Iqaluit hospital opens new medical health learning centre

Nunavut’s director of medical affairs, Dr. Sandy MacDonald, left and Nunavut’s director of medical education, Dr. Madeleine Cole, speak to reporters at the launch of NunaFam’s new learning centre at the Qikiqtani General Hospital Feb. 27. (PHOTO BY SARAH ROGERS)

An anchor for out-of-region physicians who are training at the Qikiqtani General Hospital: that’s what staff at Iqaluit’s hospital hope its new resource centre will become.

The centre is the latest addition to the Nunavut Family Medicine Education Program, or NunaFam, launched in March 2011 to bring medical residents and recent graduates of Memorial University in St. John’s, Newfoundland-Labrador, to train in Nunavut.

Memorial’s medical school is known for its program that trains family doctors for work in remote areas.

And, as part of their training, medical school graduates and students in their final year of study must complete what’s called a residency, or on-the-job training, during which they’re known as “residents.”

Since NunaFam kicked off, the Qikiqtani General Hospital has welcomed one resident doctor from Memorial, while another is expected to arrive soon.

At the same time, the hospital’s current team of doctors have realized that offering physical support on the ground will be key to making NunaFam work, said Nunavut’s director of medical education, Dr. Madeleine Cole.

A former laboratory space in the older section of hospital will now serve as a resource centre, equipped with reference books, videos and office space for the program’s residents.

“Space is always an issue, so it’s been helpful to find a room where you can sit down and talk about health care issues,” Cole said, adding that the space can be also used for staff doctors to train residents.

The new centre will also become a place where out-of-region doctors can brush up on their cultural training — highlighted at the centre’s opening by a presentation about qulliq-lighting and care by Leena Evic.

Memorial graduate Amy Pieroway, who is just finishing up a two-month residency in Iqaluit, said her experience training in Nunavut has been a good one.

“The new centre here is helpful. It’s a space to sit down and read – like a home base,” Pieroway said.

Pieroway is heading back to Newfoundland, but said she may be back.

“I’ve heard people say the coming to Nunavut is a bit of an addiction, and I think I’m one of those.”

NunaFam, a six-year program that runs on a $4.8 million grant from Health Canada, aims to bring eight family doctors-in-training to Iqaluit for the equivalent of “16 doctor years,” said Dr. Sandy MacDonald, Nunavut’s director of medical affairs.

Although the program was initially based on two-month rotations, NunaFam is now moving towards longer, four and eight-month residencies.

“The [Health Canada] funding allows up to expand the program as we can accommodate it,” MacDonald said. “”We’ll eventually increase the number of positions.

“And hopefully he program will lead to people falling in love with the North and coming back to practice here.”