— Doctor recruitment plan to be created —
(OSOYOOS TIMES — Feb. 14, 2007) —
By Lawrence McMahenrnOsoyoos Times
Officials say there's a doctor shortage in Osoyoos “ and now doctors and economic development staff from Osoyoos and Oliver are taking action to prevent the shortage from getting critical.
They held a first meeting two weeks ago and will work over the next couple of months on a strategy to attract more doctors to live and work at the south end of the Okanagan Valley.
Osoyoos Mayor John Slater revealed at the Feb. 5 Town Council meeting that Council believes there is a shortage of doctors in the community. He said he has asked Destination Osoyoos (DO), as the economic arm of the Town, to work on a doctor recruitment strategy.
DO Executive Director Glenn Mandziuk told the Osoyoos Times last Friday that everyone involved believes the situation is serious and needs attention.
Health care is a fundamental part of our community. We have a shortage (of doctors) now and we will have a much larger shortage in the future if something isn't done, Mandziuk says. The combination of expected doctor retirements and growing population are two factors that cause concern, he adds.
We need to look at replacement. All the doctors in Oliver and Osoyoos have recognized this issue, Mandziuk says.
We don't want it to get to the point of being a crisis, he says.
Osoyoos currently has six doctors “ Calder, Kane and Van Der Westhuizen at the Osoyoos Medical Centre; and Gatto, Swan and Tarr at the Desert Doctors' Clinic. The Interior Health online list shows Drs. Swan and Tarr are accepting new patients.
Mandziuk says most doctors, along with Town and economic development staff from both Osoyoos and Oliver met Jan. 30 to start work on a doctor recruitment strategy.
He says they are now assembling information and in two months want to have a plan for joint action that would start later in 2007 to actively recruit doctors to the area.
That plan could include activities such as advertising in key publications and putting displays in trade shows. Then, doctors indicating an interest in the area would be brought here for a visit “ with the community being showcased to them, so they could see the lifestyle they would enjoy here.
We have in many respects what doctors want, Mandziuk says.
The DO head gives credit to area doctors for their willingness to tackle the shortage issue.
Mandziuk and Slater say Penticton has already been pursuing an aggressive doctor recruitment strategy.
Interior Health spokesperson Alison Paine says the Osoyoos-Oliver initiative is a positive step.
It's very forward-thinking, she notes.
Paine says that, as the government's health authority, Interior Health would be more than happy to look at a role it might play in co-operatively helping the towns' doctor recruitment effort.
She says that in the case of two smaller isolated communities “ Creston and Chase “ Interior Health is working in partnership with all other stakeholders on a collaborative plan to recruit doctors to those towns.
