Cochrane Mayor Peter Politis says there’s one obstacle to recruiting primary care doctors for his town, and it’s coming from the organization that runs Lady Minto Hospital.
The mayor says the town puts together impressive incentives to have doctors locate in town. But MICs Health Services isn’t offering them shifts in the emergency department. That’s a deal breaker.
“And the reason is it’s very lucrative and that’s a big part of the compensation for physicians,” the mayor explains.
MICs CEO Paul Chatelain replies that ER shifts are all filled by active physicians under a contract arrangement with the health ministry.
“We could have a physician who’s retiring or somebody leave, Chatelain notes, “then we’ll go back and work with the town and work on a comprehensive incentive package to recruit a primary care physician and an ER doctor.”
Cochrane has two family doctors currently. It needs at least five.
