Dr. Rithesh Ram

Dr. Rithesh Ram Physician, President, Founder of Riverside Medical & Family Man. Specialty: Family Medicine, Epidemio

01/16/2026

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Lately there’s been a lot of talk about how “money alone won’t fix primary care.”And it’s true - culture matters. We nee...
01/16/2026

Lately there’s been a lot of talk about how “money alone won’t fix primary care.”

And it’s true - culture matters. We need to shift public understanding of what the system costs, when to seek care, and why prevention is worth it.

But here’s the problem: we can’t dismiss money as part of the solution.

Right now in Alberta, less than 10% of the healthcare budget goes to prevention and primary care. Over 90% is spent on consequences.

Examples such as:
➡️ Patients ignoring diabetes until they’re admitted to hospital in crisis.
➡️ Conditions left unmanaged until they cost tens of thousands more in acute care.

It doesn’t take many cases like this to skew the system - and it’s exactly why our budgets look the way they do.

If we’re serious about saving primary care, we need to do two things at once:
✔️ Shift dollars toward prevention and primary care.
✔️ Educate and empower the public on the value of using it.

Because without that first step - reallocating dollars to primary care - the rest is just talk.

👉 What do you think: if you had to re-balance the healthcare budget, where would you start?
–––
Pragmatic about Alberta’s healthcare challenges.
Relentless about fixing what’s broken - to make medicine more honest, human, and sustainable.
Rural Generalist Doctor | Educator | Advocate

Danielle Smith
Adriana LaGrange
Nate Horner

01/14/2026

More doctors doesn’t mean better access.
That’s the problem.

It’s a nice headline:
📈 The number of physicians has increased.
📉 The number of Canadians without a physician has gone down.
That sounds like progress.

But here’s the disconnect:
being “attached” to a physician does not mean you can actually see one when you need care.

Attachment is a statistic. Access is an experience.
Access is what people want.

Not the idea that they could see someone.
Not a name on a list.
Actual, timely access when a health concern comes up.

Even the same survey behind these positive headlines shows the reality hasn’t changed much:
Many Canadians still struggle to see their own physician
Delays remain for investigations and screenings

Access to care - not attachment to a doctor - is the ongoing issue
Attachment is one checkbox.
Access is the one that matters.

Longitudinal care, from a public perspective, simply means this:
➡️ when something is wrong, you can be seen within a reasonable timeframe.
That doesn’t mean every concern requires same-day care - but it does mean timely, predictable access when it truly matters.

Until we define access clearly, fund it properly, and build systems around it, we’ll keep celebrating progress that doesn’t match people’s lived experience.

Because a feel-good headline doesn’t fix a broken access problem.
–––
Pragmatic about Alberta’s healthcare challenges.
Relentless about fixing what’s broken – to make medicine more honest, human, and sustainable.

Rural Generalist Doctor | Educator | Advocate

Deeply honoured to receive this recognition.I was truly humbled to receive the Westview Physician Collaborative Endowmen...
01/09/2026

Deeply honoured to receive this recognition.
I was truly humbled to receive the Westview Physician Collaborative Endowment in Family Medicine Award, presented through the University of Alberta Department of Family Medicine.

What made this recognition especially meaningful was learning that it was sponsored by Dr. Allan Bailey, who shared that the award was created to recognize leadership, innovation, and advocacy in strengthening primary care - work he has seen firsthand over time. That meant a great deal to me.

This award reflects something I believe deeply:
that primary care is the foundation of a strong healthcare system, and that meaningful change comes from advocacy, collaboration, and a willingness to challenge the status quo.

I’m grateful to the Department of Family Medicine, to colleagues across UAlberta and UCalgary, and to partners like DLRI who continue to support innovation in family medicine and rural health.

Most of all, I’m thankful to the patients, communities, and teams who make this work matter every day.

This work is never done alone - and this recognition reflects that.
–––
Celebrating leadership, innovation, and care.
Rural Generalist Doctor | Educator | Advocate


Department of Family Medicine University of Alberta

I realize this is a controversial topic - maybe even a polarizing one. But it’s an important conversation if we care abo...
01/07/2026

I realize this is a controversial topic - maybe even a polarizing one. But it’s an important conversation if we care about the future of healthcare in Alberta.
Albertans have to pay for their COVID shots.

On the surface, the argument seems simple:
💰 Don’t waste public money on vaccines people won’t use.

But here’s the problem.
When we frame vaccination as a waste instead of a preventive tool, we deepen the cultural divide. We reinforce the idea that prevention isn’t worth investing in - even when the alternative is far more expensive.

Because the reality is this:
➡️ When people get sick, they miss work.
➡️ They seek medical care that’s already stretched thin.
➡️ They need hospital beds that are already full.

The “savings” today become hundreds of millions in costs tomorrow.
So the real question is: what do we value as a society?
Do we want policies that strengthen prevention and shift culture toward health?
Or are we willing to accept short-term savings that drive long-term strain?

If choice is truly the priority - what does that mean for public dollars? Should taxpayers fund the outcomes of every personal choice, no matter the cost?

These are uncomfortable questions.
They challenge our Canadian instinct to cover everyone, no matter what.

If we want a sustainable healthcare system, we can’t keep pretending prevention doesn’t matter.

👉 Where do you think the balance lies - between individual choice and collective responsibility?
–––
Pragmatic about Alberta’s healthcare challenges.
Relentless about fixing what’s broken - to make medicine more honest, human, and sustainable.
Rural Generalist Doctor | Educator | Advocate

12/31/2025

Six generations ago, my family was taken by ship from India to South Africa and put to work in the sugarcane fields.

They had nothing - no voice, no rights, no certainty.

A few generations later, they began selling flowers on the side of the road.
Just a handful of blossoms.
A small trolley.
Eventually a makeshift stall.

It should have been simple.
But during apartheid, nothing was simple for families like mine.

They faced constant political pressure, legal barriers, and repeated attempts to shut down their business. There’s a photo I’ll never forget - my uncle sitting on a curb, head in hand, holding a notice that said:
“You may not sell anymore.”

But they didn’t stop.
They couldn’t afford to.
They kept pushing, kept fighting, kept opening the stall again and again.

Over time, they built something real.
Ram Flowers became a thriving business on South Africa’s east coast - one everyone knew. They even owned their own farm at one point.

That’s where part of my grit comes from.
Not from medicine.
Not from school.
Not from titles or degrees.

It comes from my parents and from generations of people who refused to quit, even when the system told them they had no place.

So when I think about the work I do now - as a rural Alberta doctor, as a community advocate, as someone trying to make healthcare more accessible and more human - I know exactly where that determination comes from.

It started in a flower stall.
I carry that with me every day.

—
Dr. Ram
Born in Alberta. Rural Generalist. Dedicated to Accessible, Responsible Care.

🩺

12/24/2025

The holidays mean something different to everyone - but no matter your faith, your traditions, or how you celebrate, this time of year offers something we all need:

a moment to slow down, reconnect, and be with the people who anchor us.

Spending time with loved ones isn’t just comforting.
It’s therapeutic.
It strengthens your heart, supports your health, and gives your mind the space it rarely gets throughout the year.

I hope you’re able to find a few quiet moments of joy, presence, and connection - wherever and however you celebrate.

Wishing you warmth, rest, and a healthy start to the new year.
Happy holidays.
–––
Celebrating community, connection, and care.
Rural Generalist Doctor | Educator | Advocate

12/24/2025

Most people see me in scrubs, in the clinic, or in the hospital - but behind the scenes, I’m a huge Lord of the Rings fan.

Books, movies, soundtrack… all of it.

Somewhere along the way, my love for good food and my love for Middle-Earth merged into this little ritual I didn’t even notice until my kids pointed it out:
Whenever I cook, I automatically turn on the Lord of the Rings soundtrack.

Every single time.

It started as something relaxing - a way to unwind at the end of the day with a new recipe or a more elaborate meal on the weekend.

But now it’s just part of me.
My family and friends will walk through the door, hear the opening notes from the soundtrack, and say:
“Oh, Dad must be cooking.”

It’s funny how our own habits reveal themselves through the people around us.

Sometimes it’s the small, quirky things that keep us grounded - even in a busy life.

—
Dr. Ram
Born in Alberta. Rural Generalist. Dedicated to Accessible, Responsible Care.

🩺

12/19/2025

There’s a phrase I’ve been using more often in the last couple of years:
geographic narcissism.

I didn’t coin it, but it perfectly describes a pattern I see all the time.

It’s the idea that if you’ve only ever lived in a big city, you assume the city is the center of the universe - and everything outside of it is somehow “less.”
Less modern.
Less interesting.
Less capable.
Less “worthwhile.”

I hear it from learners who rotate through Drumheller all the time:
They’re surprised by the incredible food scene, the strong community, the services, the innovation…

When they tell their friends or spouses, the reaction is always the same:
“You’ve been out there too long. That can’t be real.”

But it is real.
That’s exactly the stereotype that needs to be challenged.

Because here’s the truth we don’t talk about enough:
👉 Rural medicine cannot thrive if rural communities are allowed to stagnate.
You can’t recruit doctors, nurses, techs, or allied health teams to a town if the town itself doesn’t feel alive.

People want small-town warmth - and access to food, entertainment, services, and amenities that give them a sense of quality of life.

That means municipalities and the province have to step up:
modern housing options,
year-round support for small businesses (not just seasonal survival),
services and experiences that make people say, “I could see myself living here.”

Because rural healthcare is part of an ecosystem.
If the town thrives, the hospital thrives.
If the hospital thrives, people stay.
If people stay, healthcare becomes sustainable.

And the ripple effect begins.

Whether it’s a GP clinic, a radiology service, a wine bar, or a grocery store - these things matter more than people think. They build the culture, identity, and confidence of a community.

Rural Alberta isn’t “behind.”
It’s evolving - and it deserves investment, imagination, and belief.

If we want rural medicine to survive, we need rural life to flourish right alongside it.

—
Dr. Ram
Born in Alberta. Rural Generalist. Dedicated to Accessible, Responsible Care.
🩺

People often ask whether medical students are taught how to handle adversity, difficult patients, or the realities of fr...
12/17/2025

People often ask whether medical students are taught how to handle adversity, difficult patients, or the realities of frontline practice. The honest answer? No.
In fact, we train them to expect the opposite.

We’ve turned medical education into a curated experience - smoothing every edge, avoiding discomfort, and calling it support.

Every rough part of medicine is padded, softened, or removed entirely.
When something real does happen?
Instead of saying: “This is the work.”
The system says: “Someone must have done something wrong.”
Preceptors are blamed.
Teams are flagged.

The lesson becomes: “Hard = bad,”
instead of “Hard = normal.”

But here’s the truth:

Most of the so-called “difficult” moments in medicine aren’t unusual - they’re everyday realities:
tough conversations
overwhelmed patients
complex team dynamics
administrative friction
unclear pathways
emotional weight

If you never encounter any of this until you graduate, the real world feels overwhelming - not because the job is impossible, but because training protected you from the job itself.

The pendulum has swung so far toward comfort that students now lead the training experience.
Their feelings outrank curriculum.
Their preferences override exposure.
And accreditation reinforces it.

We’ve created a culture where discomfort is seen as danger - and that doesn’t work in healthcare.

If we want sustainable healthcare, especially in rural and remote areas, we need physicians who are prepared for the world they’re walking into.

We don’t need harsher training.
We need real training.

—
Dr. Ram
Born in Alberta. Rural Generalist. Dedicated to Accessible, Responsible Care.
🩺

12/12/2025

One of my favorite things to do - when time allows - is visit the Legislature and sit in on Question Period.

If you’ve never been, it’s an experience worth having at least once.

You really get a sense of what it means to govern, to debate, and to move policy forward for Albertans.

Behind every question and every answer is a genuine effort to make our province better - and seeing that process in action is something I’m proud to witness from time to time.

It reminds me that democracy isn’t abstract.
It’s alive, visible, and happening right in front of us.

—
Dr. Ram
Born in Alberta. Rural Generalist. Dedicated to Accessible, Responsible Care.

🩺

Address

PO Box 1990 180 Riverside Drive East
Drumheller, AB
T0J0Y0

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6pm - 8pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 5pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 5pm
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DR. RITHESH RAM

PHYSICIAN, PRESIDENT, FOUNDER & FAMILY MAN


  • Specialty: Family Medicine, Epidemiology, Teaching, Medical Leadership

  • Special interests: Emergency Care, Mental Health, Chronic Pain,

  • biographical background: