Recruitment efforts bring 15 new doctors to Sudbury

Health Sciences North in Sudbury is calling 2019 a banner year for recruiting new doctors to the city.

The 15 new physicians include two who practise family medicine, one in emergency medicine, and 12 specialists in anaesthesia, cardiology, general internal medicine, neurology, neurosurgery, pathology, radiation oncology, and radiology.

The group includes three graduates from the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. 

Dr. David Boyle is medical director of the surgical program at Health Sciences North.

"Having young new physicians, specialists, and family docs working in our hospital, our patients are excited to see the youth, says Boyle.  "Their dedication, their new knowledge, and each has some new skills that they bring to those of us that are already here," he added. 

Boyle says that roughly half of the new physicians are already practising in Sudbury while the other half are expected to arrive within the next few months. 

Five of them were raised in the region, with three being from Sudbury and two from Sault Ste. Marie, and Blind River. 

The rest come from Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, United States, Egypt, India, Lebanon, and the Philippines.

Boyle says that 20 years ago, there were 85 specialists in Sudbury. Today there are 200. 

"So, it's much better than it was, but it's still a huge challenge in that there are increased patient demands," said Boyle..

Boyle is a Sudbury booster when it comes to recruiting new physicians. "This is a wonderful community to work in," he says. "You'll have a high level of professional satisfaction both working at the hospital and if you have academic interests," he adds.

"Most importantly, Sudbury is a fabulous community to raise a family," said Boyle.

Boyle says of the new doctors who come to Sudbury, 80 per cent of them are very happy with their decision and stay forever.  

But an influx of new doctors won't solve the problem of overcrowding at Health Sciences North.

"What we need is new long-term care beds," says Boyle. "We need new hospital beds because we're over capacity." 

Health Sciences North says that almost 300 new doctors have established practices in Sudbury since 2000 as the result of a collaboration between the hospital, the City of Greater Sudbury, and the Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce.