POTSDAM -- St. Lawrence Health Systems has hired Michael G. Chater, a Canadian-board-certified specialist in ear, nose, and throat diseases and disorders (otolaryngology).

He joins the medical staff of Canton-Potsdam Hospital and sees patients at 145 Market St. in the building formerly occupied by the Warner Cancer Treatment Center in the SeaComm Plaza.

He diagnoses and treats diseases and disorders including nasal obstruction due to a deviated septum, chronic sinusitis, CSF rhinorrhea, cancerous and non-cancerous tumors, salivary gland disorders, thyroid conditions and reconstructive surgery. He also evaluates children for hearing loss, learning difficulties, eating and speech difficulties, snoring and noisy breathing.

Chater earned his medical degree at the University of Saskatchewan, Canada, and is studying for a master of science degree in otolaryngology with a concentration in the genetics of chronic sinusitis at McGill University in Montreal, where he also completed his otolaryngology residency. He followed his residency by completing a fellowship in rhinology at the University of Texas at Houston.

While at McGill, Chater was awarded the Facial Plastics Course Award and was involved in graduate research investigations funded by the Fonds de la Recherche en Santé du Québec (FRSQ) and the Natural Sciences Engineering and Research Council of Canada (NSERC). He has presented his research at international conferences, and peer-reviewed publications are in progress. Chater is a member of the American Academy of Otolaryngology, Canadian Society of Otolaryngology, the American Academy of Asthma, Allergy, and Immunology, and a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Canada.

Information, appointment: 274-9710 or www.cphospital.org