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Sylvan Lake welcomes two new doctors

Dr’s Biana Manchik and Andrew Schwartz are the two new doctors practicing at Sylvan Medical Center
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Dr. Biana Manchik and Dr. Andrew Schwartz moved to Sylvan Lake in August with their young son, and have since begun working at Sylvan Medical Centre in Sylvan Lake. The husband and wife doctors said they moved back to Canada, after working in the States, to be closer to family. Photo by Megan Roth/Sylvan Lake News

Sylvan Lake has two new doctors now accepting patients and ready to make the town their home.

Husband and wife Doctors Biana Manchik and Andrew Schwartz are the new doctors working at Sylvan Medical Center, and say they are excited and happy to work at the center.

The two decided to make the move back to Canada after working in the United States, where they had done their residencies, after having a baby and wanting to be closer to family.

Manchik’s family resides in Edmonton, where Schwartz is originally from New Jersey.

Once the need to be closer to family was decided, Manchik and Schwartz said they knew right away they would love working at Sylvan Medical Center after a simple phone interview.

“When we did the phone interview it was just like something clicked, it felt right right away,” Schwartz said.

Manchik says their time at the Sylvan Medical Centre has been amazing so far. She said everyone from the team at the center, to the patients who have come through have been wonderful.

“Everyone has been so kind and wonderful so far, we are really just so happy being here,” Manchik said.

The atmosphere working in Canada is a bit different from working in the U.S. The duo say they have enjoyed being able to really help those in need in their new positions.

Schwartz said he has enjoyed his time working in the Canadian health care system as it allows him to help his patients without fear of costs or working through a bureaucratic system.

He explained he has experienced clinics sending bill collectors to his patients homes because they couldn’t pay for their visit or the medication needed.

“It isn’t like that here. Canada is so far ahead of the U.S. in that instance. It’s nice to be able to order some test be done without having to fight for it,” he said.

The first time they came to Sylvan Lake they said they both knew instantly that they were going to love living and working in the town.

It was the sight of the lake as you drove into town, that sealed the deal.

“The Town has been absolutely amazing. All the events, like Winterfest recently, and the things to do have just been great,” Manchik said.

Moving from the States came with some difficulties.

Despite moving to Sylvan Lake in August of last year, Manchik didn’t start working at Sylvan Medical Center until November, and Schwartz has only been in the clinic for a week.

“I’m the import,” Schwartz joked. “It took longer for my paperwork to go through. That’s alright though, I got to spend a lot of time with my son.”

As family physicians, they say they love all aspects of medicine, and are qualified to work with everyone from babies to the elderly.

Schwartz and Manchik say being a family doctors allows them to get to know their patients and connect in a more meaningful way.

“We don’t delivery babies though. Outside of the specialties, that’s just one thing we don’t do,” said Manchik, adding delivery babies is not something family doctors really do in the U.S.

She continued, saying it is important for everyone to have a family doctor.

“Family doctors know your history and know how best to help you based on that,” Schwartz added.

Family physicians also help to ensure their patients stay healthy, and with regular appointments can potentially catch anything serious before it becomes a problem.

Manchik says she has had patients who end up in the hospital with kidney failure or late stage cancer, and it wasn’t caught because the patient didn’t see a doctor regularly.

“I don’t need to see you 20 times a year, but once a year just to make sure everything is still as it should be,” Manchik said.

Both doctors are now accepting patients, and appointments can be made by calling Sylvan Medical Center.