The Pincher Creek Associate Clinic is welcoming a new physician, set to officially start helping local patients June 4.

An international graduate, Dr. Helen Dion attended medical school in Egypt and applied to a recruitment ad from the clinic. Local representatives had a hand in interviewing her with Alberta Health Services last October and are excited to welcome her on board.

“The impressions were definitely good,” says Jeff Brockmann, executive director of the Associate Clinic.

After the interview, the clinic expressed interest and Dion completed a comprehensive licensing program to ensure that her knowledge and ability from international training align with the needs and expectations of Canadian communities.

After her recent approval in the final stage of this program, Dion is set to come to Pincher Creek next week.

The new addition to the team increases the clinic’s number of doctors from six to seven, which, according to Brockmann, means great things for the community.

“It’s going to not only increase access for patients but it’s also going to allow other physicians more time to see their own patients,” Brockmann says.

“It’ll have this trickle-down effect that everyone in the community will benefit from,” he says, noting that easing the workload on the other physicians in the community will allow them to focus on what’s most important in their practices and lives.

Welcoming a new physician will also mean a new style, which could help connect with patients. Another female physician may also make seeking care more comfortable for patients with that preference.

Dion will start by helping patients who are having trouble finding a permanent provider, with the goal of building her own panel of patients in the following months.

She will have the same duties as the clinic’s other physicians, working full time with call and covering the emergency room.

“Our clinic is continuing to expand and grow and it means great things for our patients and our community,” says Brockmann.