Chatham-Kent Health Alliance Welcomes Three New Family Medicine Residents
CHATHAM-KENT: July 7, 2022 – Chatham-Kent Health Alliance (CKHA) is pleased to welcome three new Family Medicine Residents. Drs. Jackson Blonde and Meghan Chevalier, residents from the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, and Dr. Menakor Nenwon from the University of Toronto, begin their post-graduate training at CKHA this summer. The residents will live in Chatham-Kent and gain experience by working with local physicians who provide support and direction to complete the hands-on portion of their medical training.
“Chatham-Kent is a vibrant rural community with a broad range of Family Medicine opportunities,” said Dr. Pervez Faruqi, Chief of Staff, CKHA. “These residents will have the opportunity to work and train alongside some fantastic physicians and will gain experience in many aspects of practicing medicine. Many of our residents in the past have also discovered that Chatham-Kent is a warm and welcoming community and an ideal place to call home.”
Born and raised in Chatham-Kent, Dr. Blonde earned his Doctor of Medicine at the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University in 2022.
“I am excited for the opportunity to be returning home to Chatham-Kent to continue my medical training. I have been impressed time and time again by the positive and welcoming training environment that Chatham-Kent has to offer,” said Dr. Blonde. “From high school, where I volunteered in the Endoscopy unit of the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance to medical school where I participated in multiple clinical rotations in Chatham and Blenheim, I have been given the tools to succeed. I would not be where I am today without the guidance of the physicians and allied health in the community. I am grateful for this opportunity and am eager to use the skills and knowledge I have gained to serve those who have invested in me.”
After achieving a Bachelor of Science in Liberia and a Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery in The Gambia, Dr. Nenwon moved to Canada to complete his Master of Public Health at the University of Toronto.
“I’m excited to start my residency training in Chatham-Kent. I look forward to working with the entire interdisciplinary team to provide care that places patients in the center of the team,” said Dr. Nenwon. “In the few weeks I’ve spent in Chatham, I have found the community warm and welcoming, and as every day goes by, Chatham is feeling more like home. I look forward to learning with and from my patients, through their health and illness journey.”
Born and raised in Chatham-Kent, Dr. Chevalier earned her Doctor of Medicine at the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University in 2022. In 2021, Dr. Chevalier was the proud recipient of the Rosemarie Miller Medical School Bursary, which was awarded to local medical students who have an interest in becoming a family physician or specialist and practice full-time in the municipality of Chatham-Kent.
“I am thrilled to be starting my family medicine residency in Chatham. I have had the privilege of working with the excellent physician role models in Chatham and I am grateful for the opportunity to continue learning from them,” said Dr. Chevalier.
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About CKHA
Chatham-Kent Health Alliance (CKHA) is a 200 bed community hospital, serving the residents of Chatham and rural Kent including Walpole Island and Delaware First Nations. Formed in 2018, CKHA is committed to delivering quality and safe care at its two sites in Chatham and Wallaceburg. CKHA collaborates with other partners to deliver care across its community. CKHA’s dedicated team is comprised of approximately 1,400 staff, 200 physicians and 300 volunteers. CKHA provides a full range of programs, services and specialties from internal medicine and surgery to women & children’s and critical care; it is designated a schedule one facility under the Ministry of Health and cares for tens of thousands of inpatients, outpatients and emergency patients annually. CKHA is equipped with state of the art diagnostics and technology to support its varied programs. CKHA’s vision: Together, growing a healthier community, underscores a movement to improving the population’s health. Grounded by its values “CKHA CARES” (Collaboration, Accountability, Respect, Excellence, Safety), CKHA commits to continuously improve the patient experience in partnership with patients, families and caregivers.
For more information, please contact:
Brian Vandooren, Director, Medical Affairs & Medical Recruitment
Chatham-Kent Health Alliance
519.352.6400 x 6053
