rhea Me hdd

MORE THAN 40 years ago,
Dr. Carson Graham ruled the
roost at North Vancouver
General Hospital.

By Anna Marie D'Angelo
News Reporter

As a young doctor specializing
in internal medicine, Dr. Robin
Bell-Irving understood the pecking
order.

Dr. Graham, the imposing.
match-stick chewing medical stall
chicf was tops. The rest, about 40
North Shore doctors, were below
him, .

So Bell-Irving was experiencing
some angst when a-fellow new doc-
tor and ‘budding surgeon was keep-
ing Graham waiting one morning in
an.operating room.

The surgeon finally arrived one
hour Jater holding a 30-pound
salmon he had caught) near
Horseshoe Bay.

“The matron and old Carson
Graham were waiting in the hall.
He (the young doctor) put the fish
down and marched into the operat-
ing room. No one said a word.”

‘laughs Bell-Irving. “He was forgiv-
en because in those days the fish
could have fed the whole hospital.”

Bell-Irving ‘recently reminisced
about his medical career during a
relaxed interview-at his West
Vancouver home.

The 70-year-old West Vancouver
high school grad was not too philo-
sophical about his recent announce-
ment to retire after a career that
spanned five decades.

66 This is God's own
country ... you don't
really appreciate It

util VOU go
someplace else. 99

“YT figured 41 years was cnough,”
sitid Bell-Irving.

Bell-Irving was active in many
initiatives at Lions Gate Hospital
(LGH) and its predecessor, the old
North Vancouver General Hospital
which is now used for psychiatric
care and rehabilitation medicine.

LGH’s vice-president of medical
diagnostic services, Dr.Stew Muadill.
said Bell-lrving. was one of the
most significant contributors to the
hospital from a medical standpoint.

Madill called him a “pillar of
strength in this hospital.”

Bell-Irving is associated most
with geriatri¢ care.

He has been the medicai director
of Evergreen House since the
extended care unit opened in 1971.

Evergreen House was the first
extended cure unit to be attached to
a hospital in the province.

Bell-Irving had an interest in
geriatric medicine long before it
was considered a medical speciali-
ty,

“The numbers have changed the
most. Everything has improved and
we are just living longer,” said Bell-

Bell-Irving has been married to
his wile Norma for 42 years,

The couple have five children
and five grandchildren.

Bell-Irving received his medical
schoal training in centrat Canada
before returning to the West Coast
to work.

“This is God's own country,
You don’t really appreciate it until
you go someplace else.” said Bell-
Irving. who was born in Vancouver
and grew up in Powell River.

He became interested in geri-
atrics after treating patients associ-
ated with the Veterans Affairs
Department at Sunnybrook and
Shaughnessy hospitals. One of the
geriatric patients was a veteran of
the Riel Rebellions.

Bell-Irving’s many achieve-
ments include being LGH medical
staff president in 196], the year the
new hospital opened. and becoming
a Fellow of the American College
of Physicians in 1978.

He also represented the North
Shore on the B.C Medical
Association board Tor 10 years, and
was director for six of these years.

Bell-Irving said medicine has
changed over the years in the way
medical practitioners can now do so
much to help dl patients.

He doesn’t know exactly how he
will be spending his time now,
besides going on a trip to the Orient
in March. He also intends on con-
tinuing to be the medical coordina-
tor of Cedarview and North Shore
Kiwanis Lodges.

“I've only been retired as of wo
weeks. I haven't got into the mode
yet.” said Bell-Irving.

Ha

NEWS photo Nelli Lucente

WEST VANCOUVER resident Dr. Robin Bell-Irving says a lot
has changed on the North Shore since he began to practise
medicine in 1953 in the old North Vancouver General
Hospital. ;

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