SUMMERSIDE – A new full-time surgeon will begin practising at the Prince County Hospital March 4.
Dr. Robert McKay, who has been providing locum support at both the Prince County Hospital (PCH) and Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH), says he is eager to start working at the Summerside hospital full time. He will also help with the provision of on-call services at the QEH.
“Prince County Hospital is a great hospital, well maintained with great appeal. The people are kind and accommodating, and the patients are appreciative and understanding which is refreshing,” said McKay in a news release. “I look forward to bringing my expertise to the community and working with my fellow physicians to provide Islanders with quality services in a collaborative team environment.”
The medical director of Prince County Hospital, Dr. Wassim Salamoun, says the hospital is looking forward to incorporating McKay into the surgical staff full-time .
“This should greatly help reduce the backlog of consultations and procedures and allow a more timely access to surgical services," Salamoun said.
McKay is from New Brunswick and received his Doctor of Medicine from Memorial University. After an internship through Dalhousie University, McKay served as a military physician and diving medical officer for three years before taking a position as a surgical resident with the University of Ottawa. While there, he received his diploma in general surgery.
A Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Canada and board certified by the American Board of Surgery, McKay has more than 20 years of general surgery experience with expertise in colon and rectal surgery, advanced hernia repairs, surgical oncology and advanced laparoscopic surgery.
“The decision to move to Prince Edward Island truly feels like coming home. Both my wife and I are from Atlantic Canada, and now that our children are grown, we realized we wanted to come back to the region where we have family and friends,” said McKay.
