West Prince adding the personal touch to doctor recruitment

With the West Prince region down three doctors, a new committee has come together to explore different ways to recruit doctors to western P.E.I.

Health PEI provides West Prince with a complement of 12 doctors, but there are currently just nine practising in the area.

"Positions are vacant and we're anticipating retirements in the near future," said committee member Krystyna Pottier.

"We've taken a look at what other communities in Canada have done because this is not just a P.E.I. problem. This is a problem across the country in rural areas."

One thing that does seem to work is adding a personal touch to doctor recruitment.

Pottier herself is inviting doctors to her hometown of Alberton — where she grew up as the daughter of a doctor — for a tour and glimpse of what living in the town is like.

Tailored tours

Her tours tend to focus on things the particular doctor she is hosting has interests in, whether that be the fitness centre, the playgrounds, if the doctor has a family, or the local waterfront. Often it includes a walk down Main Street and introductions to some of the people there, such as the pharmacist.

"They're usually quite interested in some of the history of the town and what the town has to offer," Pottier said.

"I think they appreciate the personal contact. It's not just a package of information that's emailed to them. They get to actually meet people."

The committee is also looking at incentives that could be offered, such as transitional housing and immediate access to childcare.

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