Another group that brought hundreds together last Friday are the local Dreamweavers; these ladies organized the annual Hope in the City benefit for the Cancer Society. 500 beautiful ladies of all ages graced the floor of the Eagles Landing Conference Centre for a special night out on the town. It was fantastic to see everyone dressed to the 9′s and taking part in the Fashion show, dancing to live music and enjoying each other’s company in the name of Breast Cancer research. Over $50,000 was raised!!! It was as good an evening and event as this town has ever seen; take a bow Mardi Plomp

Mike Wood organized the second annual DHS Track and Field Meet and over 240 student athletes from the region took to the field here on Tuesday. The organization and work that went in to making this track meet a success is yet another example of the tremendous community spirit here in Dryden. The “McMaster Mile” is the 4 man relay race appropriately named in honor of former DHS principle Harry McMaster, another gentleman that made a significant impact on the lives of student learners in Dryden for years.

Home renovations at the DRHC are under way; new flooring is evident throughout the building and brings a beautiful and fresh look to the place. CBC Radio was here yesterday doing a story on the impact the Northern Ontario School of Medicine in Thunder Bay is having throughout the north. Furture physicians are spending significant amounts of time learning in our communities and some are coming back to work. We will provide a link to the story once completed, we’re doing well but not completely out of the woods yet. We’ll get there!

The May Long Weekend has everyone busy preparing their boats for the opening day for walley fishing. This year 6 of DRHC’s finest physicians are heading out on a fishing excursion to Thaddeus Lake Lodge north of Dryden for a weekend getaway. It promises to be a fun time and the weather forecast is better than most weekends in recent memory; of course rain is forecast but the temperatures are expected to be in the +27 range…we can handle some rain in those temps.

Have a great weekend where ever you may be and be safe out on the waterways!

c

This past weekend Theatre 17 held their latest production, “I Can’t Hear You When the Water is Running” Dinner Theatre at the Centre. Three nights of hilarity and great food were enjoyed by the sold out crowd for each show and one of our local nurses Audrey Nosworthy was among the talented actors on stage. Tiffany Goulet also had a leading role; Mrs. Goulet plays mom to 2 year old twins in real life as the wife of DRHC’s Dr. David Goulet. Two thumbs up for everyone.

This week is extremely busy as youth baseball and soccer programs fill the local fields each evening and the weekend holds promise with some major events planned. The annual Cultural Fair will fill the Centre this Thursday with interactive displays, info booths and (best of all) food to sample from. It’s a great way to celebrate and showcase the growing diversity here in Dryden. Friday Night the Canadian Cancer Society hosts, “Hope in the City”…it’s a gala event that has sold out all 500 tickets well in advance for this ladies night only affair. Proceeds from the event go towards finding a cure for breast cancer and local organizing committee member Mardi Plomp estimates this year’s event could raise $50,000 toward that great cause. Go  get ‘em girls!

Business at the DRHC continues with upgrades to the flooring throughout the building and very soon we’ll begin renovating all patients rooms….DRHC Makeover if you will. We plan to love it and there are no indications we’ll be listing (for all you HGTV fans out there you know what we speak of).

That’s all our news for the week, check us out on Facebook if you haven’t already, Dryden Regional Health Centre “Community Page” provides weekly updates and snippets/photos of the goings on at 58 Goodall Street.

Have a great week

Team Moir raises awareness for Organ Donor program

The local Rotary Club celebrated it’s 70th anniversary here in Dryden at the Centre Saturday evening; Rotary has given to the hospital and the community so much over the years and it was interesting to hear the history behind this great organization. As part of the formal ceremony the DRHC’s Dr. Mark Dahmer received the Paul Harris Fellowship for service to the community; also receiving this award was Carl Bleich who just happened to be married to one of our staff members in the Mental Health and Addictions program. Congratulations to Rotary and the Fellowship Award recipients.

Dr. Mark Dahmer receives Fellowship Award (3rd from left)

Recruitment work at the DRHC was also ongoing this weekend with a visiting Pharmacist and Laboratory Technologist visiting our community. It’s always interesting to hear the perspectives of those that come and visit our town and see things through a different lens. The community Auditorium (aka “the Centre”) and the schools always get great reviews; our teachers and adminstration are always helpful in providing guided tours to professionals and their families as they try to determine if Dryden is a good fit for them.

April 1st brought humour to town as CKDR reported that Justin Biebers’ tour bus broke down at Tim Horton’s and a good number of people ran over seeking autographs and a photo of the pop icon only to find the restaraunt full of the regulars and staff explaining that Mr. Bieber had not been in for his double double. Good one!

That’s our news on a Monday, we are looking for one fulltime Emergency physician and one GP to fill our physician compliment. It’s been a long road to get to that level but we’re closing in on a full house here and we anticipate we’ll be full very soon.

Take care,

c

We have been interviewing a stellar bunch of new graduates for a Laboratory Technologist; it’s wonderful speaking to individuals from the region that are close to completion of their studies and about to begin their career. We hope to have an announcement in the next week or two. Tomorrow the DRHC is hosting a site visit with a visiting Pharmacist; we have been working with our retired pharmacist as a consultant for the past year while we recruit for her replacement. Interviews and a tour of the city schools and recreational facilities are on the agenda and we are hopeful that the talks will progress from that point. And we have interviewed a candidate for a Pharmacy Technologist position; if all goes well maybe we’ll be at full compliment by the end of April.

Summer weather came over the March break and took all signs of winter with it; local fisherman enjoyed unreal conditions but the ice season was markedly shorter and safety became a concern. Sadly four fisherman in Kenora (90 minutes to the west of us) lost their lives as the ice deteriorated quickly and made headlines across the nation.

Hockey comes to an official end this weekend as 24 teams participate in the Last Chance Old Timers Hockey Invitational. 7 ladies team are also participating as the ladies game grows and showcases some real talent as women’s hockey improves almost every day it seems. There is a social Saturday night at the Riverview Lodge, beer gardens in the arena and a lot of garage parties and gathering over the weekend. After that it’s dry out the gear and sock it away for another four or five months.

The DRHC also hosted a site visit with a second general surgeon and one could say that the early signs are promising and we hope to be back to our full staffing levels of 2 full time surgeons sometime this summer. This will provide the community and region with excellent coverage and a range of services; fingers are crossed for good news!

Sadly we said a heartfelt goodbye to our two outstanding medical students, Allison Carroll and Jennifer Swerdlyk were here for 8 months of training from the Northern Ontario School of Medicine under the guidance of our local physicican group. We couldn’t have had a better pair of learners and it’s amazing how fast the year goes by. Allison is expecting her first child in April with her husband Brian and we wish them all the best. Jennifer took the lead today in thanking everyone at our farewell tea and cake in the cafeteria and she hopes to return someday to locum or complete an elective. They both leave town with 200 or so new friends that they met over the course of the year at the DRHC.

Well that’s all my catch up news, i trust/hope all is well with you and we’ll chat next week.

cheers,

c

View from the top

The DRHC Staff for Staff Ski Night was a huge success; over 165 staff, family and friends came out for a great evening under the stars and on the slopes. Thanks to the gang for setting up the firepit, replete with palm trees (for real), hot chocolate, cookies and hotdogs. The Dog Sled rides were a big hit as well; thank you Burton Penner and your amazing team of dogs. We even capped off the night by catching the thrilling end to the SIJHL Jr A hockey quarter final between the Dryden Ice Dogs and the Sioux Lookout Flyers. Dryden hung on to their 3-2 lead and managed an empty netter to take the first game of the series. Sioux Lookout is only an hour drive away and the stands were full of Orange supporters sprinkled throughout the seats cheering on their team. There was great atmosphere in the building and we’re looking forward to a great playoff run.

Temperatures this week are creeping towards the plus side of zero and so begins an enjoyable second ice fishing season of sorts…commonly referred to as “Lawn Chair Fishing”. As the days grow longer and the snow melts off the ice there is a nice window of opportunity to get out onto the local lakes, drill and hole, take off the jacket and enjoy some sunsshine.  Pictures forthcoming of this local phenomena

Munchkin Alert!

The DRHC held it’s annual Ice Fishing Derby last Saturday and 60 + family  and friends gathered at the mouth of the Wabigoon river for some fun in the sun. Prizes were awarded and we even caught fish…a great day and we follow that up this weekend with another Staff for Staff event at the Dryden Ski Hill.

Dryden is going to be one busy plaec this weekend, we are one giant blur of activity b/w three Winter Festivals; hockey, outdoor curling, sliding, dogsled races, kite skiing lessons and demos, ice fishing tourney, poker derby, dances, pancake breakfast, ice shack judging contests…it just goes on and on. So much to see and we’re going to do our best to take it all in.

The DRHC Staff for Staff Program is hosting two great family events in the near future, next weekend we are hosting our annual Ice Fishing Day at the Dryden Flying Club. Chili, hotdogs, hot chocolate and fresh air are all on tap as staff and family members gather at the mouth of the Wabigoon River to try their luck at some of the pre-drilled holes. Prizes and bragging rights are at stake and we hope the current mild weather continues and we can enjoy some more perfect winter weather. On March 3rd we have booked the Dryden Ski Hill for the Annual Ski Night; staff at the hospital, physicians and families are all invited and we’ve also got Burton Penner and his dogsled team out there for trail riding at it’s finest. We do like to get together here at the hospital and these are two great events.

Plans for Staff for Staff events this spring and summer include a golf tournament, monthly drive in theatres in back parking lot of the hospital, mini golf, bowling and pizza night…it’s all part of the workplace culture as we strive to make the DRHC a great place to work at.

That’s my news for a Thursday; enjoy your family this weekend and get out there where ever you may be. Turn your phone off and tune in to what’s really important this weekend.

ciao,

c

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Canadian performing artist Serena Ryder played to a full house of 500 happy foot tapping souls last Thursday night at the Centre; and later this month Funk rockers “Big Boogaloo” take the stage on the 18th, The  Manitoba Theatre Centre presents, “Melville Boys” on the 23rd, the Wine and Cheese Tastefest on the 24th and Stuart McLean’s “Vinyl Cafe” makes a stop on the 29th.

Winter festivals abound on the Family Day Long  weekend…too much to list here but between the Rugby Creek Winterfest, Dryden’s Winter Carnival and the Vermilion Bay Kinsmen Karnival the 18th through the 21st provide dogsled racing, outdoor river curling, snow sculpture contest, pancake breakfast, spaghetti suppers, 3 on 3 hockey tournaments, Children Delight concert featuring Magician Anders, ice fishing tournament…it goes on and on. There is no reason whatsoever to stay home that weekend…get out there and have some fun. I personally enjoy the Pimp your Ice Shack contest that transforms the Ice Road at the Government Dock into an eclectic collection of Hawaiian/Tropical/Tackyful (word?) housing curiosities that are sure to bring a smile. Last year hundreds of Drydenites gathered at the ice road and dock to take in the sliding hill, dog sled rids, horse rides on the lake.

The DRHC continues to utilize technology in bringing quality health care to our residents in unique and clever ways. The Dryden ER department will soon be linked to the Long Term Care home (Princess Court) via telemedicine and residents can be assessed in their own apartments via technology. It’s an addition that will help physicians communicate with patients directly and quickly; it will also reduce pressures on our ambulance services and utilize resources more efficiently.

We have a significant milestone to note this month, the “Queen of Finance” Denise Wintle marked her 20th year of service at the DRHC with some delicious carrot cake and coffee with co-workers.  Denise is an outstanding employee and we are very fortunate to have high caliber and dedicated worker like her!

That’s the news for a Tuesday, be well where ever you may be and we’ll see you next week.

C