There is a well-worn path on the hospital grounds that leads from the home of Dr. Hal Irvine to the front door of the Sundre Hospital and Care Centre.
Irvine selflessly walked those 150 steps countless times over his 31 years of service to this community as a rural family physician and anesthetist. He is deeply honoured that the Sundre Palliative Care Association will be dedicating the newly renovated palliative care suite at the hospital in his name in recognition of his exemplary service to this community. This project was made possible by the generous donation from Peak Theatre Players. Spearheaded by Neil Embleton, all proceeds from the recent Calendar Girls play were donated to this tribute, as were the sales of the calendar created by the cast, Heidi Overguard, photographer and Bill Lough, Peaks Printing.
Irvine's love of rural medicine and this community has been apparent in so many ways. He thrived on the variety of work in rural practice ó from clinic to emergency shifts, delivering babies to palliative care. He truly valued continuity of care and the long-term relationships he developed with his patients, families and co-workers. His selfless dedication to this community was apparent by his provision of a solo epidural service to labouring moms over his years in practice.
One of the many things that made him special was his commitment to promoting a strong team. Irvine, who completed his undergraduate medical degree at the University of Calgary in 1977, pioneered weekly rounds for physicians, nurses, physiotherapy, pharmacy, respiratory therapy, home care and mental health to get together to coordinate the best care for the patients of this community. Diana Kleinloog, one of the nurses who worked by his side for 30 years, described him as "focused, approachable, and inspired excellence from all." He was always available to his colleagues to help with challenging cases; he would be by their side within minutes ó day or night ó without complaint.
Irvine, who was raised in Red Deer and finished high school in Lacombe, inspired many medical students to follow in his footsteps in rural medicine. To him, family medicine was not a job ó it was a calling and a profession he took pride in. Dr. Carol Rowntree was one of his first medical students in Sundre in 1984 and has been privileged to be his friend and colleague for the past 26 years. Many other local physicians over the years also trained in Sundre as medical students as well as family medicine residents and they were inspired by Irvine. Among them were Michelle Warren, Chris Barnsdale, Tim Souster and Rob Warren. Irvine was much more than a skilled teacher. To many, such as Dr. Glenn Kowalsky, he was also a cherished mentor. His commitment to lifelong learning placed him in high demand as an instructor for teaching airway management and procedural sedation to practising physicians and nurses. His contributions to rural medical education were recognized last year when a special award called the Hal Irvine Community Focus Award was created in his honour by the University of Calgary.
Irvine and his wife Dianne moved to Sundre in 1982 and raised their three children ó Sarah, Bronwyn and Brody ó in the community. Despite his busy practice and family life, he contributed to the community in so many ways and he always made time for the arts.
For six years he was president of the Sundre and District Allied Arts Society, a volunteer job that entailed chairing meetings and managing the operations of the Sundre Arts Centre. He was an active member of the local photography club and for years Irvine was the official photographer for Peak Theatre Players. He took portraits of cast members for programs and publicity, and could be found before each show carefully hanging portraits in the lobby.
He always had an interest in acting and it wasn't long before he auditioned for his first play. He was subsequently involved in several plays with Sundre's local theatre group, Peak Theatre Players. Acting was a fun outlet for him. He was involved in such notable roles as a Buddhist golfer, a lecherous coachman, a developmentally handicapped man, a ghost and a salesman peddling leather-bound week-at-a-glance organizers. After this last role, his patients, friends and even a policeman who pulled him over kept asking to buy one!
Irvine also had a passion for motorcycling and surprised many of his students when the seemingly sedate and mild-mannered country doctor would invite them to ride with him on his Yamaha FJR to his weekly Tuesday morning anesthesia shifts in Olds.
His contributions to medical leadership were also many. He contributed his time and expertise to many organizations such as the Society of Rural Physicians of Canada and chaired the Rural GP Anesthesia Committee. In 1988, he was the president of the Alberta College of Family Physicians. He was chief of staff and later became the facility medical director for the Sundre hospital for 30 years. He won numerous awards for his significant contributions to both rural medicine and anesthesia, including Clinician of the Year by the David Thompson Health Region medical staff as well as the Rural Preceptor of the Year award from the University of Calgary in 2003. In 2009, the Society of Rural Physicians of Canada awarded him with a Fellowship of Rural and Remote Medicine.
Among his other notable achievements are earning his certification in family medicine in 1979 after completing residency training at Queen's University in Kingston, Ont., as well as becoming an associate member of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners when he did a six-month practice exchange to Victoria, Australia in 1999.
While in Vancouver in November 2013, to be recognized by his peers as Alberta Family Physician of the Year by the College of Family Physicians, Irvine was diagnosed with a brain tumour and his plans for retirement and spending time were sadly cut short. His three grandchildren bring him much joy and he continues to be honoured by the generous love and support shown by this community as he and his family deal with his illness.
The dedication of the palliative care suite at the Sundre hospital will be an ongoing reminder of the gratitude of this community to Dr. Hal Irvine, for his exceptional contributions as a physician and community member.
Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime
And departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sand of time
From Psalm of Life
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
