LAKEWOOD MEDICAL CENTRE

HEALTHCARE SPECIALIST GROUP

MARVIN SLUTCHUK, MD

34 LAKEWOOD BOULEVARD

WINNIPEG, MB R2J 2M6

PH: 257-4900   FAX: 256-7240

TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR HEALTH

People of all ages are taking a more hands-on approach to their health with renewed awareness that it is much easier to look after one's health than trying to recoup it after it has been lost. No longer is their priority merely the length of life — they want quality of life! Despite many life-saving

medical advances, chronic degenerative diseases such as coronary artery disease, stroke, diabetes, hypertension, macular degeneration, osteoporosis and Alzheimer's dementia remain at an all time high. The big question is, “Where does one turn for solid, trustworthy, advice on living a healthy life?”

According to the World Health Organization, "Health is more than the absence of disease. Health is a state of optimal well-being.” Optimal well-being is a concept of health that goes beyond the curing of illness to one of achieving wellness. Many of us have been brought up to believe that our health depends solely on the quality of the healthcare we receive. The truth is, your health is your responsibility. You are the only person who can make the lifestyle decisions that contribute to your well-being. You are the one who must take the steps to preserve your health and promote your wellness. Only you have the power to create wellness for yourself. Your power lies in the choices you make every day on your own behalf. Your behavior and the choices you make in your life affect your health. You can choose to do more of what is good for you and the world around you, and to do less of what is harmful. You can choose to learn more about your health and the variety of healthcare options available. All of us have incredible inner wisdom. As you gather information and experience, you will gain confidence in using your inner knowing to follow your path to wellness.

Health is more than just not being sick. It is a state of optimal well-being . One must view wellness as a continuum along a line. The line represents all possible degrees of health. The far left end of the line represents premature death. On the far right end is the highest possible level of wellness or maximum well-being. The center point of the line represents a lack of apparent disease. This places all levels of illness on the left half of the wellness continuum. The right half shows that even when no illness seems to be present, there is still a lot of room for improvement.

Achieving wellness is an ongoing process. As a lifestyle, it includes a personal commitment to be moving toward the right end of the wellness continuum. No matter what their status of health, people can improve their level of well-being. Even when there are temporary setbacks, movement is always headed toward wellness

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that the key factors influencing an individual's state of health have not changed significantly over the past 20 years. Quality of medical care is only 10%. Heredity accounts for 18% and environment is 19%. Everyday lifestyle choices are 53%. The decisions people make about their life and habits are, therefore, by far the largest factor in determining their state of wellness.

The majority of illnesses and premature death can be traced back to lifestyle choices. There are the well-known dangers connected with drugs, alcohol, nicotine, and unprotected sexual activity. Less recognized is the impact of excesses of sugar, caffeine, and negative attitudes. Combined with deficiencies in exercise, nutritious foods, and self-esteem, these gradually accumulate harmful effects. With time, they diminish the

quality of the "environment" within us, and can set the stage for illness to take hold. Quality of life, now and in the future, is actually being determined by a multitude of seemingly unimportant made everyday decisions.

Dr. Slutchuk respects the strengths of traditional (western, allopathic, conventional) medicine. However, it is an illness-oriented model whose primary objective is to cure or mitigate disease by focusing on the elimination of symptoms. Today our health care system's primary function is to deliver services once illness is detected. However, the only way to sustain your health is by preventing illness in the first place. Government programs do exist for the early detection of illnesses. Mammograms, PSA testing for prostate indicators, and stress tests are all routine screens ordered as standard tests by most doctors. Would it not make more sense to prevent such diseases from developing in the first place?

Dr. Slutchuk's approach is unique in that it embraces health promotion and disease prevention. Through health promotion, he empowers his clients to increase control over their health and thereby improve their wellbeing. Disease prevention is not limited to infectious diseases. It includes those diseases, disorders, and illnesses to which we are subject by virtue of gender, age, family history, ethnic origin, and lifestyle choices. Wellness includes your physical, emotional, psychological, spiritual, and sexual wellbeing — all the variables that make your life what it is. Dr. Slutchuk's holistic approach goes beyond just eliminating symptoms. He empowers his clients to live LIFE.

Rather than focusing on illness or specific parts of the body, Dr. Slutchuk's approach to health considers the whole person and how he or she interacts with his or her environment. This approach emphasizes the connection of mind, body, and spirit. The goal is to achieve maximum well-being, where everything is functioning in the very best way that is possible. With this approach, people accept responsibility for their own level of well-being, and everyday choices are used to take charge of one's own health.

Dr. Slutchuk empowers his clients to involve their everyday choices and actions as they strive to reach a higher level of personal wellness. Picture the various levels of wellness as a continuum. Where are you? On the left half, dealing with an illness or a chronic condition? In the center, not sick, yet not feeling very peppy? On the right half, in good shape, but striving for the highest possible level of vitality and well-being. Dr. Slutchuk's approach to achieving wellness includes taking charge of your own health by exploring a variety of life enhancing activities until you discover which ones work for you.

Dr. Slutchuk provides a service whereby in the process he will educate and support you. He will collaborate with you and your other health care providers in planning for your health from a preventative and treatment perspective.

ABOUT DR. SLUTCHUK

Dr. Slutchuk was born and raised in Winnipeg's north end of the city. He received his MD (Hons.) in 1968 following which he completed a rotating internship and three years postgraduate training in internal medicine.

PAST CLINICAL POSITIONS:

Medical Director of the Primary Health Care Unit, Health Sciences Centre, Winnipeg, July 1, 1972 – June 30, 1993.

Clinical Director, Health Action Centre, Health Sciences Centre, Winnipeg, July 1, 1993 – March 12, 2002.

Active Medical Staff, Department of Internal Medicine, Health Sciences Centre, Winnipeg, July 1, 1974 – March 12, 2002.

Geographical Full Time Member, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Manitoba, July 1, 1974 – June 30, 2002.

PAST ACADEMIC POSITIONS:

Clinical Instructor, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, July 1, 1972 – June 30, 1974.

Assistant Professor, Departments of Internal Medicine and Medical Microbiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, July 1, 1974 – June 30, 1982.

Assistant Professor, Department of Family Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, July 1, 1980 – June 30, 1982.

Associate Professor, Departments of Internal Medicine and Medical Microbiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, July 1, 1982 – June 30, 2002.

Program Director, Mixed Rotating Internship, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg.

Program Coordinator, Basic Clinical Training, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg.

Chairman, Medical Standards and Audit Committee, Department of Internal Medicine, Health Sciences Centre, Winnipeg, July 1, 1987 – June 30, 1988.

Chairman, Medical Standards and Audit Committee, Emergency Department, Health Sciences Centre, Winnipeg, July 1, 1988 – June 30, 1990.

Member of the Post Graduate Medical Education Intern Committee, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg.

Member of the Faculty Post Graduate Medical Education Committee, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg.

Member of the Standards and Audit Committee, Health Sciences Centre, Winnipeg.

Member of the Committee of Undergraduate Medical Education, Clerkship Task Force, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg.

COMMUNITY SERVICE:

Councilor of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba.

Chairman of the Program Review Committee, College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba.

Chairman of the Manitoba Quality Assurance Program (MANQAP), College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba.

Chairman of the Subcommittees of Laboratory Medicine, Nuclear Medicine, and Diagnostic Radiology, College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba.

Chairman of the Transfusion Medicine Committee, College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba

Coordinator of the Bodily Fluid Monitoring Program, College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba.

Member of the Executive Committee, College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba.