South West Health

Serving Shelburne, Yarmouth and Digby Counties

News Release

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Physician Joins South West Health Team in

Digby General Hospital Emergency Department

The addition of a new physician to the South West Health team means the Digby General Hospital Emergency Department will be open more hours to serve local residents.

Starting Wednesday, February 3, Dr. Kathryn Diefenbach will provide Emergency Department coverage overnight on Wednesdays (from 8 p.m. Wednesday until 8 a.m. Thursday) at the Digby General Hospital. The Emergency Department schedule for February can be found HERE

“We are very pleased Dr. Diefenbach has agreed to work with us in Digby to provide improved emergency department coverage,” said Blaise MacNeil, CEO of South West Health. “This is encouraging as we continue to recruit physicians to serve the residents of the Digby area.”

Judy LeBlanc, Site Manager of the Digby General Hospital added that while there continue to be challenges in providing Emergency Department coverage, the recruitment of Dr. Diefenbach demonstrates the value of teamwork. “Every successful recruitment is the result of patience, persistence and the partnerships between district staff, local physicians and the entire community.”

Trained at the Dalhousie School of Medicine, Dr. Diefenbach has worked in Nova Scotia for many years, including the Victoria General Hospital, the Colchester Regional Hospital in Truro and most recently the Hants Community Hospital in Windsor. She received a Certificate of Special Competence in Emergency Medicine from the College of Family Physicians of Canada in 1997. Dr. Diefenbach currently lives in the Annapolis Valley where she raises poodles.

South West Health joins the community in welcoming Dr. Kathryn Diefenbach to the Digby General Hospital.

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For information, contact:

Judy LeBlanc, Digby General Hospital Site Manager, 902-875-4144 ext. 229

Shirley Watson-Poole, Physician Resource Manager, 742-3542 ext. 451