The Honourable Chester Gillan, Minister of Health, today announced a Rural Physician Stabilization Initiative which will assist recruitment efforts and stabilize physician services in rural emergency rooms on PEI. A decision was made to relieve immediate pressures and provide a daily recruitment and stabilization initiative for rural physicians providing emergency services in PEI.
Physicians providing emergency on-call services in Alberton and O’Leary will receive a daily on-call fee of $2,640.00 for 24 hours of coverage. The daily rate for physicians providing on-call services in Montague is $3,024.00. The different rate is due to the increased number of patients seen in the emergency room in Montague. The rate change is effective March 1, 2007. Upon completion of the new hospital in West Prince, the Rural Physician Stabilization Initiative will be reviewed in West Prince based on expected increased patient volumes.
The decision is part of government’s ongoing recruitment efforts and also aims to stabilize the rural physician situation on PEI. In response to concerns from rural physicians, officials from the Department of Health spoke with rural emergency department physicians across the province and their input is reflected in this initiative.
“Rural physicians are pleased with this increase in that we were able to respond to their concerns and help address the health needs of rural Islanders,” said Minister Gillan. “Discussions among physicians and health officials determined that a recruitment and stabilization initiative was required to build appropriate quality of emergency care for Island residents in rural areas.”
Dr. David Hambly, a family physician in Montague, said, “I am pleased with this decision and it should help attract and stabilize physician coverage in rural PEI.”
Dr. Herb Dickieson, Chief of Staff for Community Hospital in O’Leary, said, “This decision is a very reasonable step in the right direction as we work toward strengthening and stabilizing rural emergency room coverage in the province.”
Minister Gillan added, “Today’s decision also stabilizes emergency on-call services in West Prince at both the Community Hospital and Western Hospital. This plan will maintain existing services as we develop the new, single West Prince Hospital in Bloomfield. The West Prince hospital will bring further stability to West Prince by combining the efforts of a strengthened team of physicians and other healthcare professionals from Western and Community Hospitals.
Recruitment and retention of rural physicians are issues both on PEI and across Canada.
Minister Gillan indicated that, “The Province realizes that, in addition to this initiative and ongoing efforts, further initiatives will be required to entice physicians to practice in rural PEI. I am optimistic that the upcoming budget will address the situation.”