Municipalities Offer Incentives to Recruit Family Doctors in Underserviced Communities

Strategic Insights -

Physician recruiter Jill Croteau warns that without financial incentives, underserviced communities risk becoming medical deserts. The mayors of Sault Ste. Marie, North Perth, London, and Peterborough have called on the provincial government to ban incentives offered by municipalities, citing concerns around recruitment incentives creating unfair competition. However, Croteau argues that Ontario communities are competing on a global scale, and the incentives help level the playing field for communities in need. Municipalities are investing in recruitment initiatives to address local access to care, and the list of Niagara communities offering incentives is increasing.

Key Takeaways:

  • Niagara Region physician recruiter Jill Croteau emphasizes the importance of financial incentives in recruiting family doctors to underserviced communities, warning that without them, these communities risk becoming medical deserts.
  • The mayors of Sault Ste. Marie, North Perth, London, and Peterborough have called on the provincial government to ban incentives offered by municipalities to recruit family doctors, citing concerns around unfair competition among Ontario's towns and cities.
  • Croteau argues that Ontario communities are competing globally for physicians, and incentives help level the playing field for communities in need.
  • Municipalities are employing various community-driven solutions to address local access to care, including incentives to recruit family doctors.
  • In Niagara, 14 physicians have been recruited to Welland since its program began in 2023, offering a $100,000 incentive to each recruited physician.
  • Other Niagara municipalities, such as Thorold, Port Colborne, Fort Erie, and Niagara Falls, offer varying incentives to recruit family doctors, ranging from $25,000 to $100,000.
  • The provincial government's Northern and Rural Recruitment and Retention Initiative (NRRRI) offers recruitment incentives of between $84,851 and $124,730 over four years to lure doctors to over 250 underserved communities, including North Perth.
  • Croteau leads the Ontario Physician Recruitment Alliance and notes that many communities have support for incentives from organizations beyond municipalities, such as chambers of commerce, hospital foundations, or regional partnerships.
  • Young physicians moving to Ontario from other countries can benefit significantly from incentives, such as relocation costs and lost wages, especially when setting up a medical practice.

Statistics:

  • 280 family doctors are now practicing in Niagara, enough to care for about 70% of the region's population.
  • There are 35 physicians in the region accepting new patients, listed on Niagara's find-a-doctor website.
  • 48,000 people moved to the Niagara region over the past two years.
  • 99 doctors recently attended an online information seminar about moving to Niagara.
  • 14 physicians have been recruited to Welland since its program began in 2023, with a $100,000 incentive offered to each recruited physician.

Sources:

  • The Canadian Press
  • Niagara Region
  • Ontario Physician Recruitment Alliance
  • Northern and Rural Recruitment and Retention Initiative (NRRRI)
  • Canadian Press story by With files