Chester Gillan, Minister of Health today announced details on physician recruitment progress in the province. The announcement was made in the legislature when the Minister reviewed the arrival of numerous new physicians which are filling vacancies created by retiring or departed physicians. There are also physicians arriving to fill new physician roles in the province.
A total of fourteen physicians have been recently recruited to the province. Six of these physicians are new and will fill vacancies, while eight are replacements for physicians who have retired or left the province.
Minister Gillan said, “In a system with approximately 200 physician positions, there will always be some vacancies as turnover is constant – physicians arrive from around the world and Island physicians leave for employment in other jurisdictions.”
In the Spring budget, government increased the Island’s physician complement by six. As a result of recent success in recruitment efforts, we now have 14 overall vacancies. Of those 14 vacancies, a number are filled by locums or temporary physicians on an ongoing basis.
“This effort is a testament to the joint effort of the Medical Programs division of the Department of Health in collaboration with the recruitment efforts of physicians across the province, added Minister Gillan. “I also wish to acknowledge the tremendous contribution of Island physicians who have either left the Island or have sadly passed away. Their dedication to supporting and improving the health of Islanders will not be forgotten.”
Dr. Lewis Newman, a long-time family physician in the province recently indicated he will be retiring from his practice in July of this year. Dr. Sterling Keizer has been recruited to replace him and take over his caseload.
Dr. Janet Baker, family physician, has left the province for personal reasons. Dr. James McKim, a locum physician has been providing temporary services in her absence. These locum services will be ongoing until the new year when Dr. Jennifer Ashby and Dr. Hui Nuyagen will be working together to cover that practice.
Dr. Peter Hooley, family physician, will be covering the late Dr. Harry Callaghan’s practice in Parkdale.
Dr. Paul Cusack will be carrying out temporary coverage for Dr. Adriana Veer, who is on temporary leave, and then will begin his own Family Practice in the Charlottetown area.
Dr. Mierielle LeCours has taken on a new role as the Provincial Palliative Care Consultant and will be leaving her family practice in early July. The Department is working with several physicians to fill this vacancy.
The province will also see the addition of Dr. John Campbell, a new orthopedic surgeon who will be starting practice at the Charlottetown Polyclinic at the end of June, increasing the number of orthopedic surgeons to four.
Dr. Jurgen Kontor is a new plastic surgeon who will commence a plastic surgery practice.
Dr. Longinus Agor is relocating to PEI and will provide full-time Hospitalist services at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Dr. Agor is an internal medicine specialist whose sole responsibility is to look after patients while in the hospital. This addition will help increase efficiencies in patient flow through the hospital.
Several psychiatrists are relocating to the Province. These include Dr. Heather Keizer, an Islander, Dr. Patricia Lepage, Dr. Pierre Parenteau, Dr. Harminder Dhillon and Dr. Shabbir Amunullah.
Dr. Nadine Arsenault will be commencing a new practice this September at the Harbourside Clinic in Summerside.
Dr. Dennis Karangwa, will soon begin Obstetrician/Gynaecology practice in Summerside.
One area of concern has been physician recruitment to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) Emergency Department. Currently there are two physicians who are prepared to come to the QEH and they are in the process of working through immigration.
“ We are optimistic that their immigration documentation will be completed soon and they will arrive to work in the QEH Emergency Department in the next four to six weeks,” noted Minister Gillan. “ Local family physicians and out-of-province locums are currently assisting the QEH ED for physician coverage, and these additional temporary measures are helping to reduce the strain on the department,” added Minister Gillan.
Recruitment is also underway for Dr. Declan Rowan who is leaving his family practice to assume a new practice in Ontario. Efforts are also taking place to replace Dr. Dan Leblond and Dr. Meg Simpson, a husband and wife physician team, who are leaving Charlottetown for work in the western provinces.
The Department of Health Medical Programs division will continue to work collaboratively with physicians across PEI to implement the enhanced Physician Recruitment and Retention Strategy. There will be continued efforts to fill all other existing physician vacancies in the province.