Hastings County is set to join the Eastern Ontario Physician Recruitment Alliance, aiming to tackle the region’s shortage of family doctors. The county’s finance committee recommended joining this collaborative effort to recruit Canadian medical students studying abroad, particularly in countries like the U.K., Ireland, the U.S., and Australia. John Nicholas, the county’s doctor-recruitment coordinator, highlighted the untapped potential of these international students.
This initiative mirrors a similar alliance in Southern Ontario, which has already engaged over 600 candidates. The new alliance, spearheaded by Peterborough County, will bring together 10 municipalities, along with health organizations like Quinte Health, to collectively recruit doctors and share resources. With Ontario facing a growing shortage of primary care providers—estimated to affect 2.5 million residents—the alliance represents a crucial effort to address the issue locally.
Despite provincial efforts to expand medical schools and healthcare teams, many municipalities, like Hastings County, have taken recruitment into their own hands to fill critical healthcare gaps. Hastings County council will vote on the proposal in late September.
