Inside Southern Alberta Medical (photo courtesy Colton Mckee)

By Chantal Wagner

"game-changer for region"

First medical specialty clinic in southern Alberta opens in Medicine Hat

Jan 21, 2021 | 2:34 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – Medicine Hat and area residents who require exercise stress testing, cardiology, general internal medicine, neurology, and respirology care are now able to access specialist appointments and diagnostic services closer to home.

Southern Alberta Medical (SAM) opened in June of last year on 4 Strachan Ct SE.

According to its founders, the clinic is the first facility of its kind in southern Alberta for care that’s only available in hospitals right now.

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Cardiologist and founder/president of SAM Dr. Daniel Anselm says this is a game-changer for patient care in Medicine Hat and the region.

Previously, patients were looked after in Calgary for cardiac care.

And since the facility opened, Dr. Anselm sees 100-150 patients a week.

He is also the only cardiologist in southeastern Alberta.

“One of the most important impacts that we’ve had in the community is opening up our RACE clinic – Rapid Access to Cardiac Evaluation clinic,” Dr. Anselm said. “Rather than being admitted for inpatient investigations, we offer urgent outpatient risk assessment. This is a huge change for cardiac care in the region and generally what’s offered in all large centres like Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, and Vancouver. So it’s world-class care that we’re offering here in Medicine Hat.”

Southern Alberta Medical will also alleviate hospital wait times for patients according to Dr. Adeel Azam, Internal Medicine, and SAM founder.

“The wait times are actually very short, so we can accommodate patients within weeks for these cardiac investigations which easily could have taken almost six months to a year’s time,” Dr. Azam said.

Dr. Anselm adds they are trying to recruit more cardiologists to the centre and says the region needs 3-4 cardiologists, if not more.

According to the doctors, it’s care in one location with plans to open a pharmacy on-site, cardiac rehabilitation centre, and gastroenterology in the future.

Dr. Azam says they draw patients from Oyen, Bassano, southwest Saskatchewan, and hopefully Lethbridge as well.

Patients are referred to SAM by family doctors or specialists.

READ MORE: Southern Alberta Medical clinic to open next month in Medicine Hat