Duane Hicks
A new report done by the Rainy River Future Development Corp. is recommending several measures to enhance physician recruitment and retention here, including creating a new executive committee, increasing awareness of incentive programs, and getting more participation from the broader community.
Economic development officer Geoff Gillon, with the RRFDC, delivered the report to town council at last night’s council meeting.
He stressed, above all, that the entire community has to become fully engaged in doctor recruitment and retention, as well as tout the benefits of living and working in Fort Frances, if they really want to get new doctors to practise here.
One of the major recommendations is for the doctor recruitment and retention committee to create an executive committee, which would consist of a representative from each of the Family Health Team, Family Health Organization (Nelson Medical Corp.), Town of Fort Frances, and La Verendrye Hospital.
The role of the executive committee would be to set recruitment budgets, allocate resources and staffing, and report to partners and the community on an annual basis.
The report also recommended the doctor recruitment and retention committee:
•elect or rotate a chair position every two years;
•invest up to $400,000 of the current recruitment fund (which is over $500,000) into a secured interest-bearing certificate (at a two percent return, this would earn an estimated additional $8,000 in income towards doctor recruitment);
•encourage financial and organizational participation of up to $30,000 collected annually from Alberton, La Vallee, Couchiching FN, and unorganized areas east of Fort Frances;
•establish subcommittees to work on areas such as marketing product development, physician incentives, “Retention Week,” student and new physician welcoming, and family employment support;
•invite representatives from Dr. Moorhouse’s office to participate;
•hire an assistant to do tasks required to “jump start” recruitment efforts (among other duties, this part-time position could establish a list of citizen volunteers to assist in administrative and other recruitment tasks);
•improve its planning and budgeting;
•increase awareness of incentive programs offered here;
•encourage greater participation from the broader community; and
•strengthen activities to support Northern Ontario School of Medicine students and residents.
The report noted Fort Frances needs to attract new physicians not only to address current vacancies, but to prepare for the eventual retirements of older physicians.
That said, “competition in the marketplace to attract physicians is fierce,” and physician shortages continue to exist across Canada, especially in rural and northern regions.
The RRFDC report also stated the Family Health Team model has shown positive results here, and there is a consensus among committee members, experts, and officials that the model is the best available to attract new physicians.
Council endorsed the report, and now will forward it on to the doctor recruitment and retention committee and various stakeholders to get their input and discuss the recommendations therein.
Also at last night’s meeting, council:
•received a presentation from Paul Noonan, owner of La Place Rendez-Vous, who had concerns about council’s decision at its Feb. 22 meeting to permit weddings and receptions at Sunny Cove Camp (they referred the matter back to the Community Services executive committee for review, with input from the Administration and Finance executive committee);
•agreed to proclaim March as “Red Cross Month” in the Town of Fort Frances;
•referred a request from G. Domanski, re: interim tax bill 2010 at 755 Riverview Dr., to the Administration and Finance executive committee for its recommendation;
•referred a financial request, re: the fourth-annual Women’s Health Symposium scheduled for May 8, to the Administration and Finance executive committee for its recommendation;
•passed a bylaw to approve an amending agreement with the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) for the transfer of federal gas tax revenues under the “New Deal for Cities and Communities”;
•passed a bylaw to assume, stop up, and close, for the purpose of selling, part of a north-south lane south of Fifth Street East and north of the CN right-of-way, between Portage Avenue and McKenzie Avenue; and
•received a public meeting notice from the Committee of Adjustment for a meeting March 15 re: File No. A1/2010 (821 Williams Ave.) and A2/2010 (920 Victoria Ave.)
