Family physician numbers looking up for region

Just six years ago Hatters had a difficult time finding a family physician willing to accept new patients but now that has all changed.

“We have a full complement of family physicians according to the family practice department,” said Dr. Vince DiNinno associate medical director at Medicine Hat Regional Hospital.

According to the Palliser Primary Care Network’s website there are currently six doctors in Medicine Hat accepting new patients.

It is a very different story compared to October 2011 when Alberta Health Services (AHS) announced it was looking to attract an additional 10 family physicians for Medicine Hat within two years. An active recruitment program was established with a budget of $250,000 to support the initiative.

If family doctors still choose to relocate to Medicine Hat they are welcome to do so but there would not be any incentives to relocate, said DiNinno. He also notes that just because a name does not appear on a list of doctors accepting new patients it does not mean that is the case. There could be many reasons why their name is not on the list.

There is a huge decline in what is called the “unattached population” evidenced by the reduced number of people treated in the emergency department who need follow-up with a family physician and indicate they do not have one, said DiNinno.

The need for patients fitting this profile was so significant in 2011 that a special clinic had to be set up at Medicine Hat Regional Hospital to provide follow-up care.

There are however a number of family physicians who will be reaching retirement age in the near future and they will need to be replaced, said DiNinno. Better data is being collected now to project needs for the next three years, something we were not equipped with when the shortage of family physicians was a big concern.

In 2011 AHS was also actively recruiting for specialists in emergency, pediatrics, pathology, geriatrics, neurology and ophthalmology in Medicine Hat.

Currently there is an active recruitment process for specialists in oncology, anesthesiology and internal medicine.

“In other specialties I think we are now in really good shape,” said DiNinno.

“We have a full complement of family physicians according to the family practice department.” – Dr. Vince DiNinno associate medical director at Medicine Hat Regional Hospital