Louise Harder, MD
The daughter of a cattle farmer in the Canadian countryside, Louise Harder enjoys quilting, reading, doing yoga and watching old movies like the original Pink Panther flicks. She’s Mom to 10-year-old Daniel, 8-year-old Ella and Mia, a 20-year-old tabby cat. One of her favorite yearly traditions is making Ukrainian Easter eggs, which are waxed and decorated with the most intricate of ancient designs.
With this picture, it may be easier to envision her in a quaint shop off the beaten path, rather than the fast-paced, life-or-death environment of an Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
After finishing her medical degree at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Dr. Harder began a residency in anesthesia and then worked in an ICU at McMaster University Hospitals in Ontario. She participated in Spokane’s Internal Medicine Residency program from 2003 to 2006, then joined Spokane Critical Care Associates and began working at Sacred Heart Medical Center.
Today, Dr. Harder is an “adult intensivist”—a relatively new specialty of doctors who are employed by a hospital to remain in the intensive care unit instead of juggling demands both at a private practice and the hospital. The goal is to provide more consistent, timely care to patients with critical needs. And in a short time, hospitals like Sacred Heart have found that it works: having an intensivist on the unit results in better patient outcomes and shorter hospital stays.
Dr. Harder says she finds work in an ICU to be exceptionally gratifying—and never boring.
“I like the acuity, the fast pace, the intensity,” she says. “I also really like the camaraderie. There’s a close working relationship with nurses, respiratory therapists, chaplains, nutritionists, pharmacists. I could not do my job without them.”
As a physician dedicated solely to critical care, Dr. Harder has become a champion of organ donation. There is no extra training required for this role, she says, “just ongoing learning.” Like most people involved in organ donation efforts, she believes it is a way “something good comes out of sadness.”
Dr. Harder now teaches resident medical students undergoing ICU training. She says the best part is watching them learn and acquire knowledge. “They gain an incredible amount of knowledge and skill during their four-week rotation. They often don’t even see it, but it’s clear to those around them.”
And that goes both ways. “I love learning, and every single day I learn something new,” Dr. Harder shares.
Her teachers now are the patients and families with whom she interacts. There may be seasoned physicians who share their expertise, and other colleagues who can assist in solving the latest medical mystery. But for Dr. Harder, “Every patient or family experience I have influences me as a provider.”
The world of intensive care may be enhanced by modern technology, impressive equipment and proven medical methodology, but as shared by this country girl from across the border, its real strength comes from caregivers who never forget the power of human connection.
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