council award
cedures that decrease length of stay and readmission rates ; and
• Streamlining the admission criteria to improve patient transfers from the emergency department to the surgical unit .
Dr . Richard Simms , an obstetrician at Stevenson Memorial , says Dr . Ambreen is an exceptionally wellrounded physician . “ She is a good collaborator , works well with others , is very good at resolving conflict , maintains effective relationships , and communicates with her colleagues , nursing staff and patients with respect and dignity ,” he said . In 2015 , Dr . Ambreen was the recipient of Alliston ’ s Dr . MacIntyre Award for Excellence and Dedication in the Community , and in 2016 , she was honoured with the Ontario College of Family Physicians ’ Award of Excellence .
We recently spoke to Dr . Ambreen about her life and career :
When did you know that you wanted to be a physician ? When I was a child I was fascinated by visits to our family doctor . I really trusted and respected her and I was amazed at how she could ‘ fix ’ people using her stethoscope or by “ pumping the air ” with the blood pressure monitor . I was so captivated by her that I asked my dad to buy me a stethoscope and a BP monitor for my 6th birthday . They become my favourite childhood toy , but I never knew that I ’ d be playing with them for the rest of my life !
Why did you choose to add to your family medicine qualifications by taking a fellowship in anesthesia ? Well , when I was doing my family medicine residency , I chose anesthesia as one of my electives . I was impressed by how anesthetists handled high acuity , critical and complex cases with ease . Then , when working in different rural communities , I had to deal with all kinds of situations with little or no support from specialists . I realized that if I wanted to make a career and life in rural communities , then training in anesthesia would benefit my patients .
What compels you to get involved in quality improvement initiatives ? On a personal level , I have always been motivated by constant progress , and I get excited by implementing new ideas and seeing them through to fruition . I like to be challenged on the job and welcome any opportunity to use all my skills and take on leadership roles that will help improve quality and efficiency . What is most important to me is providing the best possible care to my patients and improving the patient experience . When I help my patients resolve their health challenges , I feel a tremendous amount of comfort and satisfaction .
You gained experience early in your career by practising in a number of different communities . Was all that movement challenging for you and your family ? Not at all ! My children were quite young at the time and every move was an adventure . And my husband is also in the medical field , which meant he and the kids supported me every step of the way . I am very proud of my family and grateful that they have always fully understood a doctor ’ s busy schedule . Of course , now that the kids are older , it is nice to be settled in Alliston . Alliston is a beautiful place surrounded by rolling hills , farms and parks – it ’ s a great place to raise a family and enjoy outdoor living . Plus , Alliston is only an hour away from the Greater Toronto Area , where most of my siblings live , so I get to see them often .
What gives you the most satisfaction at this stage of your career ? Helping and serving my patients fills my heart with great satisfaction . But I also want to say that choosing to work at Stevenson was one of the best decisions I ever made . Here I can exercise my full scope of practice as a GP Anesthetist and family physician while being surrounded by a wonderful team of supportive , encouraging and engaging staff , physicians and colleagues . Currently , Stevenson Hospital is undergoing to a massive redevelopment plan to accommodate Alliston ’ s rapidly growing population . I ’ m quite thrilled and excited to be part of this expansion plan because it will enable us to expand our services and to provide even better and enhanced care to our patients . MD
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Dialogue Issue 1 , 2017