Dr. Karen Mazurski has been named Family Physician of the Year, Region One by the Ontario College of Family Physicians. Photo courtesy DRHC

DRHC Chief Of Staff named Family Physician of the Year

By Dryden Observer Staff

A local celebration is planned to commemorate a tremendous achievement by a local physician, Jan. 27.

In late November of 2011, longtime Dryden physician and Dryden Regional Health Centre Chief Of Staff, Dr. Karen Mazurski was recognized by the Ontario College of Family Physicians as Family Physician of the Year, Region 1.

In the past, Mazurski has been recognized by other organizations for the caring and dedicated work she provides her patients. She has been honoured by the Society of Rural Physicians of Canada for over 20 years of rural practice; acknowledged through the Heather Crowe Award from Health Canada for her advocacy work establishing smoke-free public places and has been the recipient of a service award from the Ontario Tobacco Network. She has also been recognized by Cancer Care Ontario for her outstanding work with oncology patients as a recipient of the Human Touch award.

Dr. Mazurski has spent her medical career practicing rural family medicine in Dryden. After completing her medical degree at Dalhousie University in 1981, she completed a rotating internship at the Victoria Hospital Corporation in London, Ontario and then joined the Dingwall Medical Group in Dryden.

As a rural family doctor, her practice involves inpatient and outpatient care, emergency medicine, obstetrics, geriatrics and palliative care. She has also been a supervising physician for the chemotherapy unit (a partner with the Northwestern Ontario Cancer Centre) since it opened 13 years ago.

She is now also in her second term as Chief of Staff at the Dryden Regional Health Centre.

Dryden Regional Health Centre CEO Wade Petranik says Mazurski is a worthy recipient of this prestigious award.

“Dr. Mazurski’s genuine care, dedication and devotion to excellence in rural health care delivery makes her an admirable leader in the northwest and a dedicated and distinguished member of our own community.”

A celebration of Dr. Mazurski’s contributions to the medical profession and to the community of Dryden will take place at The Centre, Friday, Jan. 27 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. with a presentation to take place at 5 p.m. (see ad page 13 for full details).

Ed’s note — this item was originally released by DRHC in early December, though through an oversight on our part, remained unpublished until now. Our apologies for its late inclusion.