Smithers physicians Biz Bastian and Daphne Hart are among the many health care providers featured in a brand new book from Creekstone Press called Front Lines: Portraits of Caregivers in Northern British Columbia.
The book is the product of the University of Northern B.C.’s Northern Medical Program (NMP), which sent writer Sarah de Leeuw and photographer Tim Swanky across the region to interview and record the life of the area’s carers.
For our area, the Hazeltons are not forgotten and the book features short essays on Dr. Charlie Eckfeldt, nurse Debbie Sullivan and Dr. Peter Newbery.
All of the features are accompanied by a high-quality photo of the person, backgrounded by the inspired scenery of the area.
There is a simple idea behind the publication of the book.
“The idea behind it was really to celebrate the health carers in the North,” said Dr. David Snadden, head of UNBC’s medical program. “We wanted to try to get a sense of what it was that kept them in the north and where their passions are.”
It’s not a book about these people as health providers, but as people, he said.
The book is a step towards northern recruitment as well. By showcasing the lifestyles and the excitement of health care in the north, as Snadden puts it, he said they hope they’ll inspire the next generation coming through to consider the North as a place to practice.
“We also will be giving Northern Health some of the books to help in their recruitment efforts,” he said.
He admitted that health care is always a problem in rural Canada, and the NMP makes a point to admit students from rural backgrounds — those are the people most likely to be happier working in smaller towns.
So how were the people in the book chosen to be featured? Snadden said it really came down to chance, and how everyone’s schedules eventually lined up.
“Tim [Swanky] rode on his motorbike thousands of kilometres to go and get these photographs,” he said.
He also noted the effort of de Leeuw who interviewed and transcribed hours of interview.
“Creating this book was an enormous effort on the behalf of the pair of them.”
The eventual product was impressive.
“I know some of the people in this book but boy, there are insights about them that I didn’t know. There are some very personal stories in there,” said Snadden.
Proceeds from the book will go towards the NMP Trust, which provides the funding to send medical students into rural communities.