Glenboro’s Spirit Sands Medical Clinic is preparing for a physician vacancy while continuing to attract strong community support and gearing up for an official grand opening celebration later this year.
Dr. Tais Pujol has announced she will leave the clinic in September, creating a need for another physician at the community-funded medical facility. While no reason for her departure was provided, clinic board member and Glenboro-South Cypress councillor Dale Fisher said Dr. Pujol made it clear her decision was not related to the community or the clinic itself.
“She gave no reason for her departure, but she did mention it had nothing to do with the people of Glenboro or the medical clinic,” Fisher said.
Fisher noted that physician recruitment remains a challenge across Manitoba.
“This doctor thing really gets going sideways because every community is looking for doctors and headhunting. Sometimes it’s culture, sometimes it’s politics, especially when people are moving from another country and coming here, and sometimes it doesn’t work out as they’d hoped it would,” he said.
Despite the vacancy, Fisher remains optimistic about the clinic’s future.
“I’m working with Prairie Mountain Health continually on a day-to-day basis, and PMH is bending over backwards to get us another physician as soon as they can,” he said. “We are a high priority.”
Fisher said two temporary physicians are expected to provide coverage after Dr. Pujol’s departure, while Dr. Syed and nurse practitioner Brittany Vrooman continue serving patients. He added that a new physician expected to begin work in Carberry will also help ease pressure on regional health services.
The clinic, which opened earlier this year after more than $2 million was raised through community fundraising efforts, is also continuing to receive donations.
“People come in, sit in the waiting room, see the donor board and say, ‘This is a beautiful, immaculate building you’ve got.’ They want to help,” Fisher said. “It’s still overwhelming. There’s donations still coming in.”
The municipality also plans to contribute additional funding later this year.
Meanwhile, organizers are targeting the first half of September for a formal grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony. Fisher said the only major item remaining is paving the parking lot.
“It’s probably four to five weeks out,” he said. “Then everything will be 100 per cent complete. Right now we’re looking at the first two weeks of September, with a beautiful paved parking lot and a completed facility ready to celebrate.”
