|
Untitled Document
|
 |
|
Last Updated: Aug 15th, 2008 - 05:35:02
|
The health region’s new medical officer of health, Dr. Vivien Suttorp, is all set to take over the reins from acting MOH Dr. Vanessa Maclean.
“I go live on Monday,” Suttorp said. “Dr. Maclean had it so I was slowly phasing in. It’s been a great experience and I’m very grateful it was set up this way.”
Suttorp has been meeting with various departments in Chinook Health, including population health, public health and health inspection.
In her role as MOH, Suttorp will provide direction and consultation in several areas of public health, including environmental health matters such as water, food and sanitation. Other areas include surveillance and control of communicable diseases, infection control and prevention, immunizations and population health and promotion.
The MOH also provides information to Chinook Health senior administration, staff, departments, medical practitioners, the public and Alberta Health and Wellness. The MOH previously reported to the Chinook Health board of directors but a new reporting procedure is still being finalized with the creation of the Alberta Health Services Board.
Another part of the job is being on call 24 hours a day on weekdays and every other weekend, with weekend on call shared with the Palliser health region MOH.
“Triaging your time is an important piece,” Suttorp said. “I’ve got wonderful teams. It’s a well-oiled machine here, I can definitely say that.”
Suttorp’s exposure to public health while in medical school was limited but her eyes were opened wide when she spent nearly three months in Pakistan at the end of medical school.
Suttorp worked at a hospital that provided acute care to people who lived in poverty. Many infants died, children were malnourished and necessities such as clean water and basic hygiene were often absent.
“If we could somehow focus on this prevention piece upstream, then many of the acute pieces wouldn’t be necessary,” she said.
Suttorp also worked as a locum at a meat plant in southern Alberta and that awakened her to another side of public health — occupational health and safety. She realized she could have more impact working in public health than as a family doctor treating one patient at a time. In addition, the cost of acute care is not sustainable and individuals and groups need to embrace the need for preventive measures.
“As medicine shifts from the medical model to the wellness model, we’re looking at holistic medicine — the mental, physical, emotional and spiritual — all of which make up health,” she said.
Suttorp, a family physician, shifted her focus and completed a master’s degree in public health at the University of Alberta. She worked for a year with the Alberta Cancer Board to develop and implement programs for screening of cervical, breast and colorectal cancers before becoming Chinook Health MOH.
Suttorp is originally from Holland and came to Canada with her parents when she was eight years old. After landing in Halifax and taking a Volkswagen van across the country, the family settled in Maple Ridge, B.C.
She obtained her medical degree at the University of British Columbia and came to Calgary to do her residency.
“I’ve stayed here ever since. My husband and I are into many sports and we really enjoy being out in nature, camping, hiking and kayaking.”
© Copyright by Lethbridge Herald.com
Top of Page
|
| This website powered by: Tricubemedia |
Copyright© August 21, 2008 All material,programming and design contained herein
is copyrighted by The Lethbridge Herald, an Alberta Newspaper Group inc. All Rights
Reserved.
|
|
|
|
|
