Legion Real Winners With Riverside Medical 9th Anniversary

On Tuesday afternoon (June 30th) the team from Riverside Medical in Drumheller held a celebratory fundraising BBQ celebrating their 9th year in Drumheller.

The BBQ was a fundraiser for the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 22 in Drumheller and was very successful, so much so that they ended up running out of hamburgers and only had a couple of hot dogs by about 1:30 PM. The fundraiser was able to raise just over $800, and Riverside Medical matched the funds, bringing in $1,603.60 for the Legion. Dr. Ritesh Ram shares why they choose the Legion as the fundraising recipient of the BBQ year after year. “My father-in-law was a veteran and we knew first hand, from that experience, what he went through and what all the brave men and women do with the Forces. Being able to support them, when they’re done (with the military), is amazing. The Legion here, in particular, the atmosphere they have here. We love going in there and love having our Diwali Celebration in there. We think it is a warm, welcoming place, and anything we can do to help them keep going is great.”

As for the anniversary itself, Dr. Ram admits that the time has flown by. “It goes by so fast. I know everybody says that. We are very happy and very thankful. It’s really the community that made it happen in the beginning. I know I’ve put in a lot of sweat and tears to physically get everything going but if it wasn’t for the support of the community, and everybody that is here, I don’t think we would have lasted that nine years. We’re still super busy, still have a wait list, we still have patients that come in and love the views of the clinic, love the atmosphere, love the difference of how we provide care. I’m just glad that everybody is enjoying that and that we are still able to provide that service.”

An important part of Riverside Medical is that they provide an opportunity for future doctors and practitioners to work with both Dr. Ritesh and Dr. Veronique Ram at the clinic. Dr. Ritesh Ram  understands the importance of introducing rural healthcare to up and coming doctors. “We know, from all my years of being director of the UCLIC program at the U of C, and all the data and research, if we don’t immerse students in rural and remote areas, the chances of them going and wanting to work there, live there, and be there, is nearly zero. When we immerse them, get them in there, goes up astronomically to almost two-thirds of students that are willing to be in a rural or remote area once their done.” Riverside Medical is a teaching clinic, along with the Drumheller Health Centre is a teaching hospital. “If patients are listening, you need to be encouraging of when we send in learners because eventually those are going to be your physicians. Those are going to be your physicians you want to do your hip (replacements), those are going to be you physicians you want to do your medications. You want to see them when they’re training because then they will have the opportunity to be trained to what you want to see later in life.”

Next year, Riverside Medical will be celebrating their 10th anniversary and Dr. Ram is not quite sure how they will celebrate the milestone.