Staff from Hôpital Glengarry Memorial Hospital (HGMH) in Alexandria recently attended the Rural Ontario Medical Program (ROMP) retreat in Blue Mountain as part of a recruitment drive to find physicians interested in working in North Glengarry.
The HGMH was “connecting with future physicians and showcasing why our hospital and community are the perfect place to live and practise medicine.” First-year and second-year residents with an interest in working in rural or remote areas attended the retreat.
According to CEO and President, Robert Alldred-Hughes, HGMH is actively promoting opportunities to work at the hospital, which has two incentive programs aimed at attracting doctors. A qualified physician who opens a family practice through HGMH can choose to receive a $40,000 bonus or five years, rent-free office space at the hospital in exchange for a five-year contract.
The two available office spaces include furniture, utilities, maintenance and housekeeping as part of the bonus rental package. Additionally, because the rent-free spaces are located within a medical collective, physicians enjoy the family atmosphere, positive synergies and opportunities for consultation with their co-workers at HGMH.
The hospital in Alexandria is also seeking two emergency room doctors and two in-patient doctors. In exchange for a two-year commitment, the hospital is offering a $10,000 bonus and the opportunity to gain invaluable experience. The institution also offers a $5,000 relocation bonus for any doctor whose relocation is over 100 kilometres.
This spring, HGMH will participate in the Rural Medical Discovery Week, where second-year and third-year medical students are invited work a week at the hospital.
The Ministry of Health, and particularly the Primary Care Branch, is focused on providing health and well-being care to people in all stages of their life. A primary care provider assists in prevention education for patients, along with identifying and treating illnesses as they arise and connecting a patient with specialists if required.
Recognizing the value of primary care physicians, the Ontario government has established a one-time funding of approximately $85,000 over four years to a doctor who sets up a primary care practice in Alexandria.
The need for doctors in Ontario, and particularly in rural areas, is in crisis mode, with estimates that over four million people will not have a family physician by 2026. As this number continues to grow, patients line up for hours in hope of getting on the list of a doctor opening a new practice.
HGMH recognizes its need to expand services and provide health care to a growing and aging population. Through incentive programs, government assistance, promotion of the amenities available in Alexandria and the community, HGMH hopes to encourage practitioners to come to North Glengarry, and make sure those doctors already here, stay.
