Committee approves regional approach to physician recruitment

Doctor Symbol By Marek Studinski-Free Domain Use-Unsplash.

By Cecilia Nasmith

Physician recruitment for Northumberland County will have a regional component, if county council accepts the recommendation of Physician Recruitment Specialist Paula Mason.

At Tuesday's meeting of council's Community Health Committee, Mason related how the idea arose after Quinte West succeeded in recruiting a physician with financial incentives in exchange for what she called a return-on-investment – a minimum time commitment during which the doctor must remain in practice in Quinte West.

The physician stayed the required three years, during which she negotiated with a neighbouring community for the same package. At the end of the three years, she left some 1,000 Quinte West patients stranded to begin practice in another community.

The goal of the regional memorandum of understanding before the committee, Mason said, is “trying to come up with an understanding to help prevent the movement between communities strictly for the purpose of obtaining a financial incentive.”

It has been before the county's own Primary Care Recruitment Advisory Committee, she added.

Parties to the agreement are the City of Belleville, City of Quinte West, County of Hastings, County of Prince Edward and the Municipality of Brighton – which, once county council approves, will be replaced by the County of Northumberland.