Team Effort Brought Docs To Fort St. James
Prince George, BC – It took collaboration…and the tireless efforts of many individuals in Fort St. James to stave off certain death for medical care in the small rural community.
Health care in the community has been on life support since February, when four of the five physicians left over a short period. As a result, the Emergency Department at Stuart Lake Hospital has only been open sporadically since March – including complete closures in June and July – when locum coverage can be secured to relieve the community’s remaining doctor. (250 News file photo at right)
With yesterday’s announcement of the recruitment of Dr. Hennie Putter, Fort St. James will have four full-time physicians and one part-time doctor by the time Dr. Putter arrives next March. Dr. Anthony Meyer begins part-time practise later this month, while two full-time physicians will begin working in January.
Northern Health’s Chief Operating Officer for the Northern Interior, Michael McMillan, says, "A lot of hard work and effort went into this recruitment campaign and I would like to thank everyone for their support through this process."
As part of recruitment efforts, NH’s medical administration team worked with a consultant and purchased access to databases that connected the organization to more than 14-thousand dollars in Canada, the US, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Australia.
But McMillan says, "The community of Fort St. James deserves the credit for making the doctors that have been recruited feel welcome."
The list of community members being recognized is long:
- Dr. Paul Stent, Family Practitioner, Fort St. James
- Kathy Marchal, Office Manager, Fort St. James Medical Clinic
- Aileen Prince, Executive Director, Nak’azdli Health Centre
- Renata Walstrom, RN, Nak’azdli Health Centre
- Elders, Nak’azdli Health Centre
- Nak’azdli First Nation
- Yekooche First Nation
- Tl’azt’en First Nation
- Takla Lake First Nation
- Amanda Edge, Head Nurse, Stuart Lake Hospital
- Dawn Gauthier, Former Head Nurse, Stuart Lake Hospital
- Ann McCormick, College of New Caledonia, Fort St. James campus
- Cam McCormick, retired school principal, Sowchea Elementary School
- Emily Columbo, Economic Development Officer
- Mayor Rob MacDougall, Mayor and Council
- Jana Bugart, Caterer
- College of New Caledonia Professional Chef Program
- Friends of Fort St. James National Historic Site
- Brad Van Koughnett, Pilot, Interior Helicopters
- Medical staff, St. John Hospital, Vanderhoof
In addition, Fort St. James’ physician, Dr. Paul Stent, is extending thanks of his own. "I wish to thank and compliment the sustained efforts of the following people who collaborated in this project to ensure the continuity of medical services provided to the people (in) the greater Fort St. James: Dr. Susan MacDonald, Dr. Sean Ebert, Kelly Gunn, Michael McMillan, Charlene Thomas and Sheilagh Wilson of Northern Health."
He adds, "On behalf of those living in the vicinity of Stuart Lake, I wish to thank the doctors and staff of St. John Hospital in Vanderhoof for providing emergency medical care to all who needed it during this year."
Speaking on behalf of his council colleagues, Mayor Rob MacDougall says, "We are relieved and excited to know we will have four full-time and one part-time doctor in Fort St. James as of March 2013 to provide the service we all deserve." The mayor is confident the recruitments will aid in retaining and attracting new residents to the community and region.
Comments
Good news for the time being, but the more important issue is whether they choose to stay in the Fort especially if they are reading stories like the one about the torture and murder that occurred on the reserve.
Interesting true story, our doctor out here in Ottawa moved to Canada from South Africa and when we told him we were from Prince George, he mentioned how he had considered moving there when they were on their big recruiting drive. That was until he started researching the city and noted the air quality issues. He said he was quite familiar with the health impacts that the pulp mills had, as he grew up near one in South Africa. I paraphrase, but his words were basically “no way would I move my family there”.
I raise this not to start a discussion about air quality, but to highlight that when it comes to attracting doctors, we have to remember that they can literally practise most anywhere in the world. What would make them choose to work in Fort St. James over any other community in Canada? I think it’s fair to conclude that “most” doctors (and this is no different that most people) would prefer to work and live in places that are safe, have a clean environment, have services for their family, are not isolated, etc.
I don’t think health care delivery can escape the trend that in the future, Canada will more and more become a country where the bulk of the population chooses to live in a handful of very large cities and the communities immediately adjacent to them. Small towns in isolated locations are going to continue having challenges with attracting doctors and other health care professionals. It’s a simple case of supply and demand and in most cases, places like Fort St. James cannot compete with other cities trying to attract the same people. Heck, places like PG have a hard enough time competing.
My proposed solution is simple. Health care funding already comes 100% from the government, so let’s add one more component to that. Let’s provide FREE (100% subsidized) post-secondary education to anyone entering the medical profession on the condition that they will work in an under-serviced community for the same duration of time that they spent acquiring their necessary education. The costs would probably wash out or there would be a new savings anyway, since having these professionals in these communities would likely to save the medical system money as they would be able to deal with stuff before it becomes more serious and requires advanced or complex interventions.
Once they have put in their time, they are free to go wherever they choose. While they are putting in their time, the ball is in the court of the city to put their best plan forward for building a community that the person will want to stay in long-term.
My understanding is that graduating doctors from the Northern Medical program will have all or a good portion of their provincial student loan forgiven, if they practice for three years in the north. They would also probably be provided with some sort of housing concessions as well. It’s not the total answer, but it helps. One the other hand, they are in such demand, and receive well deserved compensation for their work, they can choose to practice almost anywhere they want. Still, remember, the NMP was started on the basis of “if you raise them in the north, they will practice in the north”, and many of the students of the program come from rural communities, and wish to return to them to practice.
I doubt if train them in the North and they will stay in the North is actually working.
In any event it seems to me that Fraser Lake BC pays their Doctors a yearly salary, rather than have them dependent of clients.
I suspect that the same program is being put in place in Ft St James.
We need to keep in mind that these samll communitys do not have sufficient people to allow 4 doctors to make a good salary. However if they all get paid $300,000.00 per year plus or minus, and are available to releive each other for holidays etc; then it works better than the standard model through out the Province.
Having a gauranteed income, reasonable working hours and conditions, and holidays, it probably the best attractant for doctors.
NMG, I strongly agree with you.
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