Physicians' Appreciation Week - Part 4

It's expected to be a sell out at tonight's community dinner as part of Physicians' Appreciation Week in Fort Frances.

Councillor Andrew Hallikas, who chairs the local Physician Recruitment and Retention Committee, says only a few tickets remains for the event aimed at showing appreciation for local doctors.

"These folks have been doing such a good job for us and been working so hard under difficult conditions," says Hallikas, "it's nice for them to have the community with this show of support to come out and say 'Thanks you a lot. We appreciate what you've done for us.'"

Physicians' Appreciation Week is something new to Fort Frances and Dr. Robert Algie says the recognition is somewhat humbling.

"We know that we're appreciated,"says Algie. "We get individual feedback. Not always on a daily basis but certainly we get enough feedback through what we do at work to know that we're appreciated and are making a difference. I suppose being recognized in a more public way is also appreciated. We're a bit of a humble group and this public show is a bit uncomfortable for some of us, but we appreciate the efforts being made."

Algie also applauds the help of the area's nurse practitioners for easing the burden on local doctors.

"Their availability, plus some other chronic disease programs, has given people the opportunity to have access care they wouldn't otherwise have previously. Without that, people of Fort Frances would be really seeing a major difference in their ability to get into medical care. I think nurse practitioners have made a big difference for us."

Tonight's event at the Memorial Sports Centre begins at 6 p.m.