Radville's Dr. Werner Oberholzer, or Dr. "O" as many in the community refer to him, was named as the 2013 Family Physician of the Year for Saskatchewan, by the College of Family Physicians of Canada. The college presented the award, the Reg L.
Radville's Dr. Werner Oberholzer, or Dr. "O" as many in the community refer to him, was named as the 2013 Family Physician of the Year for Saskatchewan, by the College of Family Physicians of Canada.
The college presented the award, the Reg L. Perkin Award, in a ceremony on Tuesday, held as part of the college's annual Family Medicine Forum held in Vancouver this year.
"I am greatly honoured to receive this award, but I'm deeply humbled by it as well," said Dr. Oberholzer. "I don't think I practice any differently from my colleagues in Weyburn or elsewhere."
The CEO of the Sun Country Health Region, Marga Cugnet, had high praise for Dr. Oberholzer and his work in the health region.
"It is a benefit to all residents of Sun Country Health Region to have a family doctor who provides the excellent service Dr. Oberholzer offers," she said.
"The additional benefit to the region is having a doctor of this calibre to provide leadership and an opportunity for medical students to learn from him. This award might help us recruit doctors as medical students will want to come here to work with him," she added.
He was instrumental in establishing the Rural West Primary Health Care team, which is an inter-disciplinary medical team that cares for four under-serviced communities in the region.
He feels this was a major part of why he was nominated for this award, and said, "It takes a team. The team approach is the way to provide communities with appropriate health care."
He also feels a team approach like this might also help in the recruitment of doctors to Sun Country. The Rural West Primary team provides care to Radville, Pangman and Bengough, plus Dr. Oberholzer provides weekly clinics in Pangman and Bengough.
Dr. Oberholzer and his wife, Nelleke (also a family physician), have been practising family medicine at the Radville Marian Health Centre since they moved their family here in 1999 from South Africa. He earned his medical degree at the University of Orange Free State in Bloemfontein, South Africa.
The family came to Canada "to provide a better future for our children, as well as to work in a very efficient health care system where all patients are treated the same," said Dr. Oberholzer, adding if health care professionals were able to get the system working properly, "there is no better system anywhere."
The Reg L. Perkin Award is presented each year to 10 outstanding family physicians, one from each province, that are acknowledged as Canada's Family Physicians of the Year.
Each award recipient is nominated by their peers and colleagues, and is recognized for exceptional professional achievements and contributions to their patients, family medicine teaching and research, and their respective communities. They represent excellence in family medicine in Canada.
He received certification in family medicine from the College of Family Physicians of Canada in 2009, and was recognized as a certified Canadian physician executive by the Canadian Medical Association in 2011.
Dr. Oberholzer was previously awarded as the Saskatchewan Physician of the Year in 2009 by the Saskatchewan Medical Association, then in 2012, he received the Saskatchewan Healthcare Excellence Award from the University of Saskatchewan, and the Dennis Kindall Distinguished Service Award from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan.
In addition to serving on the Primary Health team, he serves as the medical director of emergency medical services for the Sun Country Health Region, is the chair of the Joint Medical Professional Review Committee for the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan, and is an expert member of the Chronic Disease Management Program with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Health.
He is also an associate professor at the University of Saskatchewan, where he mentors students and graduates of family medicine.
Dr. Oberholzer has a passion for skydiving, and he competes and teaches at the Moose Jaw Skydiving Club. He also enjoys spending time with Nelleke and their four children, Aledia, Gouws, Evert and Mia.
