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20 - The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday May 21, 2008 www.oakvillebeaver.com www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday May 21, 2008 - 21 Halton Physician Appreciation Week May 20 - May 24 Dr. Kirsten Lindner The fact that Dr. Kirsten Lindner loves her job is obvious by the compassionate way she cares for her patients at Oakville-Trafalgar Memorial Hospital (OTMH). A Hospitalist at OTMH since 2004, Dr. Lindner manages the daily care of inpatients - many of them seniors - who do not have a family doctor with privileges at the hospital. With her positive, proactive approach, Dr. Lindner has already excelled as a tireless champion of elder care. Growing up in Dundas, Ontario, Kirsten enjoyed a very close relationship with her grandparents. "Like my grandparents, our seniors built this country and I am here today thanks to the sacrifices they made," explains Dr. Lindner. "I developed an interest in gerontology helping my grandparents cope with stroke and Alzheimer's disease." "It was as a family member of an older adult in the healthcare system that I came to understand the unique needs of the elderly. Our seniors tend to have numerous and complex medical conditions, making them an extremely vulnerable population - in dire need of an advocate. I saw this again, recently, when someone very close to me was admitted to hospital with delirium," continues Dr. Lindner. "These experiences have been my motivation for everything I've done in my career." Earning an Honours Bachelors Degree in psychology and gerontology, Kirsten received her medical degree from McMaster University and completed a residency in Family Medicine at Queen's University in 2003. She continued on with a post-graduate fellowship in Care of the Elderly with a focus on acute medicine at both Queen's University and McMaster University. Dr. Lindner came to OTMH as a Resident while finishing the last rotation of her Fellowship and decided to stay on as a Hospitalist. "Hospital medicine, by its very nature, involves a higher acuity of patients. Being a Hospitalist allows me to mesh my interest in acute care with Family Medicine's philosophy of providing comprehensive and holistic care," explains Dr. Lindner. Dr. Lindner has been involved in various aspects of geriatric research and has published research related to cognition and medication use in Alzheimer's patients. She was instrumental in starting up a Delirium Interdisciplinary Task Force at the hospital in 2007 and has since taken on the clinical consulting role for delirium at OTMH. Dr. Lindner sits on the Mississauga Halton Local Health Integration Network Seniors Health and Wellness Detailed Planning and Action team and various other hospital committees at OTMH, including the Rehab and Geriatrics Committee and Palliative Care Committee, and she also serves as a Medical Resident Preceptor through McMaster University. "We will be seeing an overwhelming number of elderly patients in the healthcare system in the coming years...we need to start preparing now," concludes Dr. Lindner. "My goal is to help provide our seniors with the respect and quality of care they deserve in a hospital that supports their needs. In addition to ongoing efforts to respond to the current needs of our seniors at OTMH, we have an exciting opportunity to create a prototype of an elder-friendly healthcare environment for tomorrow's seniors at the New Oakville Hospital." Recognizing Halton's Physicians Each year we encourage residents to join us during Halton Physician Appreciation Week to reflect on how much we value the quality of the medical care that is available to us. We believe it is important to recognize Halton physicians for their contributions to the health and well-being of our community and so we designate a week each year to thank them for the commitment they make to us by choosing to practise within Halton Region. The profiles on these pages feature just two of the many skilled and dedicated physicians in Oakville, providing an insight into their backgrounds and their connection to their patients and the community. If you would like to find out more about Halton Physician Appreciation Week or Halton Region's Physician Recruitment Program, contact Angela Sugden-Praysner, Physician Recruitment Coordinator, at 905-825-6000, toll free at 1-866-4HALTON, or go to www.halton.ca Gary Carr Halton Regional Chair Halton Healthcare Services ­ Oakville-Trafalgar Memorial Hospital " Dr. Gordon Williams Dr. Gordon Williams will be celebrating a couple of very impressive milestones this year. He will receive Halton Healthcare Services' Long Service Award for his 48 years of dedicated work at Oakville-Trafalgar Memorial Hospital (OTMH) this coming June. Then in September, he and his wife Shirley will be toasting their 50th Wedding Anniversary. Born and raised in Mimico, Ontario, Dr. Williams earned his Medical Degree in 1959 from the University of Toronto. After completing a rotating internship at St. Joseph's Hospital in Toronto, he joined the Clarkson Family Practice Group and Oakville-Trafalgar Memorial Hospital. In addition to running a thriving practice in Clarkson, where he and his wife Shirley raised their two sons, Dr. Williams was an active member of the North American Association of Manual Medicine and the Medical Director at The Pines Nursing Home in Clarkson for 25 years. He also provided leadership to Scouts Canada on the local, national and international scene and served as Medical Director at the World Jamboree in Australia in 1987. Dr. Williams closed his doctor's office after 43 years of practice in 2003, but still continues to work diligently as a Surgical Assistant in the Operating Room (OR) at OTMH. "I remember Dr. Williams as a young and very energetic family practitioner back in the 70's. He treated each of his patients like they were one of his family," recalls Eddi Jo Corbet, Registered Practical Nurse at OTMH. "Armed with a great sense of humour, he was very friendly and always looking out for the staff." When asked about the changes he has seen over the span of his career, Dr. Williams noted that the practice of medicine has been enhanced and driven by the phenomenal rate of technological advances. "When I was a medical student, they were using pig valves for heart valve replacements and red rubber catheters and tubing in the O.R. In my early days as a family physician, we made house calls. Specialties like gerontology and sports medicine were practically unheard of and gall bladder surgery meant you'd be in the hospital for over two weeks." "Today, ultrasounds, MRIs and CT scanners have really improved our ability to look inside the human body so we can more effectively diagnose very complex conditions. We have state-ofthe-art instrumentation in our O.R. and we can repair just about any bone with splints, pins or a plate, or replace a knee and hip joint entirely," explains Dr. Williams. "Advanced laparoscopic instruments enable us to perform less invasive day surgeries." As a dedicated Scout Leader for 45 years, Dr. Williams has been recognized for his outstanding contribution with many prestigious awards including the Medal of Merit in Scouting, the Silver Acorn Award, and the Canada 125 Commemorative Centennial Medal. "Scouting has always been a big part of my life. The values and attitudes I developed as a boy scout helped prepare me for medicine. Scouting teaches service to others, teamwork and social responsibility," notes Dr. Williams. "These are the values I tried to uphold in my profession, and instill in my sons, as well as all the youth in my troops through my many years as a Scout Leader." "We have a first-rate team of specialists, family doctors and hospitalists at Halton Healthcare Services. We are very fortunate to be able to attract some of the most talented doctors in the province. The influx of these new doctors and specialists and the rapidly evolving medical communities in Georgetown, Milton and Oakville enables us to grow with our populations." -Dr. Lorne Martin, HHS Chief of Staff "The level of physician engagement and clinical leadership at HHS is exemplary. Their professionalism, commitment and loyalty ensure that the residents of our three communities receive quality care." -Denise Hardenne, Senior Vice-President, HHS "...the care and attention received from Dr. Zalzal and the staff at the OTMH has been superb. The nursing staff and the physicians for my operation were professional and caring. I really did feel everyone was going the extra mile." -Grateful patient at Oakville-Trafalgar Memorial Hospital "The care given at Emergency was very professional and caring ... and my stay was excellent. The medical care given by all the doctors was wonderful .... I feel privileged to have been there...God bless you all for taking such good care of me during my time at the hospital." - Grateful patient at Oakville-Trafalgar Memorial Hospital Doctor profiles provided by the Public Relations Department of Halton Healthcare Services The Regional Municipality of Halton · 1151 Bronte Rd., Oakville, ON L6M 3L1 · 905-825-6000 · 1-866-4HALTON (1-866-442-5866) · TTY 905-827-9833 · www.halton.ca "