Mayerthorpe, Pincher Creek, Provost, and Sundre home to 2019 RhPAP Rhapsody Award recipients
Health-care heroes in four rural Alberta communities are the recipients of the 2019 RhPAP Rhapsody Awards.
- Rhapsody Community Award – Sundre Health Professional Attraction & Retention Committee
- Rhapsody Health-care Heroes Awards (Two recipients) – Mayerthorpe Healthcare Centre Nursing Team and Pincher Creek Respiratory Therapist Team (Tess Craig and Larissa Lewis)
- Rhapsody Physician Award – Dr. Deon Erasmus, Provost
“This year’s Rhapsody Award recipients have gone above and beyond, doing the difficult and rewarding work it takes to keep health care close to home. We are excited and grateful for the opportunity to shine a light on their great deeds and to hold them up as exemplars for the rest of rural Alberta to emulate.”
– Dr. Rob Warren, Chair, RhPAP Board of Directors
About the Rhapsody Awards
The RhPAP Rhapsody Awards continue a long tradition of celebrating rural Alberta’s health-care heroes and rural communities. A play on RhPAP’s name, the Rhapsody Awards are designed to recognize the individuals, teams, and communities that make significant civic and health-care contributions within rural Alberta. Nominations are evaluated by an Awards Selection Committee composed of rural health professionals and community members from all regions of the province.
What’s next?
RhPAP celebrates Rhapsody Award recipients with a recognition event in their home community. Celebrations include a Rhapsody Award presentation and the airing of a video profiling the recipient or recipients. Details on recognition events will be forthcoming.
Multimedia
Backgrounder: 2019 Rhapsody Award Recipients
Rhapsody Community Award
The Rhapsody Community Award recognizes a rural Alberta community that has developed innovative and collaborative approaches to successfully attract and retain health-care professionals in its area.
Sundre Health Professional Attraction & Retention Committee (SHPARC)
- Composed of representation from both the health-care sector and the community-at-large, SHPARC has overcome big obstacles to become a provincial leader. Recognizing a potential physician shortage early in 2011, the committee moved quickly to attract and retain a large physician cohort within Sundre. SHPARC conducts extensive community and health provider engagement, maintaining a busy schedule of ongoing events, including RhPAP Skills, health professional appreciation and gala fundraising events; and conducts physician exit surveys to provide greater insight on approaches to retention.
Rhapsody Health-care Heroes Awards (Two recipients)
The Rhapsody Health-care Heroes Awards recognize rural Alberta health professionals or teams that demonstrate superior commitment to their patients, health-care team, and community.
Mayerthorpe Healthcare Centre Nursing Team
- The Mayerthorpe Healthcare Centre Nursing Team work hard and are truly dedicated to their community. Described as “the beating heart of our community and our local treasure,” the nursing team is beloved for the compassion and caring they exhibit to patients and the pivotal role they play in keeping health care close to home.
Pincher Creek Respiratory Therapist Team (Tess Craig and Larissa Lewis)
- The Pincher Creek Respiratory Therapist (RT) Team of Tess Craig and Larissa Lewis took the bull by the horns, developing an undefined role for RT into a broad range of fundamental patient care services. The duo championed a rural asthma pathway and a smoking cessation program; proactively engaged patients young and old in respiratory care; and are quick to provide after-hours care despite no formal on–call schedule. The RT Team are also committed to education, taking part in RhPAP Skills Events, and many simulation sessions for local staff and providers.
Rhapsody Physician Award
Dr. Deon Erasmus, Provost
The Rhapsody Physician Award recognizes the contributions of rural physicians, especially those unsung heroes, who provide Alberta rural communities with outstanding patient care and make notable contributions to medical practice and to their communities.
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- Arriving in Provost in 1996, Dr. Deon Erasmus and his family have made a long-term commitment to the east-central Alberta community. The community speaks highly of Dr. Erasmus and highlights his ongoing support of the Geriatric Working Group, a support group for local seniors that he founded, and the local Family and Community Support Services (FCSS). For many years, Dr. Erasmus taken on a leading role as physician recruiter and mentor to future health–care professionals. He also remains very involved in coaching and organizing recreational opportunities for local residents.