New Germany celebrates medical centre built entirely by community

People in New Germany, N.S., are marking 25 years since the community hatched a shrewd plan to lure doctors by building a brand-new medical centre.

It was a plan most thought would never work. But a quarter century later, the community has never been without medical care in the form of either a physician or nurse practitioner.

"When we did that, we did the impossible," said Bill Alexander, one of the members of the original board that took care of fundraising $100,000 and overseeing construction in 1993.

The New Germany and Area Medical Centre opened its doors with money in the bank, nomortgage and without receiving a penny of government funding.

The construction team relied on volunteer labour from hundreds of people in the area. The building operations and maintenance continue to this day entirely with funds raised by the community.

At an anniversary celebration Sunday, hundreds turned out for a corn boil, country music, homemadefruit juiceand a memorial video.

"It's amazing to think that it's been 25 years. We never looked that far ahead, I guess," said Del Troback, a former board member who began volunteering during the construction phase.

Troback recalls the disappointment when both the village's doctors left around the same time.

"They left very quickly. They didn't advertise, they just said goodbye. It really upset the community members," he said.

"That's what instigated the whole thing. I think, in retrospect, we should thank them for triggering or creating the problem."

Approximately 50 people turned out for the first meeting to discuss whether it was possible to build a new medical centre.

"None of them really thought it would work," Troback said. However, since there were no medical centres closer than a half-hour drive to Bridgewater, they decided to try.

"What are you going to lose? You give it a try and if it works, good. If it doesn't work, you're really no worse off."

The fundraising committee sold bricks engraved with the name of the donor for $100and plaques for $1,000. The bricks and plaques form part of the wall of the medical centre, and are still being sold to continue funding.

The current team, Dr. Christian Pugh, and nurse practitioner Jennifer Riis, say they have no intention of leaving New Germany any time soon.

"When I came over six years ago, I was just welcomed with such big open arms," said Riis. "Still, six years later, people continuously tell me how happy they are that I've stayed and how wonderful it is to have the service in the community."

Both Riis and Pugh say being able to refer patients to related medical services in the same building or nearby makes a big difference in care. It also gives them a lot of personal satisfaction.

"I had worked for many years in an urban setting," said Pugh. "I was a full-time emergency physician for 15 years, and I was looking for a change."

"Really, we have most services available within 20 footsteps away from my office," he said. "I don't even need to make many phone calls. It's just go and talk to these people involved. So the care is really all under one roof."

Nancy Veinot is a member of the anniversary committee and her family has been going to the medical centre for years.

"I think it's huge. Both my parents are served out of this centre. As the years go by, not having to travel so far, it means an awful lot. It's not just time and money, it's just knowing that you have a doctor. You're not going to outpatients and seeing a different person each time."

As Veinot hears about other rural communities losing their doctors, she says the message others may take from New Germany is: Keep trying.

"Reach out. People in the community support community efforts. Sometimes you have to make a lot of noise," she said. "Nothing's impossible."