About Dr. Kwasnik

When Dr. Anne Kwasnik started her career in medicine, she never thought she’d ever practise in palliative care and most certainly not in a rural part of Canada. Kwasnik was raised in New York City, went to med school in Poland and did her residency in Lewisville, Kentucky, before moving to practise in Chicago. She considered herself a city girl and had no intentions of changing that. But life went differently than she planned. After the practice she was at closed as a result of a company merger, she started her own practice and was trying to build a patient base. But after coming to Canada for a trip, a friend suggested she take a job here, where she’d instantly have a full-time practice. She and her husband talked about it and decided to take the plunge. She said she fell in love with Pictou County and enjoyed her time as a family doctor with the West Side Medical Centre. Through her work she became involved in oncology and as a result had more contact with palliative care patients and developed an affinity for it. When she heard about Dr. Gerry Farrell’s desire to retire from his position as medical director of the Palliative Care Unit, she asked him who was going to replace him. He immediately asked her if she would consider it. Since she asked that fateful question, she completed a year residency in Halifax with support from Aberdeen Health Foundation. While she has more than 30 years’ experience in the medical field, she said it was a great opportunity to focus on issues related to palliative care that weren’t part of the education for students when she went to school. Palliative care can be an emotionally taxing profession, Kwasnik said, but she’s also found it rewarding when you can provide people the comfort they need. She’s also found she can get to know her patients on a different level. When she was in general practice, conversations focused on what was wrong and how to fix it, but when people come to terms with death, she said you get to hear about the lives and know them more as people. “You’re able to be with patients sometimes by themselves, when all the noise has settled and they’ve come to terms that they’re at end of life. You can get some really special moments where they’re able to open up and share some deep thoughts.” She said it’s an honour to be part of that. In addition to bringing more music options to the unit, she also hopes to soon start taking her dog who is being trained for patient therapy. Another dream is that someday there would be a hospice building in Pictou County. Some people look at palliative as a bad word she said, but it actually means support and care. That’s what she aims to provide with her life.