Peterborough County is rethinking its approach to physician recruitment as the area continues to grow in population.
Recently the county launched a new health-care assessment form, seeking input from residents on needed health services in each of the eight townships.
Lori Richey, the county’s health-care advancement co-ordinator, says the goal is to highlight what differentiates the county from other Ontario communities. It also aims to address needs and reduce legwork for family doctors.
“I can tell a physician, ‘Yeah, we have a lot of people here but I don’t know who they are or where they are,'” she said.
Peterborough County Warden Bonnie Clark says expanding health-care options is vital.
“Our goal is for all aspects of the health-care continuum to be more accessible to all residents,” she stated.
Exactly how many residents are without a family doctor is not known. The Ontario College of Physicians released a report in late February that estimates there are more than 32,000 people without a family doctor in the Peterborough area.
The report estimates that figure could reach 63,000 by 2026.
Richey says the county is developing its own comprehensive recruitment and retention program.
It follows a similar approach to the one the City of Peterborough recently approved.
“It’s not just you come here and set up a practice and we’re going to leave you,” Richey said. “We’re going to be side-by-side with these physicians for a number of years.”
Richey highlighted one recent successful recruitment effort in the village of Norwood. Space leased by the township at the new medical centre currently houses three family doctors and a nurse practitioner.
However, she cautions that while it’s been a success to date, many municipalities are not looking to download health-care costs and responsibilities.
“It is costing the taxpayers of their community a significant amount of money,” she said. “Was it successful in attracting physicians? Absolutely. Will it be something that can be sustained? That is yet to be determined.”
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