SUNDRE – Although he’s been working in town at Greenwood Family Physicians since 2018 after completing a residency there, Dr. Chris Chapman has since then committed to practising full-time with no intention of going somewhere else anytime soon.
Originally stepping into an interim position to help fill the vacancy left behind by Dr. Eugene Landsbergen, a former physician at the clinic, the 36-year-old said he eventually decided to stay long-term.
“I really enjoy – especially in Sundre – the variety here,” Chapman said in response to being asked what he most prefers about his career path and what persuaded him to practise here.
From working at the clinic and the Sundre Seniors’ Supportive Living centre to providing in-patient services as well as long-term care and of course lending a hand at the Myron Thompson Health Centre’s emergency room, he said, “We kind of get to do all in one.”
Growing up, Chapman said he had a thirst for researching, learning as well as helping others.
“It turns out medicine was a good fit,” he said.
Later on as a student of medicine, he said when the time came to choose a location for his residency that Sundre’s reputation excelled “as being a great site for learning where you’re supported but still got to do lots.”
That chapter was preceded by time he spent at the University of Victoria obtaining a bachelor’s of science that he later upgraded to a master’s, followed by further studies at the University of Alberta, where he earned his medical degree in 2017 and officially became recognized by the Canadian College of Family Physicians.
Chapman, who loves the local golf courses and living relatively near to both the mountains as well as the city, hopes to continue practising family medicine in town for the forseeable future.
“Probably still in Sundre,” he said without pause when asked where he might be in five to 10 years. “Unless anything changes; life can always bring you challenges. But I got no plans to leave any time soon.”
With the exception of a handful of locals, Chapman – who is openly gay and married with two children – said the community is full of friendly people.
“As a gay guy in small, blue collar, rural community, I don’t feel like a major outcast; I don’t feel ostracized just because of who I am,” he said.
“I don’t feel like I’m special either,” he quickly added. “I feel like I’m just a guy here who happens to have a husband instead of a wife.”
Responsible for a panel of about 1,500 patients, Chapman said he is not accepting new patients at this time.
Frontline staffing shortages – exacerbated by a wave of early retirements spurred on by physicians exhausted by the pandemic – remain a pervasive challenge throughout not only Alberta, but also the country and even around the world, he said.
But staffing shortages are not the only hurdle to overcome, he said, citing as another example having to make the most out of “the limited-resource environment that we have here.”
Additionally, while he praised the local team of doctors at the clinic, he added there is only so much they can do when compared with more advanced, high-tech urban centres that boast the ability to conduct more specialized tests or procedures.
“We don’t have a team of specialists at beck and call across the hallway; it’s really just us here,” he said.
Asked if he ever throughout the course of the current provincial government’s controversial actions against doctors and health-care staff ever harboured any doubts about setting permanent roots in Alberta, Chapman pointed to the NDP government in B.C. that has “not exactly (been) friendly to doctors either.”
“The grass is not always greener on the other side,” he said.
However, he expressed uncertainty as to what his course of action might have been had he only been testing the waters as a new graduate deciding where to set up a practice, as the UCP government didn’t exactly inspire him to stay.
“I already had roots here, so I didn’t feel it was necessary to go,” he said, referring to the relationships he’s developed through working in the community since his residency.
Responding to a question about whether he has any concerns regarding the current direction of health-care services, he said, “It’s hard to say with Danielle Smith because she hasn’t been in power long enough to really know.”
Under the leadership of former premier Jason Kenney, it was the provincial government’s attitude that was more difficult to deal with than anything else, he said.
“They took a very abrasive stance in terms of how we operate our clinics and the manner in which we get paid,” he said, making clear he’s not against finding room in the budget for efficiencies.
“(But) it was an us-versus-them approach; it wasn’t collegial or cooperative, it was combative,” he said.
Under the now nearly one-year rule of Smith’s UCP, Chapman maintains a healthy dose of skepticism about any consistency from government policy.
“I think Danielle Smith historically has said whatever she’s wanted to say at the time; what’s been popular. That goes back to her Wildrose days when she went across to the other side when it was convenient. I don’t think I can trust what she’s going to say, good or bad,” he said, adding actions speak louder than words.
“I’m more of wait-and-see what they’re going to do and see how it actually ends up kind of person, than trust what they’re going to say on face value,” he said.
Yet while the tone of a government’s leadership plays a role, it’s certainly not the only factor involved, he added.
The allure of taking on a practice that comes with the full-time responsibility of having a panel of patients is no longer quite as appealing for learners and new graduates. Instead, many seem to be more interested in becoming a locum – or a substitute doctor, so to speak, he said, adding the position provides more flexibility for time off alongside a lower overhead.
“A lot of the new graduates are not setting up shop anywhere,” he said. “They’re kind of locuming around a lot longer than they used to.”
There is also an international pool of potential talent that Alberta once used to rely more heavily upon, but federal and provincial government rules on residency, citizenship and licensing can act as “a big barrier,” he said.
“It’s a lot of complex issues that are playing a part in the scarcity of doctors, especially in family medicine,” he said.
“It’s hard to pin down to one issue. But we’re still trying here,” he said, referring to ongoing efforts to attract and retain new physicians and health-care staff.
“We’re not giving up.”
