Dr. John Paterson has joined SC’IȺNEW̱ as a new family doctor, operating out of the new clinic in the community building from 9 am to 4 pm every Wednesday.
He is originally from Edmonton, where he was born and raised, and where his parents and sister still live. He completed his medical training in Calgary and Edmonton, and started working as a family doctor in Edmonton in 2016. He moved to BC three years ago after his wife took a job in Williams Lake, and has operated as a primary care physician with numerous First Nations and Indigenous health clinics over his career.
“In 2017, a group of colleagues started the Indigenous Wellness Clinic at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in inner-city Edmonton, which was an expansion of what was originally a diabetes program to include full primary care services. I worked there for seven years and had a panel of regular patients. I also provided fly-in medical coverage to the community of Fort Chipewyan, just north of Fort McMurray, until late 2022.
“I then moved with my wife to Williams Lake, where I started with All Nations Healing House, which was one of the first new First Nations Primary Care Initiative clinics in BC. It was an all-in-one health centre with holistic, comprehensive care delivered in a culturally safe manner, with priorities determined by the local Nations, and I was there for 3 and a half years.”
When asked about what he hopes to accomplish with SC’IȺNEW̱, and what impact he hopes to have, he says the main focus is on improving access to care within the community and reducing the obstacles to accessing healthcare for community members.
“The main goal is just to improve consistent access to health services for community members delivered within the community, so that they don’t have to go too far for primary care services and minor procedures and things like that. We want to provide those primary care services in an accessible, culturally safe way inside the community and from the new community building as well. I’m still getting everything fully set up, but it’s a nice place to see people, and the idea is then folks don’t have to travel far to come in and see me.”
As for what excites him the most about this new opportunity with SC’IȺNEW̱, Dr. Paterson says he looks forward to meeting new people, learning about the community, and helping care for people as best he can.
“The big thing for me is just getting to meet new people and learn about new communities because everywhere I’ve been is a little bit different. Everyone has their own traditions, priorities, lifestyles, and approaches to health. It’s always fun to meet new people, find out what they’re passionate about, try to help them with their health and well-being as best I can, and then go from there. There’s a good established team at SC’IȺNEW̱ already too, which is nice.”
Although he’s there to offer care to anyone who needs it, his main goal is to prioritize people who may not have a regular provider and have struggled with regularly accessing care.
“We do kind of want to prioritize people that may not have a regular provider. Of course anyone can come in, but we just want to make sure that where there’s a gap, people know we’re there to help address it. If there are folks, especially elders, who don’t have consistent care and have a tough time getting out of the community for appointments and things like that, we just want to make sure that those people are aware that I’m available and that we now have another day a week at the clinic.”
As for how he likes to spend his free time outside of work, Dr. Paterson says:
“I enjoy sports and the outdoors. I’ve played soccer since I was young and I hope to keep doing that. I’m excited to be on the island where there are so many outdoor activities like hiking, biking, paddling, and more.
“I also enjoy spending time with family and friends, which is a major priority for me. I have a little dachshund named Ginnie, and we like to take her around for walks and hikes around the area.”