Staff
A new family physician, Dr. Thor Ellingsen, will soon be practicing in the area thanks to the combined recruitment efforts of the Municipality of Meaford, North East Grey Health Clinics Inc., and Grey Bruce Health Services.
Dr. Ellingsen will join the team at GBHS Meaford Hospital to provide emergency room and in-patient care at the hospital starting in July, and staff are looking forward to his arrival.
“We are thrilled that Dr. Ellingsen is putting down roots here in Meaford,” said Lance Thurston, President and CEO of GBHS. “The community is passionate about our local hospital, and Dr. Ellingsen will be well supported, and warmly welcomed.”
Dr. Ellingsen will open a family practice at the Don Bumstead & Family Medical Centre in Meaford. Office information for Dr. Ellingsen will be available later this summer from the Centre once his transition into family practice is complete.
Jan Chappelle from the North East Grey Health Clinics recruitment committee has been working with Dr. Ellingsen and his family over the past six months, and is looking forward to having a new physician to serve the Meaford Hospital catchment area.
After graduating from medical school in his home province of Alberta, Dr. Ellingsen moved to Collingwood for his two years of family medicine residency. During that time, Dr. Ellingsen completed a number of training rotations within GBHS including internal medicine, pediatrics, and most recently a two-month long elective in Meaford, which gave him a great opportunity to get to know the staff, physicians and patients.
When asked what attracted him to working in a rural community, Dr. Ellingsen noted, “I enjoy the comprehensive range of work that comes with rural practice where I do a little bit of everything and get to follow my patients from the office, to the ER, to the inpatient hospital ward. Being able to practice as a full scope generalist and use my training to its fullest appeals to me.”
Outside of work, Dr. Ellingsen will keep busy with his young family as they settle into their new community.
