The Town of Blue Mountains (TBM) is looking to its neighbouring communities to come together in order to take a more active role in recruiting and retaining family physicians in the South Georgian Bay.
“A family physician is very important. They are your first contact point for continuing care,” said June Porter, TBM resident and member of the TBM joint municipal physician recruitment committee. “Local clinics in the area are receiving upwards of 10 calls a day from constituents and members of the public looking to access a family physician.”
Porter, alongside TBM councillor Andrea Matrosovs, made a presentation at the Municipality of Grey Highlands council on March 4.
“Twenty per cent of visits to the emergency department could be eliminated with access to a local family physician,” added Porter, who spent her career as a healthcare executive.
The TBM committee is appealing to the municipality of Grey Highlands, Wasaga Beach, Collingwood, Meaford, and Clearview, asking for a representative to sit on the committee, as well as a $25,000 contribution in order to acquire a professional recruitment company to prospect for physicians.
“If we are able to get all the partners on board we would be able to acquire professional recruitment support, in terms of consulting or a staff person on-hire, that would represent all of us,” said Matrosovs. “We would have one person representing all of the Southern Georgian Bay instead feeling like we all need to put forth individual efforts.”
Porter says recruiting physicians is highly competitive and can take time and effort to build the relationships necessary to see results.
“Finding candidates is all about having a relationship that begins in medical school that carries through the residency program. Also, engaging international medical graduates who are looking for clinical practices in rural communities is a possible route,” Porter said.
“If we can pool funding so that we can hire professional recruitment for our region, it helps us to be part of the picture,” said Matrosovs, adding that the committee made the same presentation to the Clearview Township on Monday night, who immediately made a motion to appoint a representative to the committee.
“Imagine the presence that we can build as a region by pooling our populations together and saying, it is possible for you to practice as much as you would like in this area. You won’t be contained or find that there is too small of growth for you,” Matrosovs petitioned. “We would like you to consider being a partner with this committee. As I mentioned, Doug Measures the Mayor of Clearview has now been appointed to work with us. We encourage a public appointment [to the committee] as well.”
Clearview Township has also committed to considering the $25,000 ask in its 2021 budget.
Grey Highlands council accepted the presentation but did not make any commitments further than discussing the issue again at an upcoming council meeting.
