NH Hospital welcomes new Emergency Department physician

By Nate Smelle

On Thursday, May 30, Hastings County and Quinte Health announced that their esteemed team of health care professionals at the North Hastings Hospital in Bancroft would soon be welcoming another physician. Starting this month, Dr. Dashminder Singh Sehdev will join the hospital's team as a full-time Emergency Department physician.
Noting how Dr. Sehdev's recruitment is “a monumental achievement amidst a formidable recruitment landscape,” Quinte Health's chief of staff, Dr. Colin MacPherson said, “The appointment of Dr. Sehdev underscores the dedication and perseverance of North Hastings Hospital and our partners in securing top talent to serve the community.”
County council supported using funds from the Hastings County Family Physician Recruitment Program last year, as a one-time recruitment incentive for two new full-time Emergency Department physicians at the hospital in Bancroft. Acknowledging how Dr. Sehdev's presence at the hospital will improve health care in the Bancroft area, Hastings County's Warden Bob Mullin pointed out how, “It is becoming increasingly challenging to recruit family or emergency medicine physicians to work in rural emergency departments…” He said the county wanted to help create long-term stability for the emergency department, which provides care to over 14,000 patients per year.
“We are thrilled that Dr. Sehdev is joining this program, and hope that it is one more step in improving access to critical medical care for our residents in North Hastings,” Mullin said.
Speaking to the “wealth of experience and expertise” that Dr. Sehdev brings to the team in North Hastings, the county's press release highlights his “robust background in emergency medicine”, which includes 15 years of experience at Hamilton Health Sciences.
“I'm overjoyed to welcome Dr. Sehdev to the Quinte Health family,” said Stacey Daub, Quinte Health's president and CEO. “Dr. Sehdev's arrival is not just a significant milestone for our hospital but also for the entire community. I am remarkably grateful to Hastings County for their partnership and for investing in physician recruitment. It is only through working together that we will ensure the communities we collectively serve receive equitable, quality care close to home.”
Having already worked several fill-in “locum” shifts at the hospital in Bancroft, Dr. Sehdev is no stranger to the team at the North Hastings Hospital. Expressing his enthusiasm for the new role, Dr. Sehdev said, “I'm so excited to join the team at North Hastings Hospital as a full-time emergency physician. I've always wanted to practice in a rural environment and am fortunate to have this opportunity in a place as beautiful and welcoming as Bancroft. My new colleagues, whom I've come to know over the last year, are capable, compassionate, and dedicated healthcare professionals. They have inspired me to use my learnings as an academic trauma specialist to make a tangible difference in this community, both within and beyond the emergency department. I look forward to being a part of the growth and development of this department and hospital and am enthusiastic about the bright vision the hospital leadership has for our future.”