NEWS RELEASE
ONTARIO COLLEGE OF FAMILY PHYSICIANS
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Three family doctors from the Waterloo-Wellington region have been recognized for their community and medical leadership by the Ontario College of Family Physicians.
Elora’s Dr. Sarah Gower has been named the 2021 Regional Family Physician of the Year for the region of Hamilton Niagara Haldimand Brant and Waterloo Wellington. The Award is presented annually to seven Ontario family doctors – one from each region of the province – to recognize exemplary care to patients and contributions to excellence in family medicine.
Dr. Sharon Bal of Cambridge and Dr. Andrea Chittle of Guelph are each being honoured with a 2021 Award of Excellence. The College of Family Physicians of Canada Awards of Excellence recognize family doctors for exceptional achievement in the specialty of family medicine in the past 24 months. Nominations come from peers or the public to the provincial chapter of which the nominee is a member.
“Through their leadership and passion for patient care and advocacy, whether it be for women’s health, or advancing health system improvements and equity in medicine, or ensuring quality care for vulnerable populations, Dr. Gower, Dr. Bal, and Dr. Chittle have demonstrated their commitment to enhancing health care in the Waterloo-Wellington Region,” said Dr. Elizabeth Muggah, OCFP President. “These family doctors are highly respected and valued by their colleagues, patients, students and community partners, and I am delighted to acknowledge their outstanding accomplishments.”
For over 20 years, Dr. Sarah Gower has been practising comprehensive family medicine that includes office care, obstetrics, palliative care, and in-patient care. Initially working in many small communities across Northern and rural Ontario, she also spent a few years teaching at Queen’s University before starting her practice in Elora in 2009. At McMaster University where she is assistant clinical professor, she mentors residents and medical students in family medicine and obstetrics. A recent learner cites Dr. Gower’s positive attitude, passion for teaching, and incredible sense of calm in the face of chaos: “It was easy for me to tell she had delivered hundreds of babies.”
Dr. Gower is a strong public voice, including on social media, advocating for physicians and patients and their needs around rural obstetrical care and perinatal loss. She is the incoming chair of the Society of Rural Physicians of Canada Maternal/Newborn Committee and sits on Health Quality Ontario’s Advisory Committee for “Early Pregnancy Complications and Loss Quality Standard.” She was recognized with an inaugural Canadian Women in Medicine “Woman of Inspiration” award in 2019 for her unique work in mentoring bereaved physician mothers. Dr. Gower recently completed a Master of Science in Population Medicine (Epidemiology) at the University of Guelph. She looked at care for patients experiencing pregnancy after stillbirth and knowledge translation to rural primary care providers, with the goal to create a national stillbirth plan.
Dr. Gower is leading system change at a practical level in her community. As Chair of the Rural Wellington Ontario Health Team working group, she is focused on ensuring connected, comprehensive care in the region. In March and April this year, with her colleagues she piloted an innovative drive-through COVID-19 vaccination clinic in Elora that will continue to operate for both influenza and COVID-19 vaccinations. She is spearheading a new Rural Wellington Residential Hospice, to address an identified gap in the local healthcare system.
“Dr. Gower has a terrific ability to communicate her medical knowledge to people of all ages in a way that helps even her youngest patients understand that they are making informed choices about their own health,” said Lisa Dalrymple, a mother of three who has been Dr. Gower’s patient for over 12 years. “I often feel, when I come out of an appointment with Sarah, that I have learned about my condition and wellbeing and that I have the knowledge to move forward with a course of action to better my own health.”
The Awards were presented virtually at the OCFP Awards Ceremony on Nov. 10, 2021. A list of all awardees is posted on the OCFP’s website.
The Ontario College of Family Physicians represents more than 15,000 family physicians across the province. We support our members by providing evidence-based education and professional development, promoting and recognizing leadership excellence in family medicine, and advocating for the vital role family physicians play in delivering the highest-quality care to patients and families across Ontario.
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