Author: Dr. Tamara Pacholuk
To the Community of Tumbler Ridge,
Now that I’m no longer working with the Tumbler Ridge Medical Clinic, I wanted to reach out to the community with a word of appreciation.
I first came here as a resident physician in 2012 to complete part of my medical training. I was only here for two weeks, but by the third day, I knew that one day I would call this community home. Over the years, as a locum physician, I had the pleasure of working with so many phenomenal staff, medical office assistants, nurses, and physicians. Even when the hours were long, sometimes working up to six consecutive 24-hour shifts to help keep the Emergency Department open, the support, expertise, and friendship of the team here made it a place I wouldn’t have wanted to leave.
I returned as a permanent physician in 2023 and had just settled in when, along with all of you, I had to evacuate because of the wildfires. Our community has shown remarkable resilience through evacuations, efforts to help keep other communities’ emergency departments open, and tragedies that have touched us all. The kindness and small gestures of support that have been so evident over the past months are part of what makes this place so special.
I also want to take a moment to express my appreciation for Northern Health, which faces the extraordinary challenge of providing care to approximately 300,000 people spread across 600,000 square kilometres. Northern Health has embraced innovative strategies to support health-care delivery, such as the Northern Health Virtual Clinic. They helped maintain medical access in this community after Dr. Helm retired and continue to actively recruit physicians to support Tumbler Ridge. I have deep respect for many people within this organization, and I remain grateful for their efforts across Northern BC.
With that in mind, I believe it is time for the community of Tumbler Ridge to take a more active role in designing a health-care model that reflects our unique challenges and resources.
I have no intention of leaving Tumbler Ridge, and I look forward to working with the community to create a sustainable, community-led model of care. I hope Northern Health will join us as a partner in shaping the future of healthcare in our community.
I’m not sure what the future holds, but I’m confident that our community will overcome this challenge, as it has overcome so many others before.
Thank you all for making this community my home.
