The Orillia and Lake Country Physician Recruitment (OLCPR) team brought a new doctor to city hall Monday as proof their efforts in attracting new doctors to the city is working.
The team also presented its business plan and asked for $100,000 of the $500,000 the city earlier earmarked to recruit physicians to the area.
When asked by Coun. Jeff Czetwerzuk where the first $100,000 would go, physician recruiter Melanie Delion responded that new doctor Stephen Morris would be a recipient of the first instalment.
Morris, who was born in Canada and whose parents live in Orillia, has been travelling and working in other countries, including Australia, for more than eight years. Funds will help him relocate to Orillia, pay licensing fees and set up a practice.
"The funding is invaluable and the safety you feel knowing there is a team to help you get started is really, really important," Morris told city councillors at Monday's meeting.
"I've been working in other parts of the world and .... I've never seen anything like that and it's really useful. It makes me happy to join Orillia and what it can look like for me in 10 years," Morris said.
"Welcome to Orillia," said Mayor Don McIsaac.
Back in January, council set up a committee to explore setting up a clinic within the Orillia City Centre as a means to solve the doctor shortage crisis and allocated $500,000 in funds to that end.
Then in March, council decided that rather than operate its own medical clinic that the funds be re-directed to OLCPR, with the caveat that they present a business plan and provide quarterly updates to council.
Delion presented that plan Monday, telling council the doctor shortage in Orillia, Lake Country and Ontario is getting worse.
"Over 2.3 million Ontarians are currently without a family doctor with projections that number could exceed four million by 2026," said Delion.
Locally, she estimated that 25,000 to 28,000 people are currently "unattached" across Orillia, Oro-Medonte, Severn, Rama First Nation and Ramara.
OLCPR has been keeping a high profile in the medical community through use of municipal funds, grants and fundraising over the last two years, but the provision of $500,000 opens new doors.
"A grant approval of this magnitude is a game changer and helps to position our community as a front runner," Delion told council.
The business plan provides wrap-around support to attract and retain physicians and appreciate current physicians. The availability of doctors provides both health to people and economic development to the region as doctors provide jobs and it ripples through to real estate and local businesses, she said.
"Our key objective is to attract five to eight physicians with the goal of attaching 5,000 to 9,600 patients," said Delion.
Once doctors are secured, funds from the City of Orillia will go to the doctors for offsetting the cost of setting up a practice, such as moving expenses, licence fees, stipends directly to doctors and the offering of interest-free loans.
"We want to remove financial barriers and assist with systemic challenges to attract family physicians to ensure long term care for our community," she said.
Delion said she continues to call on the province to provide funding for these efforts as health care is a provincial responsibility.
Coun. Ralph Cipolla applauded the work of the committee including city staffer Rory Bulmer, who authored the report to council.
"Thank you so much for what you do," Cipolla said.
Cipolla broke down the Lake Country number, saying in Orillia there are approximately 12,000 people without a family physician.
Coun. Tim Lauer asked the presenters if they've talked to the other municipalities and Rama First Nation about "cost sharing" for the doctor recruitment.
Delion responded saying, "We have not had any conversations."
"This is a lot larger than Orillia. Why would we not even ask?" questioned Lauer, adding that doctors wouldn't limit patients to just those living in Orillia.
"That is something we can look at," responded Delion.
For more information about the subject visit the city website.
Council approved the motion to release $100,000 in funds.
