A Hanover doctor has been named a 2018 recipient of the Regional Family Physician of the Year Award by the Ontario College of Family Physicians.
Dr. Rochelle Dworkin is the award recipient for Erie St. Clair and South West.
Nominated by their peers, the award is presented annually to seven Ontario family doctors -- one from each region of the province -- who provide exemplary care to their patients and are passionately involved in activities that contribute to excellence in family medicine.
For over 32 years, Dr. Dworkin embraced being a rural generalist physician providing a broad spectrum of primary care and emergency medicine, as well as in-hospital, palliative, intrapartum and newborn care. Now retired from family medicine, she provides dermatology services at her clinic with plans to provide outreach clinics in rural communities poorly served by urban dermatologists.
Dr. Dworkin’s clinical passion was maternity and newborn care. As the chief of obstetrics at the Hanover & District Hospital, she was instrumental in welcoming and integrating midwives, as well as introducing the More OB program to advance safety in obstetrics.
Dr. Dworkin was the driving force behind Hanover’s rural residency teaching site, in partnership with Western University’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, serving as the site director from 2009-2016. Over those seven years, she recruited many graduates from the program, ensuring the medical prosperity of her community for the long term.
"Dr. Dworkin’s leadership in obstetrics and medical education underscores her long-term commitment to improving access to quality care for her community," said Dr. Glenn Brown, OCFP president. "As a dedicated teacher and mentor, she has encouraged a generation of residents to experience the rewards of practising rural medicine."
