Like many other professionals, rural physicians are powerful assets in their local communities. Not only do their health care skills and practices enhance the quality of rural life, but rural physicians also contribute to rural life on a more personal level. They have special relationships with their patients and staff because they live and work alongside them as family, friends, neighbours and community volunteers.
National Doctors’ Day is an internationally recognized event, held annually to recognize and show appreciate to physicians for their work in society.
Background
The first National Doctors’ Day was observed in the United States on on March 30, 1933, when Ms. Eudora Brown Almond of Winder, Georgia conceived the idea to honour the first administration of anesthesia in Jefferson, Georgia almost 100 years earlier.
In Canada, many communities recognize the day on March 30. Appreciation for physicians can be shown with a card, a simple gift or an event. A number of communities around Alberta organize physician appreciation activities to say thank you to their healthcare heores.
What can you do?
RPAP encourages communities to come up with an activity to show its appreciation for their doctors that is unique to the community. The RPAP offers a toolkit for community attraction and retention committees looking to organize physician appreciation events or activities.
Flashback: What communities did to say “thank you” to rural Alberta’s healthcare heroes in 2014
For those who want to celebrate and aren’t sure where to start, RPAP has developed a Physician Appreciation and Recognition toolkit. Current Community and Attraction committees can access it on RPAP’s Community Attraction and Retention website with a member login. If you or a committee do not have a member login, and you wish to obtain a copy of the toolkit, contact consultants@rpap.ab.ca.
Related: Physician Appreciation and Recognition presentation (2012)
Tell us about your celebration!
What did your community do to recognize your healthcare heroes? Send us a note, a photo or quick video clip, and we’ll share your story with the world!
Drop us a line at communications@rpap.ab.ca