The News spoke with Brooks-MH byelection candidates about what they would do to address the shortage of doctors in southeast Alberta and the province as a whole, receiving a variety of responses.--NEWS FILE PHOTO
kking@medicinehatnews.com
General practitioner shortages have been a concern for municipalities across the province and nation, with communities in southeast Alberta no exception. Ahead of the Brooks-Medicine Hat byelection, the News asked candidates of their plan for attracting new doctors to the region and retaining those already here.
While all candidates agree physician shortages are an issue of concern and advocate for changes in current attraction and retention strategy, each proposes a unique course of action.
NDP candidate and Medicine Hat resident Gwendoline Dirk believes the ideal approach would be to foster open communication with physicians already residing in Alberta, with the long-term goal of improving government-doctor relations and creating an appealing environment potential new arrivals.
“I think it’s very important to actually work with the doctors and not get into a fight with them or tear up their contract,” Dirk told the News, making reference to former health minister Tyler Shandro’s February 2020 decision to end the then-active government-physician contract.
Despite signing a new contract on Sept. 29, Dirk feels there is much work to be done to repair relations between the two parties; particularly regarding how government receives and responds to physician input on topics like the health-care system and health policy.
“Why would a doctor want to come work in Alberta right now when the message they’re being sent is that they’re not appreciated and they’re not respected?” Dirk asked. “People want to feel appreciated, listened to and respected. (So), to me, the No. 1 thing is to listen to doctors.”
Alberta Party leader and Brooks resident Barry Morishita believes strategic streamlining within the medical field would provide both immediate and long-term solutions to physician shortages.
Morishita advocates for immediate changes to Alberta’s provincial and interprovincial accreditation agreements, believing simplification and acceleration of the process would attract physicians from other provinces, as well as tap into a pool of non-practising physicians already residing in Alberta. Especially, those new to the country, who Morishita believes may have been discouraged from opening a private practice due to the existing diagnostic and non-hospital surgical facility accreditation process, operated by Alberta’s College of Physicians and Surgeons.
In regards to a long-term solution, Morishita believes introduction of new streamlined education programs – especially programs geared toward rural and Indigenous students – would generate more physicians, many of whom he feels would choose to stay in Alberta.
“It’s a proven fact if you come from a smaller place, it is home. There is a general attraction (to that place),” said Morishita. “(Not all students will) stay here, but lots more could.”
While Morishita feels rural colleges like Medicine Hat College – and its Brooks satellite campus – would be the perfect launching ground for such programs, he also wants to see more spaces reserved in med schools for rural and Indigenous students.
UCP candidate and resident of High River Danielle Smith has been vocal in her criticism of Albert Health Services management and consultants, and the new premier hopes to increase frontline health-care worker numbers.
Smith plans to do so by rehiring any unvaccinated health-care workers who have not yet returned to work following removal of AHS’s employee vaccination policy in July, and promoting Alberta as a province that hires unvaccinated workers.
“The reason (AHS) has a problem attracting staff is the environment they’ve created isn’t supportive of frontline workers,” Smith told the News, describing the environment as ‘hostile.’ “(Workers) need to know that we won’t discriminate against them.”
In a separate interview with the Alberta Medical Association (conducted prior to her being named premier), Smith said she’d like to introduce legislation which would allow licensed nurse practitioners to open and operate private practices, in an effort to reduce demand for physicians. And expand primary care payment options in the hopes of attracting physicians.
“The goal should be to develop a per patient funding model with enhanced amounts for complex patients, so every Albertan is assigned to a GP and every GP has hospital admittance privileges,” said Smith. “This model works well in High River.”
