The Town of Minto plans to continue providing financial support for health care professional recruitment in 2018.
Minto-Mapleton Health Care Professional Recruitment Committee chair Shirley Borges and recruiter Allison Armstrong attended the Jan. 9 Minto council meeting to update council on committee activities and requested council once again provide $10,000 to support recruitment efforts.
“I’m sure we can find that $10,000,” Mayor George Bridge advised the delegation.
Treasurer Gordon Duff noted plans to allocate the funds were made during discussions on the proposed 2018 operating budget.
Borges told council the committee had “a pretty busy year” in 2018, including helping to facilitate Palmerston physician Dr. Christopher Cressey’s transition to retirement.
Borges noted that Cressey retired in November but, “he gave us lots of notice and worked with us to be able to recruit two new physicians.”
In December, Dr. Joanna Wielgosz joined Dr. Tamara Chu, who arrived last spring, operating out of the Minto Rural Health Centre at the Palmerston and District Hospital site and working with Dr. Cressey’s patients.
“Those are big shoes that we’ve had to fill and as you can see we’ve had to replace his business and practice with two physicians,” stated Borges.
Borges pointed out the health care centre itself, which opened in May of 2016, played a role in the recruitment process.
“I think without that centre … our job would be very difficult to recruit new physicians to our area because we really didn’t have a location for a team-based environment.”
Borges said the centre, which currently houses three physicians, has room for one more, and has some remaining office space but “other than that, it’s full.”
Providing training opportunities for medical residents has also proved a valuable recruiting tool, said Borges, noting that Dr. Christine Peterkin has “devoted many hours” to working with residents. She noted both Dr. Chu and Dr. Wielgosz were first introduced to the Minto-Mapleton community through the program.
“So that has been a very .. good tool to attract talent and new physicians,” she stated.
Bridge thanked the committee for its ongoing efforts and noted its participation on the local economic development committee.
Bridge said community economic development and medical professional recruitment are connected.
“The fact we have the hospital, we have our medical centres and whatever, that’s all part of it,” Bridge stated.
