Grey Bruce Health Services officials says they are now able to comfortably meet demand for health care in Owen Sound.
During a reception Friday, staff welcomed three surgeons (two who specialize in Otolaryngology and one in Ophthalmology), a Psychiatrist, a Palliative Care Physician, and an Emergency/Medicine/Critical Care Physician.
While some are replacements for outgoing physicians, President of the Urban Medical Staff Association Dr. Neil Lamont says others fill important voids.
And although things are running smoothly with the number of staff, there’s always a need for more.
Lamont says emergency medicine could benefit from one or two more physicians, and there’s demand for psychiatrists.
Dr. Rana Kaleemullah — the hospital’s newest psychiatrist — studied at Loyola University in New Orleans and Tulane University in Louisiana before moving to Southampton.
She says she became interested in the subject during medical school, because she enjoyed learning how social history impacted a patient’s presence.
“That worked its way into being able to do psychiatry, and how psycho-social stressors can impact people’s mental health but also physical health”.
Meanwhile, Dr. Dustin Curts studied more locally at the University of Guelph and the Northern Ontario School of Medicine.
He’s been working as an ophthalmologist for just over a month now at Owen Sound Hospital.
“The eyes just appeal to me, it’s a fantastic job and it’s really fulfilling doing the work.”
