MANITOULIN—A new local approach to physician recruitment has been launched involving multiple organizations from across the Island. With several outstanding full-time physician vacancies remaining unfilled, coupled with future pressures (such as the potential for retirements in the not too distant future), the need to add greater supporting resources to the recruitment portfolio has become more apparent, a press release from the Manitoulin Health Centre (MHC) states.
To help provide greater capacity, MHC has joined with the physician clinics in Mindemoya, Little Current, Gore Bay and Manitowaning, along with the three Family Health Teams and Noojmowin Teg Health Centre, to form a core committee of stakeholders who will help steer future efforts. In addition, a physician recruiter has been hired on a contracted basis to help with tasks like outreach contact efforts with candidate physicians throughout Ontario, and helping to market the local opportunities of living and practicing medicine on Manitoulin, in one of the many professional settings.
There are a growing number of vacant physician positions across Ontario and competition between communities is the new reality. Historically, Manitoulin has enjoyed a favourable complement of family practice physicians and vacancies have rarely been prolonged. This no longer appears to be true. The new reality is that communities must link resources together and truly “market” their opportunities, incentives and lifestyle. Relationship-building with prospective candidates is a large part of this process, as is helping to ease the relocation transition for new hires.
As part of this effort, the core committee will be reaching out across other potential stakeholder groups to build upon this initial work.
Leaders from other key organizations could potentially add their resources and expertise to the new recruitment team.
It has been said that it takes a community to attract and retain a physician; with well over 500 family practice vacancies currently listed across Ontario (see the Health Force Ontario website), this has never been more valid.
