Dr. Garth Slysz returns to P.E.I., but not to his former patients
Sara Fraser | CBC News | Posted: November 13, 2017 6:00 PM | Last Updated: November 13, 2017
Slysz left P.E.I. last December to practise in Caribbean but recently returned
A family doctor who left P.E.I. for a new job has returned to the Island, but is not reclaiming his former patients.
Dr. Garth Slysz left in December 2016 to start a new job as a professor of clinical medicine in St. Kitts.
He has now returned to P.E.I. and is working as a full-time hospitalist at Prince County Hospital, Health P.E.I. confirmed.
A hospitalist treats patients in hospital who do not have a family doctor or whose health-care provider does not have hospital privileges.
New doctor takes some patients
Health PEI has recruited a family physician to take over a portion of Slysz's former practice — approximately 1,500 patients.
That doctor began practising in Charlottetown in September, and the doctor's office has been contacting Slysz's former patients to welcome them into the new practice.
Health PEI is also in the process of recruiting a nurse practitioner who will take over the remainder of Slysz's former practice in collaboration with another family physician, a spokesperson said.
Recognized for work in Haiti
Slysz declined to be interviewed for this article.
In 2016, Slysz received the Reg L. Perkin Awards from the College of Family Physicians of Canada as one of Canada's top 10 doctors. Part of his nomination for the award included his ongoing work in Haiti since 2011, a year after the earthquake.
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