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Dr. Cecil Hammond, 2018 Best Doctor

Best Doctor: Dr. Cecil Hammond

Oct 1, 2018 | 2:39 PM

Innovative and simple….

That’s how the winner of the 2018 BOB award for Best Doctor describes his model for practicing medicine. Cecil Hammond, who has been practicing medicine nearly 30 years, opened the Downtown Medical Clinic roughly one-and-a-half years ago, has introduced the Patients Medical Home to the city — essentially a place where a doctor and a team of health care professionals work together as a team. Hammond, who has a Master’s degree in Family Medicine, said through his own personal experience working in northern Saskatchewan, and as an administrator for the former Prince Albert Parkland health region, this was not the approach being followed.

“Right how everything rests in the hands of doctors to see the patients, check results, change prescriptions, working on your own and it’s not feasible,” he said.

Innovative and simple is Dr. Cecil Hmmond’s model for practicing medicine

According to Hammond, this is the reason why so many doctors are getting burned out, why doctors don’t want to see patients with complicated chronic diseases, and why so many young doctors are choosing to work at walk-in clinics and easier jobs. At his practice, Hammond has at his disposal, a pharmacist, a dietitian as well as someone with experience with chronic diseases.

“Let someone else manage the things they are trained to do while I just concentrate on the core business of being a doctor,” he said.

There are ten goals that transform a family practice into a Patient’s Medical Home and they include patient-centered care, a personal family physician, team-based care, timely access and access to electronic medical records. Hammond said since opening his practice, the response he has received to his method of practicing medicine has been fantastic. He said patients who come in for their three month check-ups are able to get everything done in between.

Medical clinic located at 1310 Central Avenue

‘If they need refills, or their blood pressure checked, they don’t have to make an appointment and wait for me to come in. It gets done and I get a phone call or note,” he said.

Hammond said he thinks his model could be expanded in the future to include a mental health worker. In regards to being named Prince Albert’s Best Doctor, Hammond shrugged it off.

“It’s nice that people out there voted for me and people like me but I think all the doctors are good, and every single doctor is a best doctor in Prince Albert,” he said.

The Downtown Medical Clinic is located at 1310 Central Ave.

Address:
1310 Central Avenue
Prince Albert, SK S6V 4W3