“And in the end, it’s not the years in a life but the life in those years.” —Abraham Lincoln

We grieve the loss of Dr Richard Fedorak, the founding Mentor of Mentoring in IBD, and Dean of the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry at the University of Alberta.

Much has been written in tribute to Richard Fedorak’s remarkable career and formidable accomplishments in medicine and clinical research—from his early days as an academically gifted young student in Edmonton, through his many leadership positions at the University of Alberta, and beyond.

We invite you to visit http://edmontonjournal.remembering.ca/obituary/richard-fedorak-1071276403 to travel the arc of his life and times.

We write in honour of one particular gift among Richard’s many legacies. In 2000, Richard conceived an idea to bring an annual, national, continuing health education program to Canadian gastroenterologists who specialize in the management of inflammatory bowel disease and he called it, Mentoring in IBD.

During the 23 years since the first symposium, Mentoring in IBD has evolved into an innovative curriculum that includes regional chapters in Western and Atlantic Canada, Mentorat sur les MII in Quebec, IBD Dialogue – both Classic and Special Editions, E-Mentoring in IBD, and www.mentoringinibd.com. Each component is founded on the consistent, practical and clinically relevant objectives of Richard’s vision:

• Increase awareness of new developments and best practices in IBD management
• Promote collaboration among Canadian gastroenterologists
• Optimize treatment of inflammatory bowel disease.

The success of Mentoring in IBD can be measured. Since 2009, the number of delegates who attend the annual national meeting in Toronto has increased by 284%, and attendance at the regional meetings has collectively risen 155%. This year, 391 gastroenterologists and allied healthcare professionals across Canada attended a Mentoring in IBD symposium. Since 2009, subscribers to IBD Dialogue and E-Mentoring in IBD grew by 370% and these Mentoring in IBD publications reach 1,560 healthcare professionals across North America and around the world today.

Richard’s conception of Mentoring in IBD reached “beyond the evidence” to bring home the latest and the greatest scientific knowledge in the evolving field of inflammatory bowel disease to Canadian specialists—always driven by the goal to translate research into practice and ultimately improve outcomes for people who live with these chronic diseases. Richard Fedorak meant so much to so many people—a caring and charismatic human being, a challenging and collaborative colleague, an inspiring and supportive mentor. It is impossible to express how much he is missed.