Celebrating rural health care

May 27 to 31 is Alberta Rural Health Week; a great opportunity to honour the contributions of rural Alberta-based health professionals and community volunteers who help provide superb health care close to home.

Melody Henriksen, Area Manager for Acute Care Services Alberta Health Care sites in Hardisty, Daysland, Viking, and Tofield, says there are definite advantages to working in health care in a rural community.

“You get to work to the full scope of everything you learned in your schooling. One day you may be in Emergency, the next, doing out-patient care.

“Working in a rural health care centre is a unique setting, where the camaraderie is invaluable, and is very rewarding.”

Killam Health Care Centre’s Site Manager Geraldine Clark agrees, “We have to be experts in so many ways: Emergency (Cardiac, Trauma, Overdoses,), Medicine, Continuing Care, Community Care, Dementia Care, Care of Pediatrics, the Adult and the Elderly.

“Nursing staff work in all these aspects to provide care to the people we serve.” . . . contd.