Four graduate from Parkland Family Medicine Residency Unit in 2026

A local celebration honouring the four graduates of the 2026 Parkland Family Medicine Residency Unit was held on Tuesday, May 26^th at Obsolete Brewing Company in Dauphin.   A lovely catered meal by Merry’s Bistro was enjoyed along with songs, games and fellowship. Residents, students and staff alike wish the graduates all the best as they continue their next chapter. The graduates, and the next steps in their career path, include:

• Dr. Karan Gupta–will be joining the Dauphin Medical Clinic
• Dr. Mannat Chahal – will be completing a 3^rd year of training in Emergency in Brandon
• Dr. Brian Nyandieka – will be doing locums in Manitoba
• Dr. Kevin Mowbrey– will be moving to Kelowna, BC

Of note, all four graduates passed their qualifying Certification in the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CCFP)  exam. It is a professional designation awarded to medical specialists who have completed approved residency training and successfully passed the Certification Examination in Family Medicine.

As of 2025,  83% of all the graduates from the Parkland Unit since its inception in 1991 have begun their first practice in a rural setting.

PMH and community health partners tour doctor recruit around Carberry

Prairie Mountain Health (PMH) and community representatives spent a productive day on June 17 touring an international doctor recruit around Carberry. PMH Physician Recruitment and Retention Coordinator Tamara Kemp-Boulet says Dr. Hanan Almanama is an internationally educated physician who has upgraded her training through one of the provincial International Medical Graduate (IMG) program streams. Dr. Almanama who was trained in Palestine, completed the three-month PRA-MB FP  (Practice Ready Assessment for Manitoba Family Practitioners) program and is set to begin practicing in Carberry later this Fall.

The one-day tour with community representatives featured visits to the hospital and personal care home, medical clinic, schools, daycares, recreation facilities and potential accommodation places.

PRA-MB FP physicians work in rural and underserviced areas of Manitoba through return of service agreements with sponsoring RHAs while working to obtain medical licensure as family physicians.

PMH works closely with Manitoba’s Health Care Retention and Recruitment Office (HCRRO) as part of a coordinated, province-wide approach to strengthen workforce pipelines and support recruitment across rural and regional communities. HCCRO and PMH continue collaborative efforts which include international recruitment, supporting doctors through licensing, immigration, and community placement.

Healthcare professionals tour Swan River Valley

The Swan Valley was the central focus of a recent community and site visit for a pair of physicians and their families in Swan River May 21-22. Two physicians that are being sponsored by Prairie Mountain Health through a provincial training program will be practicing in Swan River upon successful completion of their three-month assessment initiative. Dr. Olamidehinde Fagbenro and Dr. Dr. Osayimwense Osadolor are expected to begin seeing patients later this fall.

An added bonus is that Dr. Fagbenro husband Hakeem is going to be working as a Clinical Assistant in Swan River as soon as early July.

Both physicians are going through the PRA-MB FP program, commonly referred to as the ‘practice ready assessment program,’ which offers an accelerated pathway to licensure to qualified candidates following a three‑month practice evaluation process.

PMH has one more physician completing the program that is destined to practice Carberry. A community/site visit is being planned for June 17.

News Release: First-year medical students to participate in ‘Rural Week’ 2026

An enthusiastic group of first-year medical students from the University of Manitoba’s Max Rady College of Medicine will participate in Rural Week across the Prairie Mountain Health (PMH) region from May 25–29 and June 1–5.

Coordinated annually by the Department of Family Medicine, Shared Health (Manitoba Healthcare Providers Network), and Manitoba’s rural regional health authorities, Rural Week offers students valuable first-hand experience in rural and northern medical practice, while highlighting the benefits of living and working in these communities.

This year, Prairie Mountain Health is hosting 41 students across 14 communities, including Brandon, Carberry, Dauphin, Deloraine, Grandview, Hamiota, Killarney, Minnedosa, Neepawa, Roblin, Russell, Souris, Ste. Rose, and Virden.

The program introduces students to both the clinical and community aspects of rural healthcare, often their first exposure to rural practice. During the week, students will shadow physicians, connect with healthcare teams, and explore local services, while also engaging in community activities that showcase rural life.

PMH Associate Chief Medical Officer Dr. Kyle Conrad, a past Rural Week participant, understands the program’s impact. Dr. Conrad is also a family practice anesthetist based in Brandon, while also supporting Minnedosa, Neepawa and up in Northern Manitoba. He also supports ICU in Brandon and The Pas.

“My experience with Rural Week played a significant role in shaping my career. I clearly remember how welcoming the community was and how proudly they showcased the care and services they provide. That experience has stayed with me, and I’m proud to continue providing care in rural and northern Manitoba. Rural Week is an essential recruitment initiative—it’s about more than healthcare; it’s about the strength of our communities and the people who make them thrive.”

PMH extends sincere thanks to physician preceptors, healthcare professionals, and community volunteers whose dedication makes Rural Week possible. The program’s success reflects the commitment and hospitality of participating communities.

Rural Week was introduced in 2003 as an optional experience within the University of Manitoba’s first-year medical curriculum and became a mandatory component the following year.

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PMH attends healthcare career showcase

Prairie Mountain Health (PMH) continues active recruitment efforts by attending many events throughout the province. On May 8, PMH was on hand for the senior practicum showcase, sponsored by Red River College Polytech in Winnipeg. The event provided PMH with an opportunity to meet students from healthcare career programs which included nursing students, health care aides and health unit clerks and chat about potential employment opportunities within the region.

PMH was represented by Recruitment Coordinator Nicole Gulenchin and Dauphin Regional Health Centre Manager of Health Services Chandel-Bailey Morrison, who were happy to explain what the region has to offer and how they can make the easy transition into the healthcare workforce within the region.

PMH Physician Recruitment Successes

One of the cornerstones of Prairie Mountain Health’s rural physician recruitment program includes sponsorship of physicians through two innovative provincial programs offered through University of Manitoba’s Max Rady School of Medicine. Prairie Mountain Health (PMH), along with community partners, welcomes physicians who have successfully completed the Manitoba Licensure Program for International Medical Graduates (MLPIMG) to the region.

On March 28, Dr. Porimol Debnath, who is originally from Bangladesh, toured Russell and the surrounding area. He said the experience left a strong impression.

“I really enjoyed my tour of the area,” said Dr. Debnath. “People were very warm and welcoming, and I really liked the hospital and clinic. I’m looking forward to starting work in Russell and building connections in the community.”

Upon successfully completion of the one-year training program, Dr. Debnath is anticipated to begin practicing in Russell later this fall.

Practice‑Ready Program update

PMH has also welcomed two physicians through the Practice Ready Assessment’ program, which offers an accelerated pathway to licensure to qualified candidates following a three‑month practice evaluation process.

Dr. Tolulope Oni and Dr. Marvis Ofurum completed the program in February and are now practicing in Russell and Brandon, respectively.

Four additional physicians are currently completing this assessment process and are expected to start in Fall 2026, with planned placements in Russell, Swan River and Carberry.

Representatives of the Municipality of Russell-Binscarth were on hand to tour a new physician around the area, including a visit to the Asessippi Ski Resort near Russell.

U.S. doctor, mentor makes rural Manitoba the next stop on career journey

A Manitoba-born doctor who had been working in the Emergency Department at a hospital in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, for the last 15 years has come ‘home’ to rural Manitoba to continue her medical career. Dr. Arleigh Trainor, who was trained in the U.S., had opportunities to take positions across Canada, but decided ‘home was where the heart was’ and recently began working in Brandon.

Dr. Trainor works in the Emergency Room at Brandon Regional Health Centre (BRHC) and has a separate academic position with the University of Manitoba’s Max Rady College of Medicine at Brandon’s Satellite Campus as Assistant Dean. The Campus provides training for medical students in their third and fourth years. Her relocation efforts were a bit of a challenge, but she’s glad to be in the ‘Wheat City.’

“Not many people relocate from Sioux Falls, SD, to Brandon, MB.  There was the option of only one moving company, and they had never done that (move to MB) in 25 years, so there were many issues with transport across the border.  But Canada Border Patrol was lovely!”

Dr. Trainor’s journey and career path have wound their way through many provinces and American states.

“I went to college at Univeristé Laval as well as the University of Manitoba and the University of North Dakota. I graduated from the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences in 2003”.

Dr. Trainor completed her residency in Emergency Medicine at Hennepin County Medical Centre in 2006.  She accepted a position in Fayetteville, Arkansas, at Washington Regional Medical Center, working clinically and in administration as the Assistant Director and then the Chief of the Emergency Department.  There, she developed a love of academics, which led to a position as the Chief of the Division of Emergency Medicine at the University of South Dakota- Sanford School of Medicine.

“I am very excited about my academic position at the Brandon Satellite Campus, which is why I chose Brandon over the other job offers.  I have a passion for academics, particularly rural academics.  I am so pleased to be part of such warm and welcoming people. And of course, very happy to be working clinically within the BRHC Emergency Department.”

Prairie Mountain Health (PMH) Vice-President of Medical Services and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Adrian Fung says the region continues to build on its strong partnerships with the Max Rady College of Medicine (University of Manitoba) residency programs within the health region.

“The Brandon Satellite Campus, along with the Parkland Family Medicine Residency Unit, based in Dauphin and Neepawa Family Medicine Residency program have provided exceptional opportunities for physicians to train in rural settings.  They’ve led to an increased number of physicians who continue to practice in PMH and in other rural and more remote communities,” Fung stated.

One thing that immediately impressed Dr. Trainor was how Brandon had flourished in the years since she left Keystone province.

“I grew up in Thompson and hadn’t been to Brandon since my mother had done summer school when I was a child, so it has grown tremendously, and there is construction everywhere! It’s been a very busy couple of months as I’m just getting oriented to my clinical and academic positions, which have taken up much of my time!

She was asked if there had been many adjustments from working in emergency medicine in the U.S. to seeing patients in the Emergency Department in Brandon.

“It has been a change to be sure, from the medications used to the units of measurement.”

For now, Dr. Trainor says each day is new, offering exciting challenges and opportunities ahead.

“I am really excited to be in Brandon, to provide service in rural Manitoba and to facilitate academic education to introduce others to the joy of rural health care!”

“There are some real positives in healthcare going forward here, including the new critical care centre, which is set to open soon at BRHC. I’m happy that there will be more beds as they are desperately needed in the area.”

Dr. Mohammed Badawi joins team at Beautiful Plains Community Medical Clinic

Beautiful Plains Community Medical Clinic and Prairie Mountain Health are happy to share that Dr. Mohammed Badawi has joined our team.

Dr. Badawi is a family physician who specializes in palliative care and complex symptoms management. His clinical philosophy emphasizes patient and family-centered care, shared decision-making, dignity in illness, and a holistic approach.

He provides expert care for patients with both malignant and non-malignant diseases, including cancer, end-stage organ failure, and neurodegenerative conditions. His scope of practice includes complex symptom management, goals of care discussions, advanced care planning, end-of-life care, hospice care, community outreach, and coordination of home-based care. He also has extensive experience in procedural care such as palliative sedation, syringe drivers, and the use of mechanical pumps to support patients with advanced needs.

Dr. Badawi delivers care across hospital, hospice, community, and rural settings, ensuring that patients and families have seamless access to services regardless of location. His practice incorporates interdisciplinary teamwork, community outreach, tele-palliative care, and integration of technology to enhance quality of life and continuity of care.

Dr. Badawi completed his Family Medicine residency at the University of Toronto and went on to complete a clinical fellowship in Palliative Care at the University of Toronto. He is fluent in Arabic and English.

Practice Information:
Dr. Badawi’s practice will be based at the Beautiful Plains Community Medical Clinic. He will attend consults within a 1-hour radius around Neepawa. For referrals outside that geographic area, the consult can be virtual, by telephone, or patients can attend the Beautiful Plains Communicty Medical Clinic. Referrals will only be accepted from physicians and nurse practitioners. 

PMH tours physician around Rossburn and Shoal Lake

Prairie Mountain Health (PMH) is continuing site visits for the physicians it has sponsored in 2025-2026 through the provincial Medical Licensure Program for International Medical Graduates (MLPIMG). The MLPIMG Program assists foreign-trained doctors in obtaining their medical license to be able to practice as a family physician in Manitoba. PMH has sponsored seven physicians this year and has begun individually introducing each of the candidates to the communities they will be practicing in following their successful graduation from the program.

On Jan.31 and Feb. 1, the region helped introduce Dr. Ana Hernandez to the communities of Rossburn and Shoal Lake. Dr. Hernandez will be practicing in those two communities sometime in September 2026.

Tamara Kemp-Boulet, Physician Recruitment and Retention Coordinator for the health region says the physicians were designated to be placed at various sites within PMH communities that require additional physician resources. She says the site visits are a great way of introducing physicians and their families to the area and communities they will be involved in.

“We are very happy to participate in these site and community visits, which can include checking out daycares, schools, recreation activities, touring health-care facilities and meeting with council members and real estate agents, and other key community individuals and representatives,” Kemp-Boulet said.

The seven internationally trained doctors have signed return-of-service agreements requiring them to work in rural communities within the health region Kemp-Boulet added. Communities allocated for this graduating class include Rossburn and Shoal Lake, Killarney, Minnedosa, Ste. Rose and Russell, all starting in the fall. Site visits have already been held with the physicians in Killarney and Minnedosa with more planned over the coming weeks and months.