Dr Vesta Warren

Biography

Born and raised in Claresholm, Alberta, Michelle Warren has practiced rural family medicine in Sundre since 1999.   She has provided service at the Sundre Hospital for over 25 years providing low risk intrapartum care until its loss in 2020, acute care, and emergency care services.  She is a clinical associate professor at the University of Calgary and a clinical assistant professor at the University of Alberta.  In addition, she is the co-owner of the Moose and Squirrel Medical clinic in Sundre. 

From September 2021 to 2023, she served on the Board of the Alberta Medical Association as President-elect, President and Past-President!  In January 2023, she received a Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee Medal recognizing her work in Health Care in Alberta during her time with the AMA. She has agreed to a 3 year term with the AH-AMA Alternative Relationship Plan Working Group (ARP WG) for a three-year term anticipated to begin September 1, 2023– September 30, 2026.  She also sits on the internal AMA Strike team working to create a new longitudinal funding model for family medicine (PCCM).

The Moose & Squirrel Medical Clinic has a collaborative, team-based approach to the provision of primary care, and includes preventative medicine as well as the usual medical care expected in a family physicians office. The Moose & Squirrel Medical Clinic is recognized as the leading “Patients Medical Home” and was awarded the Alberta College of Family Physicians Patient’s Medical Home award for Outstanding Family Practice for 2017.  Michelle is also a provincial Physician Champion, and is working along with the clinic team to help other Alberta family medicine clinics modernize primary care based on the MSMC model and now Blended Capitation.

Michelle has been awarded a Fellowship by the College of Family Physicians of Canada, and a Fellowhsip in the Society of Rural Physicians of Canada, for her dedicated service and commitment to lifelong learning.  She is a PALS, ACLS, and ATLS instructor and enjoys bringing team-based teaching to both her own facility as well as other communities.  In 2016 she was recognized as the recipient of the RPAP Rural Alberta Physician Award of Distinction, for bringing superior medical care to her community.  She was also awarded the prestigious Dr. Hal Irvine Community Focus Award in 2015 by the University of Calgary Faculty of Medicine for her dedication, through service and personal commitment, to improving the quality of life in her community.  She alsorecognized for her commitment to rural medicine by the Society of Rural Physicians of Canada along with her husband, Rob Warren as they received the 2021 Rural Service Award.

As an educator with a strong passion for educating teams in their local environment, she travels around Central Alberta delivering Heart and Stroke ACLS, PALS and PEARS courses as well as RhPAP Care Courses.  She is an EDE-1 with Chest certified physician so she can teach learners Point of Care ultrasound and certify their scans when they are training.   Michelle was chosen as the 2021 recipient of the Professional Association of Resident Physicians of Alberta’s Clinical Teaching Award which recognizes and celebrates physician preceptors who have shown excellence in resident physician education.

Michelle has had the joy of raising three children in Sundre with her husband, Rob, who are now off in advanced education themselves.  As an adult she began running as a means of helping maintain health, and has successfully completed several half marathons often finishing in the top 25% of her age group.  She ran the Nike Women’s Marathon in San Francisco in 2013 and the TCS New York City Marathon in 2015.  She took up sea kayaking, white water rafting, and surfing in her year in New Zealand. As empty nester, she is looking forward to more active adventures with her husband.