Press Release
Mark Thursday, June 3 on your calendar and plan to attend the Community Physician Appreciation Banquet being held in conjunction with Physician Appreciation Week (May 31-June 4).
Andrew Hallikas, chair of the Physician Appreciation Week committee, is excited to be a part of this long overdue recognition.
“What would we do without our community physicians?” he queried.
“They are the cornerstone of our community, and ensure our citizens are looked after in a caring, compassionate, and professional manner,” he noted.
The banquet will be held in the auditorium at the Memorial Sports Centre on June 3 starting at 6 p.m.
Tickets cost $20 each for adults and $10 for children 12 and under.
Tables of eight may be reserved.
“We’re really hoping for this to be a family affair,” Hallikas explained.
“The more, the merrier!
“I’m sure there are at least a couple of generations of kids who were delivered at La Verendrye Hospital by Dr. MacKintosh,” he chuckled.
The Physician Appreciation Week is an idea of the Fort Frances Physician Recruitment & Retention Committee.
“Oftentimes we focus more on recruitment than retention,” said Teresa Hazel, a member of the Fort Frances Physician Recruitment & Retention Committee, who also is helping with Physician Appreciation Week.
Hazel admitted physician recruitment is not easy right now as Fort Frances is competing with every small town and large centre across Canada.
She does, however, believe our community has a lot to offer potential physicians.
“We have a well-diversified complement of physicians and that helps a great deal with our recruitment efforts,” Hazel remarked.
“We also have new schools, a new library, an excellent sports centre, a theatre for arts and entertainment, two airports, and first-class health-care facilities with state-of-the-art equipment.
“These are all great selling points for our community!”
Hazel said it took a community effort to make these things happen. She also encouraged everyone to come out—as a community—to celebrate our family physicians.
Tickets can be purchased at La Verendrye Hospital, the Fort Frances Community Clinic, and Pharmasave.
Meanwhile, if you have an interesting story about your family physician, or would like to share some written words of appreciation, they can be dropped off or mailed to Teresa Hazel c/o La Verendrye Hospital, 110 Victoria Ave., Fort Frances, Ont., P9A 2B7.
For further information about Physician Appreciation Week, call Hallikas at 274-5201 or Hazel at 274-4803.
