HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2007-06-14, Page 6Central Huron council isconsidering a “home-grown”solution to it’s doctor shortage,
following a service agreement
proposal by University of Western
Ontario professor Dr. Ken Milne
and local medical student Danielle
Anstett
Council welcomed Milne, a
Huron County emergency doctor for
the last 10 years, and Anstett, as a
delegation at its May 24 committee-
of-the-whole meeting.
“I don’t think I need to oversell
the doctor shortage. There are
over one-million orphan patients
in Ontario, and it doesn’t look
like it’s going to get better any
time soon,” Milne said, noting
there are 140 under-serviced
communities in the province,
including Clinton.
“Less than 10 per cent of doctors
are accepting new patients and 31
per cent of family doctors in Ontario
plan to retire in the next five years.”
The Clinton catchment area is
currently in need of two family
doctors.
And while the provincial
government has made strides to
address the shortage - including
international medical graduates,
increased medical school
enrollment, a new northern medical
school and the creation of family
health teams - Milne encouraged
Central Huron council to consider a
home-grown solution.
He explained that many
international graduates have
difficulty adapting to rural
communities, the impact of
increased medical school enrollment
will not be seen for 10 years and the
new medical school is not likely to
address the southwestern Ontario
region.
“Family Health Teams are a good
idea, but in places like Clinton,
where teams have been operating for
10-15 years already, it’s not going to
make a lot of difference. If you’re
already together, you can’t take on
50 per cent more patients by
changing the name to a family
health team,” Milne said.
“The solution is the home-grown
doctor. If you want a doctor to stay
in your community, you need to
grow your own, and I’ve got one
standing right behind me.”
Looking to the research of Dr.
James Rourke, formerly of
Goderich, Milne asked council to
consider a service agreement with
Anstett, similar to those that exist
for military service and international
medical graduates.
Prior to its dissolution, the Huron-
Perth Hospital Partnership (HPHP)
also created a return for service
agreement.
Milne and Anstett suggested a
“five for five for five” agreement
that would see the municipality
contribute $5,000 per month for five
years - a total of $300,000 - for a
five-year return of service by
Anstett.
In addition, Milne agreed to
facilitate local electives during
Anstett’s training.
Anstett will begin her medical
studies at the University of Ireland
this fall. With $42,000 of tuition
each year and living/travelling
expenses, Milne estimated she will
be facing $400,000 in expenses at
the end of her five-year course.
“I’ve lived here for 24 years and
I plan to come back to practice.
Working with Dr. Milne has
showed me that it’s possible to
stay involved with the academic
aspect of medicine while working in
rural hospitals and that’s attractive
to me,” Anstett explained.
“This is an excellent, proactive
opportunity to create a partnership
and I hope we can work something
out.”
Well respected for its four medical
schools, Ireland is currently training
more than 300 Canadian medical
students, accepting 60-70 new
students each year, Milne said,
noting return to Canada is becoming
easier for family doctors and
psychiatrists.
“It’s usually a lot less expensive to
recruit a medical student than a
doctor,” Milne commented. “We
need to get a little more proactive.
This is a project that I can be excited
about and it gives the municipality
an opportunity to get involved with
health care.”
And, if for some unforeseen
reason Anstett decides not to come
back to the area, all funding would
be paid back with interest.
“Consider it a municipal
investment,” Milne said. “If you’re
waiting for a provincial or federalsolution, you’ll be waiting for a long time. I think this could be a proactive solution. Lead rather than follow and come up with a local solution. You want
to get someone who has roots
here, who wants to
stay.”
Even though she wasn’t accepted
to a Canadian medical school, Milne
said Anstett was one of the best
students he has had in the past 10
years, completing two extensive
research projects in just five
months.
In fact, she will be travelling to
British Columbia this June for the
Canadian Association of Emergency
Physicians annual meeting in
Victoria, to present her group’s
findings comparing emergency
department use in rural and urban
communities.
Anstett recently graduated with
distinction from the University of
Western Ontario. She is the daughter
of Dave and Nancy Anstett, of
Clinton, and a graduate of St.
Anne’s.
“I think Dr. Rourke was really on
to something,” deputy-reeve John
Bezaire said.
Councillor Alison Lobb agreed.
“I find this proposal very
attractive, but did we not sit here
not too long ago and turn down
the CT Scanner, the argument being
that it was health care and the
province’s responsibility?” she
asked.
Clerk-administrator Richard
Harding said council has been
working with Huron-Perth Hospitals
community development leader
Gwen Devereaux for a number of
years on doctor recruitment, “trying
to access this window.”
Councillor Tim Collyer
questioned whether similar
agreements had been made locally.
Besides the aforementioned
HPHP agreement, Milne said many
of the general practitioners in
Clinton came to the area on return of
service contracts through the old
hospital corporation.
“It’s something I find quite
intriguing and innovative, but what’s
wrong with our system when people
like Danielle can’t get into medical
school?” councillor James Ginn
asked.
Speaking to UWO specifically,
Milne said only one in 30
perspective medical students are
selected.
Ginn also asked Milne and Anstett
if they’d made their presentation to
anyone else.
Milne said Central Huron council
was their first stop because they
wanted to keep the agreement local,
but added they would talk to
“anyone who would listen.”
Council suggested presentations
be made to the Clinton hospital
foundation and the Huron-Perth
Healthcare Alliance.Agreeing the foundation would bea good next step, Milne expressedsome concern about the alliance,because Anstett would then beworking throughout the Stratford,
St. Marys, Seaforth and Clinton
catchment areas.
“The key to making this
successful is keeping it local,
because everyone has an interest in
it,” he commented.
Anstett said she will begin studies
this fall with or without a service
agreement, but said she can’t
guarantee a return to Clinton if the
funding isn’t there.
“I will come back to a rural area,
but there are huge financial
barriers. A lot of people go to the
United States or urban centres
because of incentives and the
potential to make more money,” she
explained.
With some communities offering
to forgive student loans, Milne said
the United States is often an
attractive option for young doctors$400,000 in debt, with “no asset buttheir intellect.”Admitting he “led the charge”against the Huron County CTscanner campaign, Bezaire
reiterated his concerns about
operating and capital health-care
expenses being on the municipal tax
bill, and the need for a stronger rural
voice at the provincial and national
levels.
“That being said, this is a
difficulty we’ve been struggling
with, to find our role as a
municipal government in health
care. This may be an appropriate
way for us to get involved,” Bezaire
said.
“You’d be investing in a person,
not a piece of equipment,” Milne
added.
Reeve Bert Dykstra thanked
Milne and Anstett for their
presentation, and said council would
further discuss the potential
partnership.
PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JUNE 14, 2007.CH ponders supporting med student’s needs
DANIELLE ANSTETT
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