The Department of Health is pleased to announce two new physicians have been recruited to the Pathology Department at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH).
“We are very pleased to welcome two new specialists to the province,” says Health Minister, Doug Currie. “Recruiting specialists is a competitive process and the people who have the training and skills necessary for these positions are in high demand. With shortages in these areas across the country, we need to compete with other provinces to attract and retain physicians to the Island.”
Minister Currie also stated that the stabilization of physicians is a top priority for this government and is key to ensuring the continuity of care.
The first to arrive was Dr. Lei Ang, who began her practice as a Medical Microbiologist this month. Dr. Ang trained and practised in the United Kingdom and most recently worked in Birmingham, England. She visited the Island in February and decided that Prince Edward Island would be a great place to practice.
Dr. Lynne Bowler will also be joining the Pathology Department in September, 2008 as a Pathologist. Dr. Bowler is currently practising in Kitchener, Ontario. She and her husband were considering moving to the East Coast and after they visited Prince Edward Island in May, their decision was made.
The Department of Health, the Recruitment and Retention Secretariat and physicians and staff in local health care facilities are working together to fill the complement of healthcare professionals across the province.
This government has shown their commitment to healthcare with the development of the Recruitment and Retention Secretariat, the Family Medicine Residency Program and the Accelerated Nursing Program, which will help to ensure that our province has the resources available to deliver the best healthcare to Islanders now, and into the future.