June 18, 2024
Riverview Rotarian Dr. Denis Vincent, a 35 year family doctor, treated club members to an informal open discussion on life as a family doctor. Denis spent his early years in a small northern Alberta community. A situation where he was essentially on call 24/7, 365 days a year. He has many fond memories of those years,
however the most difficult times were dealing with trauma cases, since in a small community accident victims were often people he knew. He now has a solo family practice in Edmonton, serving a many in the Francophone community.
Like many in Alberta, he is concerned that about 600,000 Albertans don't currently have a family doctor. The shortage of family doctors is due to a number of factors but he is optimistic that the tide is turning and that primary care is beginning to improve. Denis is still a few years away from retirement and we're sure that his patients will miss him when he lays down his stethoscope for the last time. Thank you for all you do Denis!