New Family Doctor in Orillia

Orillia Packet and Times

Dr. Nemat Daraei was hoping to move to Ontario sometime in 2013. But thanks to the tireless and professional approach of the Orillia and Area Physician Recruitment and Retention Committee, the young doctor decided to accelerate his plans.

“We had made a plan to move to Ontario, within two hours of Toronto, by 2013,” said Dr. Daraei, who was born and raised in Iran. “But once we saw Orillia, the hospital and met people here, it was like a magnet drawing us here. So, we said, ‘Why wait?’”

Daraei and his wife came to Canada eight years ago; a brother already lived in Toronto. While he became a doctor in Iran, he came here for a “North American medical school experience.”

“We had to upgrade our degrees when we came to Canada,” said Daraei, whose wife is a pharmacist. “In Canada, doctors have to do two qualifying exams; I had to do three.”

When he graduated, he took a two-year contract to work in a hospital in Labrador. He liked it so much he stayed almost six years.

“We really loved it in Labrador,” said Daraei, whose two children were born there. “The people there really welcomed us and we really liked the lifestyle. We went ice fishing and snowmobiling… it was a very good experience.”

However, he wanted his young family to be closer to his own siblings in Toronto. They were looking to find a place north of Toronto, but not more than a couple of hours away from the city.

“My wife was at a conference and she met someone there who suggested I send my resume to Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital,” Daraei said. “I heard about Orillia because I was a preceptor in Labrador and couple of residents moved to Orillia after they finished their residency.”

After connecting with Pat Thor of the doctor recruitment committee, Daraei was invited to visit Orillia; he jumped at the opportunity and came to the Sunshine City for the first time in November, 2011.

“It was by far the best tour I had,” said Daraei, who was being recruited by several suitors. “Pat suggested I bring my family here for a visit.”

So, a few months later, the whole family came to town, toured the city and the hospital and met some key people.

“During this well organized tour, we had opportunity to meet two groups of physicians in town who were very welcoming and answered lots of our questions,” Daraei said.

And once the family decided to make the move, the committee helped the doctor with all the arrangements necessary to make the transition to a family practice in Orillia.

“They helped us with real estate agents, banks, lawyers… they really made it very easy for us.”

The newcomers also loved the city. “It’s just an hour and a half from Toronto and it has everything a big city has,” Daraei said. “And it has three lakes and four seasons, which we really like. It’s a great place for a family.”

Perhaps equally important, Daraei was offered the use of the new ‘incubation’ office the committee and Orillia Family Health Network created a year ago. “It was all set up for us – all we had to do was move in,” Daraei said.

And that was the reasoning behind the innovative plan for the incubation office at 210 Memorial Ave.

“The fully-furnished and equipped medical office provides a turn-key environment for family doctors who are new to our community,” Thor said. “The idea behind the project is that it be used as a recruitment tool.”

Thor said federal funding for the project came from the Economic Action Plan in support of local projects and was administered through the Orillia and Area Community Development Corporation.

Now that Daraei is here and has opened his new office, all he needs is patients. He wants prospective patients to know what they can expect.

“I am a good listener and I always ask the patient what they expect,” Daraei said. “I think my strong suit is that I like people and I make sure to have good follow-up care for my patients.”

He knows it won’t take long to begin building his practice as there are thousands of local residents in the region without a family doctor. If you do not have a family doctor, you can call Daraei’s office at 705-327-6576 to make an appointment. If you live in the area but are attached to a doctor in another city, you can call Health Care Connect at 1-800-445-1822. Have you health card ready when you call.

“This is a very exciting time for our family,” said Daraei, who bought a house just outside the city. “This is our home now. We are very thankful to the people in Orillia, at the hospital and especially the recruiting team, who have been great. We are very happy to be here.”

Photo:
Dr. Nemat Daraei, brought to Orillia by the Orillia and Area Physician Recruitment and Retention Committee, has established a new family practice in Orillia and welcomes new patients.