LETHBRIDGE- Earlier this year it was nearly impossible to find a family doctor in the city, but after months of recruiting, Alberta Health Services has found success.
Usually approximately 30 doctors a year are recruited in the south zone, and in 2014, 67 family doctors and specialists signed on.
“Of those 67, 44 have begun working in south zone. 29 of the 67 have been recruited to Lethbridge, 23 have started working and there is another 6 yet to come,” says Vanessa McLean with Alberta Health Services.
The Wellness Centre at Lethbridge College provides an on campus physician for staff and students, and also assists in finding off-campus doctors. In March, there was no one for them to refer students to.
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Bekki Tagg is the manager of Health Services at Lethbridge College and says there have been major improvements.
“It’s looking a lot better. There are a lot more physicians that are new physicians that are in clinics, that are newly out of school and moved here to set up a practice.”
With nine family doctors already arriving in the city in 2014, and four more on the way, patients will have a better chance at finding the right fit.
“There are more options now, there are four or five clinics now that has a physician that is taking on new patients so they do have the choice to kind of shop around now.”
The good news spreads outside of the city as well. Milk River has struggled for years to find new doctors, but thanks to strong community support they could be welcoming more than one new face.
“We’ve had a couple doctors through and we’ve had really good response and are extremely hopeful that one, if not both physicians will agree to accept an offer to work in Milk River.” Adds McLean. A new physician has also been recruited to Fort Macleod.
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