Dr. Herb Dickieson retiring from practice
West Prince physician has been on leave since January
A long-standing member of the West Prince medical team is retiring from his position effective Sept. 15.
Dr. Herb Dickieson, who has been on leave since January, gave his notice last week.
In a statement issued Monday evening, Dickieson expresses his thanks to patients, their families and the West Prince community for the privilege of working with them as a physician over the past three decades. He is grateful for the support of his medical colleagues and all of the healthcare team for ongoing efforts to provide excellent health care to the people of West Prince.
Health and Wellness minister Robert Henderson, who represents the riding of O’Leary-Inverness, acknowledged Dickieson’s contributions.
“He’s provided great service to us over the years, in O’Leary and West Prince,” Henderson said Monday. “We wish him well as he moves forward.”
Dickieson joined the staff of Community Hospital in July 1988 and has been a permanent member of the medical team in O’Leary and West Prince ever since. He has, however, been on leave since January.
“Now we’ve got some finality to the situation. We do know that we can commence recruiting,” Henderson said in explaining what the official notice to retire triggers.
Henderson said Dickieson’s panel of patients will be maintained for up to six months from Sept. 22 or until a replacement physician is recruited, whichever happens first.
Dickieson had previously taken a leave to run for the Egmont New Democrats in the 2015 federal election. The reason for the latest leave was not disclosed, but Henderson admitted the doctor was using the time to work through some challenges.
In addition to being a family physician in the region, Dickieson served a term, from 1996 to 2000, as Prince Edward Island’s first, and, so far, only NDP MLA. He also served as party leader.
During some of his recent leave time, his position was covered off by locums, and on some occasions other physicians in the area made referrals for Dickieson’s patients.
West Prince has a physician complement of 12. Once Dickieson’s retirement becomes official, there will be three physician vacancies in the region.
Recruitment efforts are already underway to replace Dr. Megan Burns who resigned as an emergency room physician at Western Hospital in July and Dr. Syed Naqvi, whose position has been vacant for more than six months and whose panel of patients has been returned to the patient registry.
Both are still in the Island health-care system based out of Summerside.