Our Hospital, Our StoriesRoyal Alex Physician Who Advocates for Patient Needs Recognized on National Stage
Posted on: Jun 16, 2017The Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians recognized Dr. Kathryn Dong with the Dr. Alan Drummond Advocacy Award.
On Tuesday, June 6, 2017, the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians (CAEP) recognized Dr. Kathryn Dong with the Dr. Alan Drummond Advocacy Award. This award recognizes an emergency physician who has demonstrated exemplary leadership, commitment, and dedication to the cause of advancing Emergency Medicine at the regional, national, or international level through advocacy efforts.
Kathryn Dong received this award because of her continued leadership and commitment to the Addictions Recovery and Community Health (ARCH) team and clinic at the Royal Alexandra Hospital. This novel, community-oriented program seeks to address the healthcare needs for the most at-risk and socially marginalized community members living in Edmonton’s inner city.
The ARCH Clinic—part of the Inner City Health Program—delivers front-line patient care and makes referrals to other agencies that can help connect patients to social supports on an “as-needed” basis. This is all part of Inner City Health’s mandate of creating a new model of emergency medical care and assistance for vulnerable patients. Thanks to robust community support from diverse sources, Dr. Dong and her team have cultivated a program that is creating real change at both grass-roots and systemic levels— a winning combination that improves patients’ outcomes with dramatic cost savings to the healthcare system.
In fact, the ARCH Clinic has assisted more than 1,375 unique patients in the last three years, and many of these patients credit the program with helping them to turn their lives around; and for some, they say ICHW has saved their lives.
Dr. Kathryn Dong is one of the Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation’s most dedicated medical ambassadors, carrying out the shared vision of improving the healthcare of all Albertans.
Congratulations and thank you, Dr. Kathryn Dong!
For more information on the ARCH Clinic and the Inner City Health Program or to make a financial gift in support of this important work happening at the Royal Alexandra Hospital please click here.
