SUNDRE - A new provincial government program aimed at improving the recruitment and retention of family physicians in rural Alberta is a good step forward and may be helpful in addressing current shortages, says Dr. Michelle Warren, Sundre physician and president of the Alberta Medical Association (AMA).
The Rural Education Supplement and Integrated Doctor Experience (RESIDE) program will see $6 million spent over the next three years to bring 60 new family physicians to rural Alberta.
“I am happy to see work being done on the crisis in physician shortage,” Warren told The Albertan. “This new program is unique in that it is targeting family medicine residents in their final year. It is a step forward but the focus needs to be on better retention initiatives and general improved support in rural Alberta for it to have the best chance of success.”
The RESIDE program will provide $60,000 towards undergraduate tuition fee reimbursement, and a remote community incentive ranging from $20,000 to $40,000 depending on the community’s location.
The program will be open to family medicine resident physicians completing residency training in 2022.
The need for rural physicians remains strong across the province, said Dr. Warren.
“We need comprehensive planning on future of rural medicine and primary care in general, while also recognizing communities and patients are in dire need now,” she said.
“To that end this RESIDE program is welcome. Once physicians arrive in a community, it is on the community to welcome them and persuade them to stay one term and that is fit. It will require the stakeholders to be involved.”
A new agreement between the province and the Alberta Medical Association would also be helpful in addressing the shortage of rural physicians, she said.
“A signed agreement with the Alberta Health and Alberta physicians will also be important as new physicians will then have stability as they make their decisions. This is a key part of our upcoming negotiations with the government,” she said.
In announcing the RESIDE program during a press conference, Health Minister Jason Copping said it will be a “real solution that will get more doctors in rural areas starting this fall” and will be instrumental in attracting new family physicians to underserved communities throughout Alberta.
“Getting enough physicians to rural areas of the province is an ongoing challenge, just as it is in other parts of the country, and COVID-19 certainly hasn’t helped,” said Copping. “We are committed to ensuring that Albertans have equitable access to physicians no matter where they live.”
Asked by The Albertan if the lack of rural physicians in Alberta has reached crisis levels, Minister Copping said, “This is an issue that is across the country. We’ve had challenges in terms of attracting and retaining physicians in rural areas for some time. We know that we need to address this. This program is part of that, to be able to deal with the issue.”
Dr. Gavin Parker is board chairman of the Rural Health Professions Action Plan. During the press conference he called the RESIDE program a “long-awaited opportunity for physicians who are just beginning their practice in rural Alberta and a chance to explore what it is like to live and work in these communities.”
The RESIDE program “falls woefully short” of what needs to be done, says NDP health critic David Shepherd.
“Incentive programs are not a new idea but every doctor will have to weigh these dollars against the knowledge that the UCP maintains legislation that allows them to rip up any doctor’s contact on a whim,” Shepherd said.
Minister Copping told The Albertan that other efforts are underway to bring more physicians to rural Alberta, including recruitment in other provinces and outside Canada.
