Attempts by some Ontario mayors to get the province to ban financial incentives municipalities use to attract doctors to their communities are not welcomed in Huntsville.
“I was elected by the people of Huntsville to take care of them, and that’s exactly what I’m doing,” said Huntsville Councillor Bob Stone, who has been working alongside Huntsville Councillor Scott Morrison to attract family doctors to Huntsville. There are currently an estimated 5,000 people without a doctor in the Huntsville area, a number that has been steadily growing.
The Town of Huntsville’s Physician Incentive Program offers $60,000 for taking over a family practice, $70,000 for taking over an existing practice and taking more than 200 Huntsville patients off the Algonquin Family Health Team waitlist, and $80,000 for those setting up a new family practice. Other incentives include memberships and services offered by the business community.
Stone points to the fact that program is working. “In less than a year, we have five doctors that have signed, and we anticipate at least two more before the end of the summer.”
However, several Ontario mayors, including the mayors of Perth and London, have been calling on the province to ban such financial incentives, and according to an article by the Canadian Press, Sault Ste. Marie Mayor Matthew Shoemaker is going further, suggesting the federal government should outlaw the practice altogether from “coast to coast.”
Shoemaker and other mayors argue that they are unable to compete for doctors when municipalities such as Huntsville manage to raise tens of thousands of dollars to attract them.
“I feel badly for other communities that don’t have funds to offer this incentive, but the province has put us in this situation, and they are now scrambling to find ways to bring more doctors to Ontario, but in the meantime, I’m still working for the people of Huntsville,” said Stone, who blamed the province for not preparing for the shortage everyone knew was coming.
“This problem was looking 10 to 15 years ago, and they did nothing to bring more doctors to serve the people of Ontario. I think one of the low-hanging fruits is nurse practitioners, and they should be encouraging more of that, but that hasn’t been happening. In the meantime, Scott Morrison and I are doing what we can to bring new docs to Huntsville.”
Morrison said he understands some of the concerns involving taking on provincial responsibilities. “None of us want to spend any money on provincial initiatives; we just hope the province funds it enough, but when you look at something that you know you can make a difference on that is impactful to everybody, and it’s one of those items that everybody feels strongly about and you know you have the means to do it and you don’t do it, I think you’re negligent.”
In terms of competing against other municipalities for doctors as a result of the incentives, Morrison said: “I care about other municipalities. I want them to do well, but none of them voted me in. So, my duty is to the people that voted me in, and when I thought of this idea, I thought, what can we do… and then I came up with this plan, and I can’t imagine not doing it now because it’s been so successful.”
Last month, Ontario announced it would connect 300,000 more people to family doctors and primary care teams this year.
If you do not have a family doctor, you can sign up for the waiting list HERE.
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Bob I totally with you and again congratulations to the Town for incorporating this incentive program. Some municipalities it seems don’t like to be proactive but they certainly are reactive. Reactive to success. So much easier to try and drag someone down to their level then aspire to success. Keep going Huntsville.