ROADMAP GOES TO
ILE-A-LA-CROSSE
By Maria Ryhorski
I
n an event being lauded by students as one of the best
Roadmap rural tours to date, 39 medical learners flew up
to Ile-a-la-Crosse for a culturally rich and educational experience of northern life and practice courtesy of Drs. Darcie
and Reid McGonigle, their colleagues and the residents of
Ile-a-la-Crosse.
Health care provision in Ile-a-la-Crosse is built on a model of
interdisciplinary collaboration – physicians, nurses, therapists and other professionals work together within a modern facility to provide comprehensive, whole-person care
to a community with diverse needs. Upon arrival, students
were given a tour of the facility which provides addictions,
mental health and holistic health services in addition to
medical care, and also houses a day care, high school, and
community centre.
Students were intrigued by this unique model and impressed by the integrated approach to care. Local physicians, Reid and Darcie McGonigle, Mel Flegel and Stephen
Britton discussed the provision of care in a remote community and the welcome they feel from those they serve.
A performance by the premier fiddle player in the region
followed and his wife demonstrated a traditional aboriginal
dance. The lively music soon had students jigging between
the tables and immersed in local culture.
Ile-a-la-Crosse is a lakefront community of about 1,300
people, six hours by road from Saskatoon. A common concern of students and residents considering rural practice is
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SMA DIGEST | WINTER 2015
the potential isolation of living in a remote community. This
tour addressed some of these concerns.
“My one worry about rural health car H\