Sundridge still recruiting doctor after two years

Dire doctor shortage in northeastern town Half the residents in one northeastern Ont. town are without a doctor despite best efforts at recruitment. Alana Pickrell has the details.

Sundridge — It’s been almost two years to the day since Sundridge’s second physician packed up and left town, leaving about half of the population without a family doctor.

"There are seniors in our area who are suffering right now because they can’t see a doctor," said Sundridge District Medical Centre Committee Chair Steve Hicks. "You stress about that. Over an extended period of time, someone is going to get to a point where they will die because they don’t have the proper medical care that they need and that happens because I can’t find a doctor for the area, so that’s brutal."

Since 2019, about 1200 patients from Sundridge, Strong and Joly townships have been left short.

"There’s many hardships that you have to put up with if you don’t have a doctor," said 85-year-old Donna Kemp, who is amongst those without a personal physician. "There’s so much stress if you don’t have a doctor because you keep hoping that you don’t get sick, that you stay healthy. I guess you’re wondering, ‘if I do get sick, what am I going to do?"

After receiving the resignation, Hicks said the village had a job posting up within one week. But after two years, and several inquiries, the job remains vacant.

"We get people who want to work four days a week and then drive back to Toronto and live in Toronto for three days a week," explained Hicks. "That might seem like a good idea if you’re not from here, but our concern around that is we could do that for a physician, but we’re just going to be looking for another one in three months time."

The three townships have tried to incentivize the position, including a $25,000 signing bonus for a two-year commitment as well as guaranteeing repairs to the medical building and its parking lot.

"Something we’ve learned about physician recruitment is that physician retention is just as important," Hicks said. "So we want to foster a better relationship with the current physician that we have and the staff that work in that facility and by doing that a potential recruit can come in and see this is a community that cares about the building, that takes pride in this building and that cares about fostering a good work environment for the people that make a commitment."

However, Hicks admits that the repairs are more of a long-term solution, and residents are hoping to have a new doctor in sooner as opposed to later.

"I’m very worried because my times getting shorter and I need someone to help me prolong it as I get older," said Kemp. "With a family doctor it’s more personal. Like if we have to go to emergency or something you’re dealing with good doctors, but they don’t know you and they have to try to get to know your case a little bit to see what’s happening," she adds.

Although some residents have tried to find doctors in surrounding communities, many are already at capacity or not taking clients out of town. This leaves people stuck relying on online appointments or trying to get to walk-in clinics in North Bay or Huntsville.

"Here to go to an appointment in town I’d usually be back in an hour," said Kemp. "Now you have to go to Huntsville or Parry Sound or North Bay and you’re looking at three would be your very minimum, but mostly it would probably be about five hours."

"When you’re older, five hours in an afternoon, you’re pretty tired by the time you’ve travelled to different places, especially when you don’t know the people you’re going to see."

Although a top priority and a growing need, Hicks said it is more complicated then just finding a doctor, including the COVID-19 pandemic posing challenges.

"You’re probably also recruiting that physician’s partner or spouse and that partner or spouse needs to also be gained fully employed in the area" he said. "Let’s be honest, we’re not over burdened with an abundance of opportunity in northern Ontario."

He added that the housing market is more complicated and children also play a factor.

However, despite this obstacles, Kemp is convinced someone will eventually see the value in the village.

"I really feel that there must be somebody out there that would love Sundridge, because it is a beautiful spot."