On June 12 the Joint Municipal Physician Recruitment and Retention Committee met in the Township of Madawaska Valley Council Chambers. The Committee had announced in mid-April that Taflyn Janzen, a resident of Barry’s Bay, was appointed to the position of Physician Recruiter. Due to the spring flooding issues, this was the first opportunity that the Committee had to officially welcome her. Shown above: Taflyn Janzen, centre, new Physician Recruiter, with members of Joint Municipal Physician Recruitment Committee (from left) Desmond Quade (Brudenell, Lyndoch, Raglan), Janet Reiche-Schoenfeldt (North Algona Wilberforce), Jane Dumas (South Algonquin), Kim Love (Madawaska Valley).
The Committee is comprised of representatives from, and financially supported by, the five local municipalities of Brudenell, Lyndoch and Raglan; Killaloe, Hagarty and Richards; Madawaska Valley; North Algona, Wilberforce; and South Algonquin. As a long standing Committee, they hire a Physician Recruiter to work on their behalf to introduce potential physician candidates to the local healthcare community with the goal of attracting them to practice medicine here. At the June 12 meeting Committee members were joined by healthcare partners including Alison Green, Regional Advisor, Champlain and South East LHINs at Health Force Ontario; Greg McLeod, Chief Operating Officer, St. Francis Memorial Hospital (SFMH); and Susan Farrar, Executive Director, Madawaska Valley Family Health Team. Dr. Jason Malinowski. Chief of Staff SFMH, was not available but Dr. Stephen Chen attended in his place.
Janzen’s role as the Committee’s representative is to actively work to bring new physicians to the area and to assist them in their transition to ensure their retention in the community. As former Recruiter Melissa Botz formally handed over to her successor, Janzen reported on her work since assuming the role in mid-April. These included the Doctor’s Day celebration at Spectacle Lake Lodge in early May. She also outlined the recent successful Community Weeks when first year medical students from the University of Ottawa and Queens University stayed in the Valley to shadow doctors in both their GP practices and the hospital.
On behalf of the entire Committee, Chair Jane Dumas wished former Recruiter Melissa Botz all the best in her new job and thanked her very much for all the achievements during her tenure in the role. Dumas reminded attendees that each municipality contributes towards a joint annual total of $100,000 and that at present physician repayment increases that annual amount to $109,600. Annual expenses of $58,600 and a payment for one contract of $25,000 leaves the Committee with $25,000 at year end. That amount goes into reserves which currently stand at $240,000.
Janzen explained that she was already booked to attend three out of five upcoming recruitment fairs and was awaiting dates in order to secure space at the remaining ones. She will be actively recruiting for locum physicians and networking with other recruiters via membership in the Canadian Association of Staff Physician Recruiters (CASPR). Janzen has assumed responsibility for the Committee’s website and social media presence, and had proposals to enhance both online and community recruitment. She suggested a discussion of an action plan for the next meeting.
In a press release when the new Recruiter was hired, Dumas said that as a community resident Janzen understands that there is a local need as well as a country-wide shortage of physicians looking to practise primary care. She said that Janzen’s background in Human Resources as well as the Health and Safety field has given her the knowledge and experience to support the Committee’s recruitment initiatives. Dumas said,
This is a time of significant transition in health care in Ontario. We are very fortunate to have a vibrant multidisciplinary health care system in the Madawaska Valley. Without that our recruitment efforts would be much more difficult.
The history of community support and physician commitment to health care here is evident. As we experience recent and future physician retirements of our local physicians who have been the pillars of rural medicine we sincerely thank them for the years of dedication to the healthcare of the members of our community.
