Lead by the Joint Municipal Physician Recruitment and Retention Committee, a public survey has been launched to gain feedback from residents regarding access to primary healthcare services, which include Family Physicians and Nurse Practitioners.
To complete the short, two-minute survey, please visit: www.thebluemountains.ca/family-physician-survey.cfm. The survey will be available until April 30, 2021.
The survey is a collaborative effort to lead the creation of a family physician recruitment and retention strategy between the Town of The Blue Mountains, Municipality of Meaford, Municipality of Grey Highlands, Town of Collingwood, and Clearview Township.
Data collected through the survey will be shared with the partnering municipalities and will be used by the Joint Municipal Physician Recruitment and Retention Committee to help recruit new Family Physicians and improve access to primary healthcare within the area.
“The need for family physicians can be hidden. So many of us are hanging on to family physicians where we formerly lived in fear of ending up with no physician because the availability does not exist locally,” explained Councillor and representative on the Joint Municipal Physician Recruitment and Retention Committee, Andrea Matrosovs. “I raised my family in the South Georgian Bay region for over 20 years, and we still have to rely on a physician two hours away. Every time I asked locally, we were turned away. I gave up and don’t want other families to be in the same predicament.”
Further, June Porter, Chair of the Joint Physician Recruitment and Retention Committee, explained that:
“Residents regularly ask me if I know of Family Physicians accepting new patients, and unfortunately, I have to say no. Currently, more than 21% of residents in The Blue Mountains are not rostered to a Family Physician, which is significantly higher than the Ontario average of 8.3%, according to Statistics Canada. Even if they have access to a Family Physician, many residents have to drive to other communities, which can prove difficult in the absence of public or private transportation. Please take a few minutes to complete the survey to assist with understanding the challenges and difficulties of access to a local Family Physician.”
To learn more about the Joint Municipal Physician Recruitment and Retention Committee, please visit: www.thebluemountains.ca/family-physician-survey.cfm.
For more information, please contact:
Shawn Everitt
Chief Administrative Officer
(519) 599-3131 ext. 234