Dialogue Volume 14 Issue 4 2018 | Page 19

COUNCIL AWARD Beloved Rural Physician Receives Council Award Dr. Raymond Anderson D r. Raymond Anderson, a rural family phy- sician in Essex County, is one of this year’s Council Award recipients. For more than 40 years, Dr. Anderson has been an inte- gral part of his community of Comber, running a busy private practice, where he attends to generations of local families, makes hospital rounds and house calls, and is seemingly available to his patients whenever he is needed. Dr. Anderson was nominated for this award by the members of his community. In letter after heartfelt letter, dozens of patients and their families described his dedica- tion, acts of kindness and understanding, giving voice to the high esteem in which he is held. Dr. Anderson was raised in Windsor and earned his medical degree in 1973 from the University of West- ern Ontario. When he and his wife Suzanne moved to Comber in 1975, the community had been without a steady family physician for four years. At one point, Dr. Anderson had a roster of more than 6,000 patients. “He stands out in that he has such a pleasant and car- ing demeanour,” said Mayor Tom Bain of Dr. Anderson. “He has that unique ability to initially put his patients at ease and then is able to very caringly discuss with the Above right: Dr. Anderson with his wife, Suzanne Bottom: Dr. Anderson with the Lakeshore Town Council patient their medical problem or problems,” he said. Comber is part of the larger township of Lakeshore, a town on Lake St. Clair. As a mark of his deep affection for his community, Dr. Anderson chose to receive his Council Award at the Lakeshore Town Council meeting. That meeting was standing room only as current and past patients showed up to honour their beloved family doctor. We recently spoke to Dr. Anderson about his career. Tell us about your childhood and your decision to choose a career in medicine. I was born in the UK and when I was about eight years old, my parents decided to move to Windsor, Ontario. My mother’s sister was already in Canada and she convinced my parents to come over. My dad and mom both worked in hospital supply. It was a fairly ordinary upbringing, I think. In high school, I was interested in engineering and medicine. But in the end, medicine was my chosen course, mostly because I thought it would be nice to help and work with people. ISSUE 4, 2018 DIALOGUE 19