With 20,000 residents projected to not have access to a primary-care provider as of next year, Northumberland County is pursuing a two-year, county-wide physician recruitment pilot.
Council has approved an annual budget of $223,000 for the pilot, with officials hoping this more “centralized” effort will help address a growing gap in access to primary care locally.
This move also translates to hiring of a physician engagement specialist “based on an outcomes-based compensation package,” as well as approval of an advisory committee structure and an initial budget to support implementation of a recruitment action plan, according to the county.
“This strategic investment reflects Northumberland County’s commitment to a co-ordinated, county-wide approach to physician recruitment, retention and engagement,” said county staff.
The committee is supposed to be comprised of representatives of the Ontario Health Team of Northumberland, area municipalities, the business sector, and county staff.
In a June county report, it cites an Ontario Medical Association estimation that 2.5 million people are without family doctors, with the expectation that this number will double in the next two years.
“Currently, an estimated 8,000 Northumberland residents … lack a primary-care provider, with this projected to rise to 20,000 by 2026,” reads the report.
The report also highlights a need to tackle what is described as a “rapidly accelerating shortage of physicians” in the region.
Historically, Northumberland has had physician recruitment divided up into west Northumberland (Cobourg, Port Hope, and the townships of Hamilton, Alnwick/Haldimand and Cramahe), then Trent Hills has its own effort, and Brighton is teamed up with Quinte West through Docs by the Bay.
The new physician engagement specialist at the Northumberland County level will reportedly be responsible for facilitating the design and execution of strategic initiatives focused on physician recruitment, retention and engagement, with a hyper-focus in the primary-care/family-medicine sectors.
Northumberland County is accepting applications for the position until June 30 at 4:30 p.m.
(Written by: Sarah Hyatt)