Ontario towns are competing fiercely to attract family doctors as shortages worsen
The Ontario College of Family Physicians revealed that 2.6 million people in the province are without a family doctor. That’s a big jump from 1.8 million just a few years ago.
Jobin Varughese, the college’s president, pointed out that too many families are struggling to find a family physician. New doctors often leave the field within five years, which is concerning.
In Brockton, residents were so eager to sign up for a new family doctor that some started lining up at 2 a.m. The mayor, Chris Peabody, shared that the new doctor could only take on 500 patients, with many more on a waitlist.
Over the past two decades, Brockton has worked hard to recruit doctors, offering incentives like a municipally-funded clinic and student loan forgiveness. They’ve managed to bring in six new physicians recently, but they still need more.
Peabody described the situation as an “arms race” among municipalities. They need to keep funding recruitment efforts and find volunteers to help. It’s a tough game, and without resources, some communities will fall behind.
Jill Croteau, a recruitment specialist in the Niagara Region, mentioned that sometimes they have to offer hefty signing bonuses to attract doctors. Meanwhile, the Ford government claims they’re investing more in primary care and expanding medical education.
Varughese emphasized that family doctors need more support, like help with administrative tasks, so they can focus on their patients. The burden of paperwork is taking away from the time they spend with people.
In Orillia, local council is trying something new. They’ve set aside $500,000 to create a family doctor’s office in a municipal building. This plan aims to make it easier for new doctors to set up practice without the usual barriers.
The hope is that this initiative will attract more doctors to Orillia and help the community thrive. It’s a creative approach to a pressing issue, and they’re optimistic about the outcome.
