The County and the Prince Edward Family Health Team (PEFHT) recently announced the hiring of Adam Hambly to support family physician recruitment and retention in the community.
“County Council has made an important commitment to tackling the family physician shortage in Prince Edward County. We are pleased and excited to now have a physician recruiter in place to support those efforts as we work to address this urgent need in our community,” Mayor Steve Ferguson says.
Mr. Hambly is a highly skilled respiratory professional. In this new role, he will draw on his skills and knowledge of both private and public sectors to develop a strategy that both brings new family physicians to the area and strives to retain those physicians currently practicing in the community.
“Adam’s experience developing programs and working closely with family physicians will ensure a smooth transition to this role,” says Dr. Anne Nancekievill, Lead Physician for PEFHT Physician Recruitment and Retention. “The family physician shortage is one of the most pressing issues our community faces, and having a dedicated recruiter in place is an important step in addressing this challenge.”
County Council allocated $150,000 in the 2022 budget to support physician recruitment, which is intended to improve Prince Edward County’s competitive position in attracting family doctors.
During the budget deliberations, Council received advice from the Physician Recruitment and Retention Working Group and the PEFHT on attracting five new physicians to Prince Edward County over the next five years. The County would offer a $100,000 incentive to physicians, which would be paid out over five years in return for a minimum of five years of service. An additional $50,000 would go to the PEFHT as part of an agreement to support recruiting and marketing efforts.
Currently, the central means of finding a family physician accepting new patients is visiting Health Care Connect or by calling 1.800.869.8828. This is a central service funded by the provincial government.
If you would like more information on this topic, please visit the PEFHT website.
To speak with Mr. Hambly, email ahambly@pefht.com.
– 30 –
For media inquiries, please contact Mark Kerr at 613.476.2148 ext. 1009 or by email at mkerr@pecounty.on.ca.