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10 - e Drumheller Mail - Wednesday, June 28, 2017 eDrumhellerMail.com - SECTION A
Today’s
Medical Clinic
New Clinic ready to serve community Patrick Kolafa | The Drumheller Mail
t is a vision that came together in a whirlwind, and the platform, with virtual medicine in development to be
new Riverside Medical Centre has opened its doors to launched within the year.
Ithe community. The clinic has teamed up with Riverside Value Drug
The new clinic in the Riverside Medical Centre aims to Mart to open a dispensary (August 1) to serve patients
become the medical home for residents of Drumheller. more conveniently and effi ciently.
The road to the new clinic began in March when Dr. The clinic has ample space for health professionals to
Rithesh Ram parted ways with Drumheller Associated deliver specialized care. Currently, Dr. Ram is actively
Physicians. practicing, and in the near future his wife, who is com-
He quickly mobilized and took a lease in the neighbor- pleting her rural family physician residency, will also be
ing building and began an extensive renovation of the joining. Other physicians requesting to join will be pro-
facility to make way for the new clinic. He enlisted the ex- bationary to confi rm they believe in the Patient Medical
pertise of Kristyne DeMott and Joe Castonguay to make Home model and want to provide patient centric care.
the vision a reality. Many local trades were also brought Other members of Riverside Medical you may encoun-
in to complete the renovation. ter during a visit in the summer will include Dr. Shah-
On June 30, the clinic staff will be holding their grand rir Kabir, locum family physician and Dr. Ryan Hoskins,
opening. locum family physician and emergency physician board
To support the vision of Patient Medical Home, the certifi ed.
new clinic is equipped with the latest technology in the Dr. Ram is an innovator, and his vision for primary and
medical fi eld for patient care, as well as in the offi ce preventative health in the valley is pushing the boundar-
for effi ciency and organization. This includes a state of ies beyond anything that has been done before.
the art phone system and Electronic Medical Record
DR. RITHESH RAM CLINIC STAFF - PHYSICIAN, PRESIDENT, FOUNDER & FAMILY MAN
r. Rithesh Ram is a family physician in In rural medicine, Dr. Ram works in multiple loca- board of the Alberta Medical Association’s Health
Drumheller, Alberta. He is an AHS staff tions including: his primary care network (includ- Issues Council, and a primary care representa-
Dphysician in the Central Zone and was ing chronic pain clinic), acute care in the hospital, tive on Toward Optimized Practice (TOP) clinical
originally born and raised in Camrose, Alberta. in the emergency department, in the operating practice guidelines. Dr. Ram is also involved with
Dr. Ram is passionate about teaching, and is a room, and in long term care. He is currently the the $400 million dollar AHS Provincial Clinical In-
Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Clinical Lead for Acute Care and Emergency at formation System (CIS) as the Provincial Knowl-
Family Medicine where he is the residency train- the Drumheller Health Centre. edge Lead for Primary Care.
ing lead for Drumheller. He also recently became Dr. Ram, aside from his MD, has a BSc in Elec- Dr. Ram resides in Drumheller with his family.
the Director of the UCLIC Program (University of trical Engineering from the University of Alberta Dr. Ram enjoys reading endless stories to his chil-
Calgary Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship) which and a PhD in Epidemiology from the University dren, walking his dog amongst the hoodoos, curl-
is a research-based, educational experience that of Calgary. He is currently Vice Chair of his PCN, ing during the season, and remaining active on a
allows medical students to learn in the continu- a recent addition to the executive of the CZMSA daily basis (even just doing push-ups while on call
um of patient care throughout southern Alberta. (Central Zone Medical Staff Association), on the when there is even the shortest break).
KATHY STARK CLINIC STAFF - CLINIC GENERAL MANAGER
he path that led Clinic General Manager Kathy date to apply for a clinic management position. With Congratulations
Stark to a management position in a rural encouragement and support from colleagues, family
Thealthcare setting began after completing a di- and friends she gladly accepted the challenging po-
ploma in administration from Hollingshead Business sition of Clinic Manager in 2005.
College in Calgary, Alberta. She has always kept a news clipping on her desk
She was employed in the oil and gas industry for called “Some team lessons from geese”. It goes on
ten years in Calgary but the desire to give her chil- to list all the lessons people can learn from an un-
dren the small town experience led the family to the likely source – a fl ock of geese. Stark will continue to RIVERSIDE MEDICAL
decision to move back to Stark’s hometown of Drum- keep it on her desk at Riverside Medical because it
heller. truly encapsulates the message of the Patient Medi- on the opening of
Stark’s work experience in healthcare includes cal Home.
over twenty years of dedicated service which began Teammates who share a common direction and
when she accepted a position as a medical transcrip- sense of community can get where they’re going your new clinic in
tionist. A strong work ethic and curiosity for knowing quicker and easier when they travel on shared pow-
all aspects of a business made her a strong candi- er.
Drumheller
CANDACE BAXTER CLINIC STAFF - PATIENT CARE COORDINATOR & MEDICAL OFFICE ASSISTANT Wishing you
atient Care Coordinator and daughter, Brianna, was born. She was the nudge Baxter needed to be- much success
Medical Offi ce Assistant come more focused and career driven.
PCandace Baxter moved to From 2004 to 2006 she decided to go back to school and do some in your
Drumheller when she was 15. Due upgrading on courses including bookkeeping, and basic accounting.
to lack of employment in British Those courses enabled her to work her way up from a server at a lo- new
Columbia, her father had found cal restaurant, to assistant general manager. The type of work was business.
steady work in Drumheller. very trying when living out of town, and being a single parent so she
So, in October of 1985, the changed gears.
family packed up and headed to Taking some time away from work late in 2011 and early 2012, she VISIT US AT
Alberta, where she became emo- had taken steps to return to college and pursue an accounting Degree.
tional throughout the entire ride. Those plans were set aside when she received an interview for a Medi-
She then proceeded to graduate cal Offi ce Assistant position. Within the fi rst year of taking the position,
from DCHS, now known as DVSS, was when she realized it was where she wanted to be. “I had found my
in 1988. niche,” said Baxter. .com ®
At 17, she started working for a Within fi ve years, she had assisted in opening two successful doc-
grocery store called Allwest – it was there that she had taken an inter- tors practices, one of which is our very own Dr. Rithesh Ram. DOWNTOWN DRUMHELLER
est in general bookkeeping, but also a passion for interaction with the In 2015, Baxter received the Drumheller Rotary Club Award of Excel-
public had fl ourished. It was during these years, her love for the Drum- lence for “Most Courteous Employee”, and can only hope she is, and in 403-823-5723
heller Valley was born. the future, living up to those expectations.
For most of Baxter’s younger years in Drumheller, she fl oundered “Now, I look forward to embarking on a new and exciting journey with Saving You More.
working in retail and sales, generally anything working with the pub- Riverside Medical,” said Baxter. “My priority has always been the pa- LOCALLY OWNED AND
lic, but with no sense of direction. In 2002 that all changed when her tient, and I believe they will receive the utmost care at our new facility.” OPERATED SINCE 2001
Joe Castonguay Kristyne De Mott
We are pleased to have
been chosen as
general contractor and
interior designer
for the new
Rhycor Developments RIVERSIDE MEDICAL Kristyne De Mott
GENERAL CONTRACTOR INTERIOR DESIGNER
403.823.0366 Drumheller CLINIC 403.629.2747 Drumheller
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