Dr. Dona Bowers was named Physician of the Year by the College of Family Physicians of Canada.
When a bouquet of flowers arrives at the office, staff at the Somerset West Community Health Centre can guess who they’re for.
Patients love Dr. Dona Bowers and that’s part of the reason she was named Ontario's family physician of the year by the College of Family Physicians of Canada.
The award, named after past CFPC director Reg L. Perkin, honours physicians who demonstrate exceptional care of their patients and who’ve made significant contributions to the health and well being of their communities in general.
And Bowers, the only woman to win the award this year, has done just that.
As managing director of health services at the inner-city community centre, Bowers oversees a team of medical professionals and develops wellness programs. She’s also a practising general care family physician.
“To me, it’s been an amazing ride at this community health centre,” she says.
“There are a lot of evolving programs and changes and challenges, so it’s been very invigorating.”
Bowers says it’s the collaborative approach that has made SWCHC successful.
Asked about the impact her years of community work has made, she smiles self-consciously and credits her “amazing team.”’
“They’re very committed people very dedicated, very creative about trying to figure out what works best to help people attain as much health as they can attain,” she says.
“I feel I share this award with my colleagues.”
Bowers says when she accepted the job at the clinic she hadn’t planned on staying there for more than a year.
She had recently graduated from medical school and she was interested in learning more about the community approach to health care before moving back to her hometown of Sudbury, Ontario to practise.
“I kind of wanted to try it on for size and see if that fit, and it did!” she says.
“It fit with my personal values that everybody should have access to services regardless of their background or social status.”
Bowers says her clients have been the most appealing part of the 23 years she has worked at SWCHC.
She says working as a community physician affords her the unique opportunity to be more intimately involved in people’s lives.
“We share tears together and it’s very moving and powerful,” she says.
“I’m always amazed at what people choose to share and I’m privileged to be included in their life journey.”
Dr. Kay Lee, a family physician at SWCHC, is one of Bowers’ colleagues who nominated her for the award.
She says Bowers deserves to be honoured for her work in the community.
“She is star physician in many ways,” Lee says. “She has done more for this community than any doctor I can think of at the present and as a physician she championed many causes especially for those who cannot speak for themselves.”
Lee, who has been working at the centre with Bowers for more than 22 years, says she believes many of the staff at the clinic decide to stay and work there for many years because of Bowers’ outstanding team leadership.
“She supports us in our teaching, our research, and broadens our horizons just by example and management support,” Lee says.
“Each of us has been honoured to work with her and follow her path in many ways.”
Bowers’ work doesn’t stop at the community centre. She’s also a professor at the University of Ottawa, training students in the residency program in obstetrics.She founded the Ontario Medical Association Section of Community Health Centre Physicians and often makes presentations on collaborative practice models of health care.
The award was presented to Bowers Oct. 31 at the CFPC’s annual Family Medicine Forum in Calgary.