Physician recruitment is gaining ground at the Perth and Smiths Falls District Hospital, but the shortage of family doctors remains a challenge in Smiths Falls.
Physician recruiter Carlene MacDonald updated council Sept. 28 on recent gains and remaining vacancies, including the recruitment of a full-time radiologist from Montreal and four locum or virtual radiologists helping with the workload.
The hospital has also added four anaesthetists, mostly working locum or part time, along with a surgical assistant. A new psychiatrist has been recruited to work with Lanark, Leeds and Grenville Addictions and Mental Health.
A locum is a physician who provides temporary or short-term coverage. MacDonald said that could mean working one or two shifts a month or coming in for a weekend.
“I’d say we did better this year than we have in previous years,” MacDonald said.
She said about 37 physicians have been recruited over the past 10 years, averaging roughly three per year.
Coun. Chris McGuire asked whether the hospital had experienced any physician losses corresponding with this year’s gains.
“I don’t have any losses from the hospital side,” MacDonald said.
Family medicine continues to be more challenging.
MacDonald reported the addition of Dr. Oluwatoyin Shonubi at Cornelia Court Family Medicine. She also noted two physician departures: one relocated a practice to Ottawa, while another moved from Cornelia Court to Merrickville, taking the existing patient roster.
MacDonald said there are currently eight vacancies across the areas she is recruiting for. She anticipates a need for two to three physicians at Cornelia Court, one or two in hospitalist medicine, about two in emergency medicine, primarily for locum coverage, and a part-time psychiatrist.
Coun. Peter McKenna asked how the estimate of two to three physicians for Cornelia Court was determined.
“It’s arbitrary, to be honest,” MacDonald said.
She said the estimate reflects recent physician losses and the fact another full-time physician was already being sought. Six physicians currently work at Cornelia Court, although the clinic has space for up to 12.
McKenna also asked whether data were available showing how many residents in the K7A postal area are without a family physician.
MacDonald said she did not have that number but told council about 70 per cent of people presenting at the hospital’s emergency department do not have a family doctor.
She said she would contact Health Care Connect to see whether its list of people seeking family physicians could be broken down by postal code.
McGuire said a clearer picture of local need should also account for residents travelling to physicians in communities such as Ottawa, Perth or Kemptville who might prefer a doctor closer to home.
MacDonald said the number of physicians Cornelia Court can accommodate could also depend on administrative capacity, including whether additional reception staff would be required.
Council also discussed whether nurse practitioners could help ease pressure on primary care.
Coun. Dawn Quinn suggested council could advocate for additional funding to expand access to nurse practitioners. MacDonald said they require a different funding source and are not paid through OHIP in the same way as physicians.
Mayor Shawn Pankow asked whether the number of emergency department patients without family physicians was unusually high for Smiths Falls.
MacDonald said the shortage is not unique to the community, pointing to physician recruitment efforts underway across Ontario.
“I think that you would see this across the province,” she said. “We are not the only communities recruiting.”
MacDonald said the challenge is system-wide, leaving Smiths Falls competing with communities across Ontario for many of the same physicians.
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