New thinking needed for health care on P.E.I.

Here in Prince County, the challenge of doctor recruitment is again becoming a pressing concern — and I continue to believe that part of the solution rests with a medical school for family physicians.

I first heard this idea from Dr. Herb Dickieson — and I have to be honest, in the beginning, I was doubtful.

But as I listened to him, I became intrigued — and afterwards, I reached out to a number of experts in the field.

First, there are models for this elsewhere in Atlantic Canada.

New Brunswick has two satellite medical schools, in Moncton and Saint John. There is a medical school in Northern Ontario, dedicated primarily to rural health care. And small campuses have been developed across the United States.

So, I had discussions with the University of Prince Edward Island President Alaa Ab-El-Aziz, and was quite pleased to hear his enthusiasm for the idea.

As I thought about it more — and after hearing all the concerns about Prince County Hospital — it occurred to me that Summerside is the best Island location for a small medical school.

First, the hospital is very modern. As an institution, it gets rave reviews from patients and staff, and it could easily accommodate a teaching component.

Second, there is Summerside’s fierce and well-earned reputation for getting difficult projects done. And I am certain that Mayor Basil Stewart and city council could lend their weight and influence to making a Summerside medical school a reality.

Furthermore, this would offer the University of Prince Edward Island the opportunity to locate a significant part of its educational presence to Prince County.

We all know significant contributions of the university to the social and economic life of Charlottetown. And recently, the university announced the School of Climate Change and Adaptation in St. Peter’s — so it now has a significant presence in Kings County, and is partly funded by Ottawa. I was very supportive of that project — partly because I believe that public resources should be invested in a way that promotes equitable access to highlevel educational programs across our Island.

And further, there is a long history of the federal government working with universities and provinces in post-secondary educational facilities. A good example is the Atlantic Veterinary College.

In my view, the federal government could take a similar role in helping the province to initiate the hard work required for a Summerside medical school. Certainly, I will be very supportive — and with the right signals of support from the provincial and municipal governments, I believe we can make this a reality.

We all know there are difficult issues on the Island relative to health-care access. It appears now that the old solutions are not working.

I believe we need to embrace some new thinking — and adopt the models that have assisted other jurisdictions attract and retain health professionals. A medical school may be an important part of the solution to health care access.

“In my view, the federal government could take a similar role in helping the province to initiate the hard work required for a Summerside medical school.”