Introducing Dr. Tania Zakhem

The newest family doctor at the Kemptville Health Centre has made a fulltime commitment to Kemptville

OCTOBER 31, 2012 – Dr. Tania Zakhem is the newest physician at the busy Kemptville Health Centre on the Kemptville District Hospital (KDH) campus. She opened her family medicine clinic at the KDH Health Centre on October 1 and is working at building up her patient roster.

Dr. Zakhem also spends a week every three months on the medical/surgical floor at KDH providing inpatient care.

In addition, she works shifts in the KDH ER.

Dr. Tania Zakhem

On top of all of that, Dr. Zakhem is collaborating with Kemptville’s Beth Donovan Hospice (located in the former KDH emergency department) to provide palliative care to clients of the Hospice who don’t have a family doctor. This allows these patients who are nearing the end of their lives to die in the comfort of their own homes.

Dr. Zakhem thrives on her busy schedule and the variety it offers – “Part of the reason I came here was the opportunity to be involved in numerous aspects of patient care,” she said. “You can’t get that in a big city.”As a child, Dr. Zakhem knew she wanted to be a doctor, and a family doctor at that. As she worked toward her M.D. degree, she loved every component of her training, and she knew her decision was right for her: “Family physicians get to do it all,” she explained.

Dr. Zakhem is a recent graduate of the Family Medicine program at the University of Ottawa. She did the majority of her training at KDH, finishing her residency with Dr. Tara McCallan at the KDH Health Centre at the end of June.

During her training, Dr. Zakhem developed a great working relationship with the doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals at KDH; she found the staff at KDH “unlike any other.” She also found KDH to be “a hospital that stands behind its mission and vision.”

In addition she discovered a “wonderful, supportive community” in Kemptville and has enjoyed exploring the town and the surrounding area.

Dr. Zakhem had been looking for a community she could make a long-term commitment to, and she found it in Kemptville. “I’m excited and happy to be here and looking forward to the years ahead,” she said. “Support from the community and the hospital has been wonderful and I’m very grateful for the warm reception I’ve received.”

The KDH Board of Directors initiated the KDH Health Centre in 2003 in recognition of the fact that the community was at that time under-serviced for family physicians. KDH’s CEO, Colin Goodfellow, sees Dr. Zakhem’s decision to commit to Kemptville as a reflection on the community. “The KDH Health Centre has a remarkable team of doctors,” he said; “Attracting such a promising young physician as Dr. Zakhem reinforces North Grenville’s reputation as a place with a commitment to building healthy communities.”

About Kemptville District Hospital

Kemptville District Hospital is a fully accredited healthcare facility committed to building healthier communities. We are distinct within the provincial health system as a model of hospital-led integrated health services. We operate on two sites and provide primary care management services, acute care hospital services, advanced orthopaedic care and pride ourselves on being a good partner within the system. Kemptville Hospital consistently ranks among the top hospitals in Ontario for both patient and employee satisfaction.

For further information contact:

Jenny Read, Communications Lead

Tel: 613-258-6133 ext. 223

Email: jread@kdh.on.ca