Nobody becomes a doctor because they are looking for an easy job to make quick money. But it takes someone extra special to work in the Emergency Department (ED) of a hospital where situations can change at a moment's notice.
One of our ED physicians at North Country Hospital, Marc Bouchard, is in the middle of an additional challenge. He is the current president of the hospital's medical staff. He took over the position October 1st after Dr. Peter Stuart fulfilled his year-long commitment as president..
“I am flattered to have been chosen for the position,” Dr. Bouchard said. “I enjoy working with the medical staff and hospital administration.”
He explained a bit about the duties of his position, one he juggles with his work in the ED.
“I am here to represent the views and needs of the medical staff and report on them to the board and CEO,” he said. “I also report on Medical Staff committee activities, such as the Quality Assurance and Credentialing committees. This includes working as a day-to-day liaison on medical matters. My personal goal, however, is to try to make the hospital a pleasant place to work for the medical staff and everyone else, along with promoting safe and effective medical care for the population.”
A native of Stanstead, Quebec, Dr. Bouchard earned his doctorate's degree from the University of Montreal. He completed his residency at the University of Sherbrooke (Quebec) in Family Medicine and Emergency Medicine. He is also the nephew of one of the region's most beloved physicians, Giles Bouchard of Stanstead. At one time Dr. Giles Bouchard cared for patients on both sides of the border, including at North Country Hospital.
Joining the North Country Hospital family in 1997, first as a primary care physician at Family Practice (FPN), then joining the staff in the ED on a per diem basis in 1998 and full-time in 2003, Dr. Marc Bouchard has earned the respect of patients and peers alike. He is known for his gentle, kind professionalism and his outstanding diagnostic skills.
He and his wife, Laura, are the parents of two children, nine year old Andrew, and seven-year-old Justin. Laura is a laser technician at North Country Surgical Associates.
North Country's president and CEO, Claudio Fort, praised Dr. Bouchard and said he likes working with him in his medical staff president capacity.
“Dr. Bouchard is a respected doctor and he is great to work with,” Claudio said. “He is unpretentious, very kind, caring, and a compassionate physician. He is also well respected for his clinical ability and for his approach to solving problems and other issues.”