Volunteer profile: Dr. Bill Young, Medical Services Chair
Dr. Bill Young is ready to deliver a life-shaping Games experience in 2019.
A retired doctor, Dr. Young is the Medical Services Chair with the 2019 Canada Winter Games. In his role, he is responsible for looking over the Medical Functional Area alongside Chief Medical Officer Dr. Nav Rattan. In February 2019, 3,600 participants compete over two weeks in 19 sports. Dr. Young is tasked with creating and managing the medical services plan to care for all the competitors.
His role is wide-ranging. Dr. Young recruits volunteers like nurses, physiotherapists and doctors, makes plans for where these volunteers are needed, helps determine quantities of supplies and collaborates with other staff and volunteers to meet their needs.
Being a part of the largest event in the history of central Alberta is an exciting opportunity for Dr. Young. Born and raised in Edmonton, Dr. Young went to the University of Alberta and graduated from Medicine in 1974. He interned for a couple years in the Maritimes before returning to Alberta, a place is he proud to call home.
“I loved central Alberta and saw an opportunity to make a career change. I returned to university to complete obstetrics and gynecology,” said Dr. Young. “This area is great for its people, the countryside and the sense of community. You’re never far from down to earth folks here.”
Dr. Young has been involved with the 2019 Games since he heard Red Deer won the bid. He saw himself as an ideal fit for the role because of his professional and personal background.
In the last years practicing as a doctor, he was a hospital facility medical director. In that role, he saw opportunities to connect the Games with health resources in central Alberta to ensure that the athletes receive first-class medical services at Games time.
From a personal standpoint, sport has always been a big part of Dr. Young’s life. He has a number of athletic hobbies, like running, alpine skiing or cross country skiing. During the summer, you might see him around town on one of his long bike rides. Dr. Young was also semi-retired when the Medical Services Chair role became available. This opportunity was a perfect combination of his personal interests, values and situation in life.
“I saw an opportunity to give back to the community and to continue to be engaged with community members. And if I have anything to offer besides my professional background, it is the time to put into this project,” Dr. Young explained.
New to the Canada Games movement, Dr. Young’s volunteer experience has been full of learning so far. Dr. Young says that getting introduced to the Games is was like “drinking from a fire hose” because of the amount of information coming at him. But he’s learned more as time has gone on and become more familiar with how sport is organized nationally and what it takes to make an event like this possible and encourages other medical professionals to join him.
“I think this volunteer role is in the nature of medical providers; to be caring individuals, to give of themselves and to contribute to the community,” Dr. Young said. “This opportunity is a continuation of the personalities that tend to be attracted to working in the healthcare industry.”
You can join Dr. Young on team 2019! We are looking for volunteers in all areas, no medical degree required. Visit canadagames.ca/2019/volunteer to learn more about the volunteer roles available and start your application today.