After over 38 impactful years at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Dr. Peter Rumney is stepping down as director of inpatient care. As he begins his journey towards retirement this marks the close of a truly remarkable chapter – one shaped by compassionate leadership, quiet innovation and an unwavering commitment to children and families.

Dr. Rumney first arrived at Holland Bloorview, known then as the Bloorview Children’s Hospital, as a medical student for a summer rotation in July of 1978. This transformative experience allowed him to witness firsthand the power of a multidisciplinary team and the profound impact it could make in the lives of clients and their families.

The rotation was more than a clinical assignment; for Rumney, it was the beginning of a vocation shaped by empathy and personal experience. Growing up with a brother who lived with the effects of a brain injury, Dr. Rumney understood the anxiety and uncertainty that accompanies the rehabilitation journey. He wanted to be a physician who offered a way forward.

Dr. Rumney quickly became known for his calm presence and thoughtful approach to client care. From the very beginning, he made it a practice to join the nursing team each morning, to discuss overnight concerns and plan for the next day’s challenges. Whether guiding a family through a new diagnosis, helping a child return to school, or reviewing emergency protocols, he has remained steadfast in his belief that every family deserves clear information and honest support. 

As Golda Milo-Manson, vice president of medicine and academic affairs, reflects: 

“Peter brings integrity and an unwavering work ethic to everything he does. He has impacted the lives of so many staff, kids and families. While he may be stepping away from his official role and taking on a lighter case load in our ambulatory brain injury clinic, his influence will be felt in every child he’s helped, every family who’s felt supported and every clinician who’s been inspired by his example.”

It’s no surprise that Dr. Rumney’s influence extends well beyond Holland Bloorview’s walls. He has helped build the hospital’s brain injury rehabilitation team into a national standard for others, collaborating on pediatric stroke, concussion and rehabilitation research; and has played a key role in developing numerous innovations. Among his many achievements are the early adoption of Neuro Technologies, which helped transform pediatric and adolescent rehabilitation, and his pivotal contribution to advancing electronic medical records to keep care aligned with technology – always prioritizing the needs of clients.

Dr. Rumney’s work has been recognized at every level. For his dedication to children and youth with acquired brain injury, he received the Dr. Jane Gillett Research Award from Brain Injury Canada, the Lloyd Loynes Award for Professional of the Year from the Ontario Brain Injury Association, and numerous distinctions from the Toronto Acquired Brain Injury Network. His leadership has reached national and international audiences through board positions, committee work, research publications and the development of best practice guidelines.

Perhaps the most accurate measure of Dr. Rumney’s impact lies in the stories of those he has helped. One parent recalls Dr. Rumney’s calm and reassuring presence during follow-up visits with her son, Andrew, who had lived in constant fear after a stroke. 

“At our last appointment, Dr. Rumney looked at Andrew and said, ‘Your skull and brain are just as strong as everyone else’s.’ In that moment, I saw years of anxiety leave his body. After so long, those words finally gave him peace. We will never be able to thank Dr. Rumney enough for the difference he made in Andrew’s life and ours.”

Former peers, colleagues and mentees also speak of his generosity and wisdom, noting that even when starting out, it was clear that Dr. Rumney offered something extra special. In 1986, he was recognized with the Post Core Resident Teaching Award in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Toronto, a sign of what was to come. As he progressed throughout his career, he helped guide and mentor generations of young physicians. His lessons didn’t stop in the lecture hall. They showed up in his research, at the bedside and in those small, quiet moments where compassion mattered most.

Darcy Fehlings, a developmental pediatrician and senior scientist at the Bloorview Research Institute, has witnessed that impact firsthand. 

“I’ve worked alongside Dr. Peter Rumney at Holland Bloorview for over 35 years. His exceptional leadership, professionalism, and unwavering care for children with acquired brain injuries and their families have made a lasting impact. He’s also our ‘go-to’ leader during code blue responses—we all perform better when Dr. Rumney is at the code with us. Thank you, Dr. Rumney, for all you’ve done and continue to do to make a difference at Holland Bloorview.”

As Holland Bloorview prepares for this transition, there is a sense of gratitude and optimism. Dr. Rumney’s legacy will undoubtedly shape the brain injury unit and the entire field, advancing care, research and innovation for children and youth with brain injury. The ultimate goal, as Dr. Rumney explains, “Is to have the individual go back home to a community, to their family. It’s a process of learning, accommodating and finding new ways to work together and encourage ongoing rehabilitation and therapy. You’re seeing families rebuild, which I can’t take credit for, but it's nice to know that we’re at least a component of their recovery process.”

Dr. Alysha Ladha, a developmental pediatrician in the Brain Injury Rehabilitation Program, reflects on Dr. Rumney’s influence on others in the field, stating:

“Dr. Rumney has been a constant and supportive presence at Holland Bloorview. To me, his leadership has been rooted in values of community, honesty, and future thinking. He has had a profound impact on the way I, and countless others view rehabilitation and how we help people live a good life, whatever that means to them.”

Dr. Rumney’s career reminds us that authentic leadership is found in everyday actions: in listening, teaching and showing up for those who need it. 

Story and photos by Brendan Byrne

All other photos are property of Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital Archives