(Dreamstime)

By rdnewsNOW staff

complex multi-system disorders

General internal medicine physicians joining Red Deer hospital

Oct 10, 2023 | 4:53 PM

Local and area residents will have improved access to care as three newly recruited specialist physicians will be practising in the city by the new year.

Officials with Alberta Health Services (AHS) say two general internal medicine (GIM) physicians, Dr. Quinn Daviduck and Dr. Racheal Head, began practising at Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre in August. A third, Dr. Hayden Rubensohn, will join the hospital’s GIM team on Jan. 1, bringing the total number of GIM physicians practising in the city to 23.

AHS says GIM physicians diagnose and care for patients with complex multi-system disorders, many of whom are acutely ill, while focusing on disease detection, prevention, and management, patient education and post-admission transitional care back to the patient’s primary physician.

“This is wonderful news for the patients of the Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre,” says Adriana LaGrange, Minister of Health and MLA for Red Deer-North. “Patients from throughout central Alberta receive care from the internal medicine team here in Red Deer, and the continued recruitment of physicians such as Dr. Daviduck, Dr. Head and Dr. Rubensohn helps ensure timely access to services for people in our community and beyond.”

“Red Deer is the third largest city in the best province in Canada,” adds Jason Stephan, MLA for Red Deer-South. “Centrally located in the dynamic Calgary-Edmonton corridor, on the Red Deer River with beautiful parks and trails, close by lake and mountain recreational opportunities, Red Deer has many competitive advantages which make it an attractive place to live, work and raise a family. It is good to see medical professionals coming to Red Deer to serve families and individuals in our wonderful community.”

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AHS says Dr. Daviduck received his initial medical and GIM training at the University of Alberta. He has also received training at Edmonton’s Royal Alexandra Hospital in obstetric medicine, a subspecialty of general internal medicine focused on providing comprehensive care to women with medical conditions prior to conception, during pregnancy or immediately postpartum.

“I grew up in Red Deer and am excited to return home to provide inpatient and outpatient services in obstetric medicine and general internal medicine,” says Dr. Daviduck, who enjoys outdoor running, road cycling, reading fiction and non-fiction, and spending time in the kitchen, says AHS.

Meantime, Dr. Head, who grew up in Sylvan Lake, received her initial medical training at the University of Saskatchewan and completed her GIM fellowship at three Saskatoon hospitals: Royal University, City and St. Paul’s. In addition to her GIM practice, Dr. Head has an interest in weight management and obesity medicine, notes AHS.

The provincial health authority says Dr. Rubensohn received his initial medical training at the University of Calgary, and additional post-graduate medical training in psychiatry, internal medicine, and palliative medicine through the University of British Columbia. He has been providing locum services in Red Deer since 2021.

“I find Red Deer to be a friendly community where the patients are very interesting and easy to work with and are appreciative of the care they receive,” says Dr. Rubensohn. “My colleagues in Red Deer are dedicated, collegial and hard-working physicians who have always been appreciative of my contribution to local medical care. It is a very gratifying place to work.”

Outside of work, Dr. Rubensohn is said to enjoy skiing, cycling, scuba diving and camping.

Alberta Health Services says it continues to recruit for physicians across Alberta to meet community needs. AHS says it has physician resource planners who are dedicated to identifying and pursuing international and domestic physician recruitment opportunities. They are said to work closely with various community partners and organizations, such as local Health Advisory Councils, the Rural Health Professions Action Plan, and independent physician recruitment and retention committees.