Meet Dr. Kelsey Summerhill, first resident to serve on Chilliwack Division board
By Mari-Len De Guzman
When the Chilliwack Division of Family Practice opened a seat for a resident family doctor to join its board of directors, Dr. Kelsey Summerhill knew it was an opportunity she had to take.
Now in her second year as a Chilliwack Division board member, Summerhill has provided a unique perspective to the governance team and serves as a crucial voice in shaping the direction of primary care in the community.
“We are sort of caught in this in-between, where we’re not med students anymore but we’re not practicing physicians yet,” says Summerhill. “Our input as residents can be really helpful because we’re often in a unique situation where we’re seeing things from a different perspective.”
Dr. Kelsey Summerhill
An important aspect of her role on the board is educating her peers about the Division’s work and how it can impact the residents’ journey to family practice.
“Providing just a little bit of education even bridges that gap between the residents and the Division,” Summerhill adds.
That bridge-building has already translated into tangible results. With insight from Summerhill, the Division has expanded access to educational ventures and professional development initiatives that were historically reserved only for practicing family physicians and nurse practitioners.
Equally critical is her contribution to physician recruitment and retention. Bringing her early-career insights to board discussions, Summerhill helps shape strategies that make Chilliwack a more welcoming, supportive environment for visiting residents and specialty trainees.
“A big part of the Division’s role is recruitment and looking at getting people to Chilliwack to stay and work,” Summerhill notes. “I’ve been able to provide perspective on how they can make the community more appealing to residents training here now, as well as visiting residents, so we can better support them and the broader community.”
Beyond advocating for her peers, serving on the board has given Summerhill a front-row seat to the dynamics of the local and provincial health-care systems.
Navigating complex funding streams from various levels of government, for example, has provided insights on how community health decisions move from policy to practice.
“It’s been a huge learning curve,” says Summerhill. “I’ve learned a lot about where funding comes from and all the parameters that come with it. I have a much better perspective on what things can be done by the Division versus the health authority, and everyone’s role in our health-care system.”
This high-level understanding not only helps her guide current residents toward local and regional resources but also equips her to be a more effective physician-leader as she transitions from residency to full-time practice.
For Chilliwack Division, the decision to bring a resident onto the board was a strategic move to ensure the governance body reflects the makeup of the local medical community. It was also a deliberate step toward building early connections with physicians before they transition to full-time practice.
“Residents bring an invaluable, fresh perspective to the table. They see our local system with fresh eyes and represent the future of family medicine in our community,” says Daphne McRae, executive director of the Chilliwack Division of Family Practice.
“Kelsey’s insights have been essential in helping us understand how the Division can better support learners, ensuring our programs and recruitment efforts align with what new-to-practice physicians actually need.”
As the first resident to ever sit on Chilliwack Division’s board, Summerhill has set a compelling precedent that ensures the governance body truly reflects the community it serves.