Leading By Example—Caring, Accessible, and Professional

Family Doctor: Dr. Douglas Fonteyne

My family and I appreciate this opportunity to provide some thoughts on the fine work our family physician carries out for us. Dr. Douglas Fonteyne has been our physician for almost 10 years.

This includes our daughter and her children as well. As my wife and I are not getting younger(!), health issues do come up, sometimes more often that we would wish, of course. While Dr. Fonteyne is a very busy physician, he has always been very accessible and helpful. In this regard, I have been impressed by his very fine judgement and keen diagnostic ability, not to mention his patience. In the midst of a busy practice, one can overlook things or lapse on precision, but Dr. Fonteyne has always been careful to listen and respond with care, attention and diligence. I might also add that he is a very fine individual of sterling character.

I volunteer with the Edmonton chapter of a large national seniors association, heading up or health advocacy issues; hence, I have some familiarity with the intricate demands placed upon our health system including its primary care physicians, of the increasing time and financial pressures, and of the key role played by our family physicians in helping to keep us as healthy as possible and out of hospitals, where costs rise exponentially.

My feeling is that excellent diagnosis, care, follow-up, information, and proper pharmaceutical and other therapy are bedrocks for keeping a healthy population and maintaining medical costs sustainable – the front lines of first presentation and our lifelines for chronic illness care. The subject is, of course, extremely complex, but I introduce it only in order to point to Dr. Fonteyne as an example of what can make the system work well. We are very appreciative of his care and professionalism.

Morris Maduro, Edmonton