Dr. Sheldon Elman, MD
Founder & Chairman

Dr. Elman graduated from McGill University’s Faculty of Medicine in 1974 and became a member of the Canadian College of Family Physicians in 1976.  He continues to be in active practice to this day.

In 1981, Dr. Elman founded Medcomp Health Systems, one of the predecessor entities to Medisys Health Group, Canada’s leading provider of preventive health services.

Over the last 27 years, under Dr. Elman’s leadership, Medisys grew from a single-office provider of executive health services to become Canada’s leading national healthcare service provider, with over 30 offices and $90mm+ of revenues. 

Dr. Elman is the past Chairman of the Young President’s Organization Healthcare Focus Forum, a recipient of Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award in Quebec, a board member of the CD Howe Institute, a member of le Cercle des Presidents, and is a past Co-Chair of the Canadian Cancer Society’s Daffodil Ball.

Julie Cloutier
President, Medisys Corporate Health LP

Julie Cloutier has been part of the Medisys team since 1988. She has held a number of positions, ranging from Assistant Director to her current post as President, Corporate Health Services. In her present role, Ms. Cloutier has overall financial and management responsibility for all operations in the Corporate Health Services division of the company.

Ms. Cloutier’s long and varied career with Medisys has helped contribute to the company’s rapid development.  She has played a crucial role in implementing some of Canada’s largest disability management mandates, including those for Air Canada, Scotiabank and CN Rail, among others. Having been a key player in achieving ISO 9001 certification (H.O.), she is Medisys’ authority for keeping this standard in place. Ms. Cloutier is actively involved in the development and implementation of all major national contracts, and has been integral in developing numerous business partnerships, most recently Medisys’ strategic alliance with Sun Life Financial’s Canadian Group Benefits division. 

Ms. Cloutier has overseen the design of new clinics, successfully integrated the acquisitions of MDS Executive Health Services and Merit Assessments, and was fundamental to procuring Medisys’ Vancouver and Ottawa clinics.  In addition, she oversees all corporate communications and works in concert with the Medisys Branding team to assure the consistency and quality of the corporate image. 

With an education background in Health Sciences (her graduate work on exercise physiology was published in various journals), Ms. Cloutier also possesses an advanced diploma in Business Administration.

Henri Bybelezer
Vice-President, Legal Affairs

Henri Bybelezer joined Medisys in July 2004 in the capacity of Vice-President, Legal Affairs. He was previously a partner at Mendelsohn, a well-respected, mid-sized Montreal law firm. He practiced business, corporate and commercial law and specialized in domestic and trans-border mergers and acquisitions, including regulatory matters ancillary to such an M&A practice.

Other important aspects of his practice included advising start-ups, establishing joint ventures and preparing all manner of commercial contracts and shareholders’ agreements. Mr. Bybelezer is active in various domestic and international business law groups and committees and has nurtured an extensive international network of business lawyers and other professionals, an activity that complements the transactional nature of his practice.

Henri Bybelezer is a published author in the field of corporate governance and is a former sessional lecturer at the Faculty of Law, McGill University, where he gave a seminar for six years on International Business Enterprises.

Dr. David Gianfelice
Vice-President and Chief of Medical Imaging

Dr. Gianfelice has had a long and successful hospital and academic career as a radiologist, first within the CHUM (a large hospital system in Montreal), ultimately becoming the Chief Radiologist at Hospital St. Luc in 1999 as well as Section Head for Abdominal Imaging for the CHUM from 1999-2004. Most recently, from 2004 until present, he has been an Associate Professor in the Department of Diagnostic Radiology and the Faculty of Medicine at University of Toronto where he was the Section Head for Vascular/ Interventional Radiology.

Dr. Gianfelice has experience in operating and establishing medical imaging clinics in both the public and private environments, having been instrumental in starting up Radiologie Varad at Complexe Desjardins

He is a member of both the Collège des médecins du Québec and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

Shari Gottschalk
Vice-President Operations, Insurance Medical Services

Shari Gottschalk heads the Insurance Medical Services division at Medisys. Prior to joining Medisys, Mrs. Gottschalk was the President of Universal Medical History & Information Inc. (UMED), a North American-based health information management company. UMED is a pioneer in the field of personal health record management and wellness promotion, blending technological innovation with people-oriented communication. Prior to entering the health information industry, Mrs. Gottschalk experienced considerable success in the telecommunications field. Overseeing large call centre-driven direct marketing and customer service operations, she assisted carrier- and reseller-based telecommunication providers in successfully developing consumer and general business channels.

Mrs. Gottschalk belongs to and plays an active role in a number of professional societies, including the Travel Health Insurance Association of Canada, the Canadian Association of Women Executives and Entrepreneurs, the International Association of Women Executives and Entrepreneurs, and the Toronto Board of Trade.

Danielle Lavoie
Assistant Vice-President, Corporate Health Services, Quebec and Maritimes

Danielle Lavoie began her career as a nurse in the public service, thereby gaining solid medical experience. In 1985, she joined the private sector in the field of health and occupational wellness.  She began at Medisys in 1987, first working as a nurse and then quickly becoming the administrative head of Medisys’ occupational health clinic in 1988. At the same time, she completed her studies at the University of Montreal in Health Services management. 

In her present role, Danielle Lavoie assumes many managerial responsibilities with particular emphasis on the human resources of the clinic. This strength has allowed Medisys’ professionals and staff to benefit from her know-how and dynamism.

An expert in communications and customer relations, she first assumed responsibility for client services; under her direction the company adopted firm customer service principles, allowing it to quickly respond to client needs and find solutions to their concerns. She has held her current position since 1999.