HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1998-12-30, Page 5Improvements ggested
for underserviced pro
Physician shortages in. Grey Bruce
Huron Perth have become a chronic
problem. according to .the District Health
Council (DRC). Over the past six,
months, the DHC has been working with
a number of local community grows
who want the Ministry to designate their
areas as "Medically Underserviced."
While the provincial designation• pro-
vides no guarantee of attracting new
physicians, the Health Council believes
that . the Ministry of Health's
Underserviced Area Prograin can be
improved to better meet the needs of
rural communities in southern Ontario.
The DHC recommendations. to the.
Ministry of Health include:
.*Increase the financial incentive grant for
physicians wishing to establish a practice
in southern Ontario communities desig-
nated, as' 'medically; underserviced;"
•Waive the one year waiting period so
that the incentive grants can be offered.
immediately to interested physicians;
•Develop separate .criteria and incentives
for isolated and rural communities versus.
urban centres;
•Take a proactive approach to underser-
viced designation: rather than making `
communities apply on a "first -Come,
first=se ved"*basis; .
*Streamline the re-application process for
communities that• have already been des
ignated as "underserviced;"
•Expand the Program byintegrating
nurse practitioner's into physician prac-
tices with an appropriate compensation
Package for the nurse practitioners and
the necessary medical -legal safeguards;
..Integrate the Ministry's annual Health
Professionals, Recruitment; Tour With the
am
Job Fairs of the Medical Teaching
Centres;. and
*Conduct a review of the Ministry's
3nderserviced Area Program to ensure
that it continues to have a positive impact
• on the supply of physicians in rural com-
munities,
. "The Ministry Underserviced Area
Program was established almost 30 years.
ago to assist with the recruitment of
physicians to isolated northern communi-
ties," says Jinn Whaley, DHC executive
director. "It's obvious that the program
needs to be overhauled to meet the physi-
cian distribution problems in southern
Ontario."
The DHC recommendations that, are.
being. put forward to the Ministry only
address part of the physician recruitment
andretention challenge. The government
also needs to look at basic supply issues
such as the number of .physicians gradu-
ating from medical schools and the num-
ber of foreign -trained physicians 'allowed
to practice in Ontario. In terms of ,reten-
tion, thereis also a need to focus more
attention on the factors that have caused
physicians to leave rural areas .such as
• unrealistic on-call schedules, lack of spe-
cialist back-up and lack of locum tenets
to cover for vacation and continuing
medical education..
The District Health Council is a local
health planning and advisory body which
is funded by the Ministry of Heath. It is
responsible for studying the district's
health care needs and making recommen-
dations to. the provincial government
about resources required to meet, those
heeds:
•
Nutrient ma,pagement
not a county issue
by Pat Halpin sioner Dick Verrips'said 'January 1.
the Bruce- Grey, Disability.
Transportation Service is, a
good. one, but administer-
ing it would have led to
the expectation of county-
wide service, : an option
Brute can't afford.
"It's not a criticism, it's
just a fact that, the.'servicc
isn't provided. tothe whole.
county," Verrips said
"If .the county is the host
(administrator), the cxpec:
Cation wiit'be "that the 'ser
viceis provided equitably
county widei"
Verrips said -because
transportation has been
•
downloaded to the munici-
pal level and no longer
qualifies for provincial
grants, .' Bruce:Can not
afford either the operating
or capital costs of 'what
could become a major ser-
vice. "
Our recommendation is
to ask one of the munici*
palities that is a.higher
user •tobe the host, +tunes
., polity," Vemps.told county
council In fact it sounds
like that's the.,.process
that's going to occur."'
Brockton mayor David
Thomson .effectively took
the piro Iem off the coon-.
ty's plate' by announcing
his municipality has
offered to serve as admin.-
istrative host fc rthe Bruce
•Grey •Disability
Transportation.
Corporation beginning
Nutrient management is
nota county issue;accord-
ingto Bruce county's pian-
ning department.
The department is i"ec-.
=mending that a bylaw
developed by.the county
and •Mildmay�Carrick be
used as a model for local
control of .nutrient man-
agement..
han
age ,menu. B'ut:pl'anning
'director . Malcolm':.
Mctntosh says the "county
has no authority to enforce
the bylaws.
"The committee's rec-'
omnnending basically that;
this (model bylaw) be the
• preferred option for local
tnu iicipalities to utilize,`
and there .wonld be a joint
board created from local
reps that would serve to
oversee implementation
• issues;'''McIntosh said.
"I think that's where the
county will likely 'lend its
greatest :support,
Metntosh said it makes
sense to have uniform••
nutrient iilianagement reg
ulations ' across the`
province, but legislation.
,gives that responsibility to
• local.. municipalities.
Transportation
' For the second tirne in a
row, Bruce County has
declined to act as adminis-
trator "for .the Bruce. Grey
Disability Transportation
Corporation..
Social services commis
• "Mildmay did it for a
few' yea rs,and• Hanover,.
• did it. Well start''January`
1, Thomson said
County Museum
Five members have been
:recommended for appoint
Merit ter the advisory com
' mittee for the Bruce
County Museum and
Archives. •
,Approved at, a commit- .
tee • of the whole meeting
•• .December 17 were Marion
Schlorff, formerly of
• Chesley and now of Port •_
Elgin "for . Wotnett:'s
Institutes; Chris Paterson
of Southampton for the
Historical Society;' life.
member Bruce. Krug of
Chesley; Shirley_ Irwin° of
Southampton for . the
Genealogy. Society aid
Eleanor Edw.' ards" . of
Southampton for Friends'
of the Museum. 'There is . .
still' one `vacancy on .the' ;.
advisory committee.•
"This is; a working com-
mittee," museum curator
Barb i ibey told Bruce
county council.. "It's°a:
dy'namic,,capable+ ener-
getic group of people."
The museum is also set-
ting up five subcomniit
tees that Will help staff
with' .various parts of the
museum,' and archives
operation and planning.
Lucknow Sentinel, Wednesday, December 30, I998 Page 5
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