A physician with the Battle River Medical Clinic (BRMC) will be leaving her practice at the end of June to pursue speciality training as an obstetrician and gynecologist.
Dr. Emma Curran, who joined the practice last July, wanted to add further skills to her practice of medicine above those of being a rural family doctor.
“I’ve always been interested in obstetrics and wanted to be able to perform c-sections,” said Curran in a news release dated April 20.
“I think there is a real need in rural Alberta to have doctors with these skill sets so that people can get the care they need in their home communities.”
The physicians of the Battle River Medical Clinic are fully supportive of Dr. Curran’s career ambitions.
“Dr. Curran identified early on in her practice the need for more specialist care in Ponoka and Wetaskiwin and wants to be able to provide that to patients,” said Dr. Gregory Sawisky.
While there has been a lot of discussion around cuts to rural health care recently, Dr. Curran says that her interest in obstetrics and gynecology have been with her since medical school.
“An opportunity came up to do this training and the timing felt right,” Dr. Curran said.
Dr. Sawisky says that Dr. Curran’s patients will still be able to access care through the BRMC daily access clinic by telephone as well as in person once the COVID-19 situation settles down.
“We hope to be able to find an accepting physician for Dr. Curran’s patients in the future once we are through the pandemic. She will still be seeing her patients until late June,” added Sawisky.
The physicians are hopeful that Dr. Curran will return to Ponoka, her hometown, after she is finished her training though they fully support her wherever her career takes her.
“We have been very lucky to have her as a resident physician as well as a colleague at the clinic and the hospital this past year,” Sawisky said.
“We wish her the best on this exciting new chapter and hope Ponoka is a good fit for her speciality practice when she is finished.”
While there are no doctors accepting new patients at the clinic at this time, anyone can receive a telephone appointment from a doctor by phoning the clinic at 403-783-3399.
- Submitted by the Battle River Medical Clinic