Hastings County is putting more money on the table to recruit family physicians to set up practices in the area.
The county will now pay $150,000, over five years, to medical graduates for setting up a a practice. Previously, the incentive offered $100,000 over five years.
Warden Bob Mullen said councillors voted to up the commitment, knowing the County is competing with several other under-serviced areas of the province that also have incentive programs.
“Everybody, including some large centres, are trying to attract doctors,” he says. “No one was opposed. If anything, there might have been a desire to go even higher.”
Hastings County also offers a $75,000 incentive to an already practicing family doctor who wants to relocate to the area.
Mullen said the incentive programs have been successful. Since launching in 2006, it’s brought 21 doctors to the area, of which 16 are still practicing. Yet more are still needed.
Mullen said the goal is to ensure that there’s at least one family doctor for every 5,000 County residents and the County is not there yet.
