Dr. Raphaël Rivière was inspired to join Niagara Health as an anesthesiologist after visiting the region a couple summers ago. He says the move has "immensely improved" his quality of life.
Niagara Health is celebrating Doctors’ Day on May 1 to recognize physicians and their commitment to improving the health of patients.
Dr. Raphaël Rivière knows most tourists don’t tour a local hospital during their vacation. However, when you’re a physician visiting the Niagara region, it can be hard not to.
A couple summers ago, while visiting Niagara-on-the-Lake, Dr. Rivière became so immersed in the rich, postcard-esque scenery and food scene that it inspired a Google search: “Hospital near me.” It was then that he discovered the Marotta Family Hospital in St. Catharines.
“During the trip, I could imagine having a nice life and future here in Niagara,” Dr. Rivière recalls. “I looked at the surgical services that the Marotta Family Hospital offered and thought, ‘Okay, there’s a good breadth of surgical services available to fully engage my skills and interests as an anesthesiologist.”
On his way home to Toronto, he and his family hopped off the QEW, parked in the parking lot and went inside the hospital lobby to see it firsthand.
“I instantly liked the hospital,” he says. “My first impression was that it was nice, big and modern. It’s a relatively new hospital compared to a lot of others I’ve worked at, which was part of the attractive charm in working here.”
“I instantly liked the hospital,” he says. “My first impression was that it was nice, big and modern. It’s a relatively new hospital compared to a lot of others I’ve worked at, which was part of the attractive charm in working here.”
“I instantly liked the hospital. My first impression was that it was nice, big and modern. It’s a relatively new hospital compared to a lot of others I’ve worked at, which was part of the attractive charm in working here.”
“I liked the operating rooms and was impressed with how friendly and collaborative the team was,” he says. He later applied – and was accepted – as a physician at the hospital, making the move to St. Catharines in July 2025.
“We’ve really enjoyed living here,” he says. “My quality of life has immensely improved by the sheer lack of commute. In Toronto, I was commuting 45 minutes to drive five kilometres during rush hour. I really enjoy being able to drive more efficiently.”
When he’s not working, he enjoys dabbling in some of Niagara’s more than 100 farm-to-table restaurants.
“As a foodie, I’ve been quite impressed with the food scene in Niagara,” he says. “There’s a lot of great options here – Pearl Morisette, the Lakehouse and Pharmacii are a few of my favourites.”
Additionally, outside of work, Dr. Rivière enjoys hiking, indulging in being a language hobbyist working to improve his Japanese and Mandarin (he’s already fluent in English, French and Bengali), and working with a personal trainer.
“As anesthesiologists, we work 24-hour call shifts. When we’re in physically good health, we can perform a lot better for our patients. My quality of life and work-life balance has improved so much since moving here.”
“As anesthesiologists, we work 24-hour call shifts. When we’re in physically good health, we can perform a lot better for our patients. My quality of life and work-life balance has improved so much since moving here.”
In keeping with his appreciation for large, modern hospital settings, he is eager to see the new South Niagara Hospital open in 2028.
When Dr. Rivière was a child, he was a pediatric cancer patient at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children. He became fascinated by the physicians who cared for him, and his dreams of becoming one himself took root.
“I was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma when I was seven-years-old and went to SickKids for many years,” he says. “I underwent chemotherapy and a couple of surgeries and had an excellent orthopedic surgeon and oncologist. In the following years, I recovered well and haven’t had a re-occurance since.”
His experience as a patient helped shape his own style as a physician, where he tries to bring a bit of light heartedness to what can sometimes be an overwhelming experience for patients.
“It can be nerve racking to have surgery or have any kind of anesthesia,” he acknowledges. “If I can reassure patients and make them smile and laugh a bit, especially before being put to sleep, I feel pretty good about my effort to make the experience less scary. It can change their experience and perception for the better.”
While his role as an anesthesiologist involves providing anesthetic care for a wide range of services, one of his favourite areas to work in is Labour and Delivery.
“A lot of pregnant women are scared of getting an epidural,” he says. “I try to tell them, ‘You’re stronger and more capable of handling challenges than you think. You can do anything.’ I always try to empower patients as best as I can when they’re going through tough situations.”
Dr. Rivière completed his bachelor’s degree in immunology at the University of Toronto and medical school at the University of Ottawa before completing his anesthesiology residency in Toronto, with a concomitant master’s in medical statistics from the University of Oxford in the U.K. Eventually, he made Niagara Health his home.
“Niagara Health is a great size and a great place to work,” he says. “It’s not overly congested, but it isn’t so small that you feel isolated or lack support. It’s the perfect place. We have some of the best anesthesiologists and anesthesia assistants, operating room and recovery nurses, and an overall very skilled and collaborative team. I love coming to work.”
“Niagara Health is a great size and a great place to work... It’s the perfect place. I love coming to work.”
