Posted on Oct 17, 2013
Truth be told, his wife and daughter run the organic farm and he’s the help. Fortunately for Port Alberni residents, his real job is as a general internal medicine specialist. He’s also a senior associate at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health and spent 10 years working in Africa.
Dr. Morris has great respect for continuing education and enhanced training. As a member of Community and Rural Internal Medicine (CRIM), he learned about a bedside echocardiology course being funded by the SSC that he felt offered cutting-edge technology.
The course, which takes place over four weekends, was co-organized by former CRIM president Dr. Danny Myers and Dr. Jean Paul Lim, who developed the curriculum and leads the training. “These hand-held ultrasound devices may eventually replace the stethoscope,” says Lim.
Myers says many CRIM members work in rural hospitals and access to echo capabilities can be hours away. "This training saves lives.”
On call after the first weekend’s learning session, Dr. Morris immediately used the technology to diagnose pericardial effusion in an elderly man with cancer, which led to more rapid and effective treatment. Morris notes “I am now using it almost every day. It is so practical and effective. I think it is the future of medicine. ”
Being able to quickly diagnose a heart problem at the bedside in a small hospital can not only be life-saving for the patient, but can reduce hospitalizations and save money for the health care system, too. By funding innovative training programs like this, SSC is supporting specialists in BC to increase their skills, deliver cost-effective care, and most importantly, provide timely effective treatment to patients. Read more SSC Focus News stories.
