MINDEMOYA—A Central Manitoulin municipal councillor is disappointed with the way doctors within the Manitoulin Central Family Health Team (MCFHT) have approached the funding provided by the province to hire more doctors, with concerns that they lost out in comparison to the Little Current Family Health Team.
“I’m pretty passionate about this,” stated Councillor Dale Scott at a meeting of the Manitoulin Municipal Association (MMA) last week. “I’m very disappointed with how the MCFHT approached this, and it’s more of a game they are playing. Obviously, they are upset with the Ministry of Health and the shortage of doctors, but it is the same for places across the province and Canada.”
“But to come out and compare what the two FHTs received in funding to hire new doctors is totally wrong,” stated Councillor Scott. “We have two wonderful hospital sites on the Island (Mindemoya and Little Current) and they need to work together, not have a wedge between them.”
With the funding provided by the province earlier this year to both the FHT in Little Current and Central Manitoulin, “Little Current hospital has filled 44 percent of its doctor allotment and Central Manitoulin has been able to fill 68 percent of the doctor shortage gap. Their (MCFHT) beef is with the numbers of doctors they are able to hire with the funding and they wanted to compare themselves with the allotment for Little Current.”
Councillor Scott explained that the doctors within the Northeast Manitoulin FHT not only carry out emergency room duties, but they provide services for two nursing homes, Wiikwemkoong every day five days a week and services in Aundeck Omni Kaning and Whitefish River First Nation First Nations, whereas MCFHT doctors don’t do this. “Little Current also hosts specialists. It tells the story of how hard working, overworked and understaffed they are, as is the case for MCFHT. Everyone is in the same situation.”
Currently the Little Current hospital has a doctor complement of 13.5 doctors that are funded for regular and emergency room duties while Mindemoya hospital sits at 6.5 doctors, said Councillor Scott. He noted, however, “neither hospital can fill those positions. But trying to compare the two family health teams is totally wrong.”
“I’m really, really disappointed. I know the Central FHT wanted to make a point that there is a doctor shortage, and it is making it difficult to man the emergency room, but to involve other family health teams that are also struggling is wrong. They are my doctors in Mindemoya,” said Councillor Scott. “To go to the ministry and complain and petition for more doctors and more funding is good, although I think they are knocking their head against the wall, but the way they are doing it is not right at all.”
Billings township councillor Vince Grogan suggested the MMA could make a request to have a meeting with MOH officials at the Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) annual meeting taking place early in the new year. “If they say they will not meet us they can at least tell us why not.”
MMA chair Ken Noland asked if the Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities (FONOM) or the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) have called for meetings with the MOH recently to discuss the issue.
“This issue of doctor shortages has been an issue that has been brought up by FONOM and AMO for a number of years,” said Northeast Town Mayor Al MacNevin. “There has been a number of times I, Paula Fields (president and chief executive officer of the MHC) and Dr. Maurianne Reade have made delegations to the ministry.”
“The message is there,” stated Mayor MacNevin. “But the issue (doctor shortage) is an issue across the province.” He pointed out Dr. Reade has indicated the number of visits to the emergency room at both island hospital locations is higher than the provincial average.
The MHC had indicated previously that for the month of October the emergency room at the Mindemoya Hospital could be closed for several days.
“Notice was given of this two weeks prior to the anticipated first closure on the Thanksgiving weekend,” continued Mayor MacNevin. “I understand (this) week there could be another situation where this could be the case.”
Mayor MacNevin said, “At the FONOM level we are able to join with (Northwest Ontario Municipal Association) and have the same conversation and bring up the same issues and concerns with the minister. Across Ontario and even Canada-wide it is not easy to hire doctors because of shortages, especially in areas like the Gore Bay Medical Centre where two doctors have been wanting to retire for a number of years but haven’t been able to.”
“My understanding is that it is hard with the new breed of doctor graduates, as many just want to specialize, work 9 to 5 every day and don’t want to work the emergency room,” said Mayor MacNevin.
FONOM will be taking the issue to ROMA, but this doesn’t mean the MMA can’t make a request for a meeting with the MOH at the ROMA conference, said Mayor MacNevin. “And Paula (Fields) has said the potential for closure of the ER some days in Mindemoya will keep coming in the future.” He said making a delegation to the ministry is a good idea, but it has not amounted to much in the past.
“What is not getting mentioned is that the situation with nursing shortages is just as severe,” stated Mayor MacNevin. He pointed out the MHC is projecting on its budget a $1 million cost for nursing.
“I think the MMA should request a delegation with the MOH at the ROMA conference,” said Mayor MacNevin. “We’ve been raising concerns on that issue and the lack of housing for a number of years.”
Councillor Scott said he understands two full-time doctors in Little Current will be retiring in the next year, while another doctor will be added to the roster in a year or so. “So, the hospital will be down another doctor.”
“I was really disappointed that on the Monday before Thanksgiving notice had been given that it was expected that the emergency room (in Mindemoya) was supposed to the closed,” said Councillor Scott. “But by Friday, the MHC announced it would be open.”
Richard Stephens, mayor of the municipality of Central Manitoulin said that originally in September, the MHC had announced that the emergency room department in Mindemoya could be closed for a number of days in October. “Then a letter went out on October sixth that the ER would be closed that weekend. Then a subsequent letter came to council that the ER would not be closing.” Someone wasn’t on the ball on that one.”
Mayor MacNevin told the MMA that in this case the MHC got a contract with the province to sign for doctors to work the ER the Thanksgiving weekend and they filled all 10 shifts. “Their position is that they were able to sign locum doctors to fill the shifts.”
“Even though funding was provided to hire the locums for the ER, and funding has been provided to hire more doctors at both hospitals, the problem is that here, and everywhere, no one can attract new doctors,” said Reeve Noland.
The MMA passed a motion to participate and request a meeting with the Ministry of Health at the ROMA conference to discuss the issues of doctor shortages and recruiting.
After the meeting the Expositor talked to Dr. Maurianne Read on the issue and the concerns that had been raised at the MMA meeting.
“As a long-time physician in Mindemoya and as the president of the professional staff at MHC, I am saddened to hear the opinions expressed by councillor Scott at the recent MMA meeting,” said Dr. Reade. “I had offered to attend an emergency meeting earlier this summer to discuss the concerns about physician staffing challenges. The MMA felt that we didn’t need to meet at the time as they were fully supportive of our advocacy efforts.”
“Councillors may not all realize the significant challenges that we face in recruiting doctors,” continued Dr. Reade. “Any of the doctors looking across the province for a new place to call home are looking for a sustainable work life balance.”
“There is indeed now a large discrepancy between the two sides of MHC as the councillor mentioned,” continued Dr. Reade.
“As we have said repeatedly, we have concerns about flawed processes leading to flawed outcomes, including the woefully inadequate 7.5 full time equivalent assigned to Mindemoya. Truly, the Mindemoya group is also working with less than half the number of physicians it should have been assigned.”
“We are optimistic about ongoing advocacy and dialogue with the ministry and the OMA,” continued Dr. Reade. “We continue to need community support, more than ever, as we struggle to create a sustainable place to work.”
