How doctors are helping to cure P.E.I.'s health-care system
CBC
Doctors on P.E.I are taking steps to alleviate staffing shortages and make health-care more efficient.
They have had a hand in recruitment, the switch to electronic medicals and the implementation of the new Atlantic physician registry.
Dr. Megan Miller, P.E.I.'s physician recruiter, says eight physicians have signed letters of offer to practise on P.E.I., and 13 others are in various stages of the hiring process. Of the eight, four are family doctors and four are specialists.
"We have seen some really good success, we think, with the program and we're really pleased with the numbers that we've been able to recruit in the last couple of years since the inception of the program," Miller said.
"So there are lots of things to be hopeful for, lots of positive things happening, but we certainly recognize and know there's a lot more work to be done."
There are almost 30,000 people on P.E.I.'s patient registry waiting for a family doctor. That number grows every time a doctor retires or moves off Island, and often comes with stories from patients worried about their future health.
The public nature of practising medicine on P.E.I. can make recruitment a challenge, Miller said in an interview during special health-care series on CBC News: Compass.
"Physicians are a bit of a unique group," Miller said.
"There aren't many other professions where we hear on almost a weekly basis about changes for people who may be retiring, leaving the province or shifting roles in the province. So there is a really strong spotlight on physicians."
She said the move to medical homes and neighbourhoods on P.E.I. is appealing to new recruits.
"That's a huge innovation that's really important for our recruitment because our family physicians coming out of training now want to practise in these types of collaborative settings."
The new Atlantic physician registry, launched last week, is expected to ease some short-term staffing crunches.
It allows doctors to practise in the region without needing to apply for a different licence in each province.
Dozens of doctors in the region have already applied for approval, said Dr. Matt Kutcher, the president of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of P.E.I.
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