BARRY’S BAY – Dr. Steven Chen, St. Francis Memorial Hospital’s newest physician, has always wanted to be involved in rural medicine.
In fact, he outlined his passion for rural medicine when he applied to medical school when he was 19 years old.
“It was always something I intended to pursue,” Dr. Chen said. “I find a big difference between rural medicine and city medicine is the scope of practice that we have being a rural physician.”
He said doctors at St. Francis Memorial Hospital have to be comfortable with all ages, from birth to end-of-life care.
“We have to be comfortable with provision of care in different settings, such as emergency room, the long-term care setting, as well as clinic and hospitalized admitted patients. These are the aspects of medicine that I really want to incorporate in my future practice,” he said.
Although he recognizes the need for specialists locally, Dr. Chen said he wants to be a physician who is able to assist his patients, no matter their concern.
“It’s rural, but it’s not remote,” the new doctor said of the area. “I feel that the residents here could get very good medical care with a family physician that is able to provide a wide scope of care.”
Dr. Chen attended a special welcoming and contract signing ceremony at the Madawaska Valley Township municipal office on January 20. There, the joint municipal physician recruitment committee welcomed the new doctor and signed the medical services agreement. He is set to become the area’s newest physician and start practicing at the St. Francis Health Centre in July 2017.
Get your January 25, 2017 edition of The Valley Gazette to read the full article.