National and provincial honours for Manitoulin doctor

National and provincial honours for local doctor A family physician from Manitoulin Island is getting recognized both provincially and nationally for his work. Lyndsay Aelick reports.

A doctor from Manitoulin Island is being acknowledged by a group of his peers.

Deiter Poenn is Ontario’s Family Physician of the Year and he's also getting a nod from a national organization as well.

Dr. Stephen Cooper has worked with Dr. Dieter Poenn for twenty five years and says he meets all the requirements to win the title of Physician of the Year.

"He is a skilled clinician, which inspires confidence in us as his colleagues, his patients, and staff at the hospital. He's got the thing that's most important for a physician, he's a really good listener." said Dr. Cooper.

Dr. Poenn found out a few months ago that not only would he be recognized as the province’s Family Physician of the Year, but is also named Ontario's representative as Canada's Family Physician of the Year.

"Last night, we had a medical staff meeting with all of the doctors on the island and I looked around, I listened to the people talk, and I thought ‘you know, I mean every one of these guys in this room and women in this room could easily do the same thing.’ Could easily be honoured in the same way." said Dr. Poenn.

For the past thirty years, Dr. Poenn has provided all facets of rural medicine. It includes his office-based practice, as well as the Wiikwemkoong Health Center, Manitoulin Centennial Manor and more.

He is described as a compassionate physician with unlimited patience.

"Another guy that got it a few years back, a guy named Ted Osmand, worked here for years. He started here the same time I did. Worked here for about five or six years. So, there's a lot of people from the island in particular who have been honoured in very many different ways and it speaks volumes, I think, about the quality of care people get here." said Dr. Poenn.

He will receive his awards this week in Toronto before returning home to the island and says his plans for the future include retiring in the next five years or so with hopes that his son will eventually take over his practice.