Recognizing 2025 Rhapsody Physician Award nominee: Dr. Wesley Steed
Community: Taber
Dr. Wesley Steed will find a way to help — even if it means firing up his snowmobile in a blizzard to get to the hospital.
That is just the kind of man Dr. Steed is, say several Taber area residents, colleagues, and friends who banded together to support his nomination for a 2025 RhPAP Rhapsody Physician Award.
When Lana and Craig Hansen’s teenage son cut his finger on a broken light fixture, they drove to their neighbour, Dr. Steed, to seek advice. He pulled out his medical bag and promptly stitched up the injury on his kitchen counter.
“Wes is a great example of someone who lives his life to give service to others whether through his work as a doctor, his care for his family, or his desire to help those around him, however he can,” say the Hansens.
Dr. Steed has practised in the southeastern community of Taber for 31 years. Tamara and Mark Miyanaga met him soon after he started as a general practitioner/surgeon when Mark required surgery to repair his hand after a farm accident.
The families became patients and friends. When Mark’s health declined years later and he was hospitalized several hours from Taber, Dr. Steed continued to support him and his family.
“Dr. Steed investigates, advocates, and stands behind you through your medical journey, but also in community,” says the Miyanagas in their nomination.
“It creates a place of confidence and security at the most challenging times of your life.”
Dr. Steed’s colleagues also value his expertise and support.
“He is the epitome of the ‘silent leader,’ the person you want by your side when a situation is going sideways,” says Dr. Andrea Hargrove, Community Health Director at the Taber Health Centre. Dr. Steed has not only mentored Dr. Hargrove, but also many residents and medical students along the way.
“Quiet and effective, though he may also be sweating on the inside, he is a calm in the storm, a quality that is of unmeasurable importance to the medical team.”
Despite often being on call as a surgeon, Dr. Steed makes time for community and volunteers with the Tango Foundation, which provides medical care and humanitarian aid to disadvantaged parts of the world. Locally, he supports the Society for Taber Arts & Recreation, the Taber Food Bank, and other groups.
“He does not seek recognition for his contributions, preferring instead to work quietly behind the scenes to affect meaningful change,” says David Moedt, treasurer of the Tango Foundation.
“Whether it is in the operating room in a rural village, at a local fundraising event, or in his own community of Taber, Dr. Steed approaches his volunteer efforts with a spirit of generosity and compassion.”