A local group trying to bring doctors to Orillia welcomed eight physician recruits to the city in the past month for a site visit.
“This is the time of year we really need to put our shoulder to the wheel,” said Pat Thor, co-ordinator with the Orillia and Area Physician Recruitment and Retention Committee, noting many medical residents complete their residencies in June, enabling them to start a practice.
Bringing potential doctors to town to introduce them to the area is an important part of the committee’s mandate. It also comes with a cost, averaging about $700 per visitor once accommodation and mileage are factored in.
The committee’s annual Winter Wonderland of Epicurean Delights event helps cover those costs.
This year’s event, the fifth annual, will take place Feb. 23 from 7-11 p.m. at the Orillia Public Library. As of Friday afternoon, there were only about a dozen of the $60 tickets remaining.
“It’s very, very popular,” Thor said. “People have been very supportive.”
Ten local restaurants will set up food stations in the library, and there will beer or wine paired with the offerings at each station. It’s also a “great networking opportunity,” she said, as new physicians are in attendance.
That the event is such a success every year speaks to the importance of the committee’s efforts, Thor said. It’s a cause the group takes seriously.
When potential recruits are brought to town, they usually stay for two days, during which they tour the hospital, meet its staff and get a tour of the town “so that they can have a comprehensive snapshot of what life and work in Orillia can offer,” Thor said.
In 2017, the committee recruited one family physician and nine specialists, including a “really needed” community-based psychiatrist.
The committee’s work is never-ending. There is always a significant focus on the greatest need: family physicians.
“You think you make progress, and then somebody retires,” she said. “It’s always an ongoing endeavour.”
Since 2010, 19 family physicians have been recruited, yet the current family physicians are at capacity in terms of patients.
The goal is to attract two or three more this year, as well as in 2019 and 2020.
Successful recruitment is about more than healthcare, Thor noted.
“Physician recruitment is about the health and well-being of our community, but it’s also about economic development,” she said, noting a healthy roster of doctors makes an area more attractive to others looking to invest in the area.
For more information about the Feb. 23 fundraiser, call 705-325-2201, ext. 3858.
