shaunavon hospital

After lots of searching and some care interruptions, Shaunavon is getting a large team of physicians to fill their newly opened Primary Health Care Clinic in the hospital.

"We have four physicians," said Executive Director of Communications for the Health Region Bryce Martin. "There's not four full time physicians there, but as we contiue to work through the demand for services and build up that continued demand for medical services, whether it be physicians or nurse practicioners in the community, we feel this is a great start for seeing what the demand for care will be."

The region will be keeping an eye on things in Shaunavon to see how this level of care works for people.

Bryce Martin Interview"We'll always be looking out and evaluating the number of resources we have and how the fit is with the community and the team," Martin said. "We'll be continuing to talk with not only the physicians and nurse practitioners, but also the staff in the facility, the patients and the community at large."

Dr. Roozbeh Rahmani will be beginning his career within the Cypress Health Region on August 6th. He has just recently completed the requirements of the Saskatchewan International Physician Assessment Program (SIPPA) and has achieved his licensure with the Saskatchewan College of Physicians & Surgeons. Dr. Rahmani received his medical education in Iran. His wife will be relocating with him to reside in Shaunavon.

Dr. Siva Balasingham will be returning to the community to provide medical services to patients in Shaunavon and surrounding areas. Dr. Balasingham previously practiced medicine at the Avon Medical Clinic and will be a welcome addition back to the community. She will begin her work at the Clinic on August 15th.

Long time Shaunavon physician Dr. Pierre Louwrens will also be providing his medical expertise at the Clinic, as of August 15th. He will be continuing to provide clinical services at Climax and Shaunavon. Dr. Louwrens has been instrumental in maintaining consistent medical services in the communities, and the region looks forward to his ongoing contributions at the Primary Health Care Clinic.

The addition of the above three physicians will complement the presence of Dr. Ignacio Barretto at the Clinic. In addition, several of the health region's Nurse Practitioners (NP) have developed a collective schedule that will see one of these NPs providing services at the Clinic until a permanent NP can be recruited to the community.

Appointments to see the Primary Health Care Clinic's nurse practitioner or one of the physicians can be made by calling 306-297-2644.

"We welcome these physicians to the primary health care clinic team in Shaunavon and are excited that our recruitment efforts have been successful," said Grant Browne, the Medical Affairs Coordinator for the Cypress Health Region. "The combination of physicians with experience in the community and one that is new to the community will be very beneficial for overall patient care and collegial support for all of them."

The health region also announced that Dr. Kevin Wasko will be providing medical services every Wednesday at the primary health care clinic in Eastend's Wolf Willow Health Centre. Currently living in Swift Current, Dr. Wasko is a recent graduate of the University of Saskatchewan's Family Physician Residency Program.

"Due to the fact that Dr. Wasko was raised in the Eastend area, it is tremendous to see that he would dedicate some time each week to provide his clinical expertise to the primary health care clinic at Wolf Willow," added Browne. "This is another great example of the dedication of our physicians to ensuring that the needs of the region's communities and patients are given the attention they require."

Dr. Wasko's first day in Eastend will be August 7th and appointments can be scheduled with him by contacting the Health Centre registration desk at 306-295-3534. He will join his medical colleagues from Maple Creek who provide physician services at the Clinic, along with temporary part-time assistance from the region's Nurse Practitioner team, in offering a team approach to primary health care programs and services.