedule, Dr. Roumeliotis still makes time for music, performing classic rock at fundraisers for children’s causes. His creativity, he says, continues to inform his medical work. “Music taught me how to connect,” he reflects. “That same connection drives my work in health.”
Asked what he hopes his legacy will be, Dr. Roumeliotis doesn’t hesitate: “That people realize communication is part and parcel of healthcare practice. Very simple.”
PCMCH thanks Dr. Paul Roumeliotis for sharing his experiences and for his many years of service.