MSH HEROES
“THE FAMILY DOC ” Dr. Stephen McLaren Family physician
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hen asked about delivering the first baby born at MSH, Dr. Stephen McLaren lets out a satisfied sigh: “Ah, Jennifer Bell!” Dr. McLaren appreciates the joys of life — and the joys of sharing it. He’s been sharing that enthusiasm for 30 years at MSH, and been a fixture in the community even longer than that. He set up his practice along with two other doctors in 1984. “At that time, there were only six family doctors in Markham, and two of them were about to retire,” he remembers. MSH was still a few years away, and Dr. McLaren began to build his practice. What keeps him attracted to MSH, to which he was aligned long before its opening in 1990, is the continued emphasis on patient care. “They brought in really good people from the start. And the administrative team jumped on the concept of customer service before anyone in health care used the words ‘customer’ and ‘service.’” Dr. McLaren is a past chief of family medicine and is currently in practice with Markham Family Physicians aligned with the Markham Family Health Team. Being nominated as an MSH Hero resonates with him because of what this gesture says about the hospital’s role in the community. 10
“What really thrills me is that someone put together the pieces of the puzzle [and figured out] that their family doctor in this community is part of the bigger picture that is the Markham Stouffville Hospital and the Markham Family Health Team. I don’t think most people fully understand how important it is to have a really good relationship between the local hospital and primary care providers. I think that’s when the system sings well for everyone in Ontario.” What Dr. McLaren finds most rewarding is being part of an effective team that provides seam less care. “We see a patient with an injured wrist and access an x-ray at MSH. It shows a broken wrist and the patient is directed from x-ray to the Emergency Department for a cast and then the Fracture Clinic for follow -up. Now there’s customer service! And MSH does this over and over again. You are navigated through to the next level of care with ease and efficiency.” The bonds that form with patients are particularly important to Dr. McLaren. “It’s something you feel deeply with people, especially when you care for generations of families. Though it’s often tragic cases where this rises to the surface and is apparent to all, it doesn’t have to be. Sometimes it’s just where you share the joy of health.”
Markham Stouffville Hospital Foundation