Improve Working Conditions – The Not so Simple Solution to Retain Health Professionals

One of the main reasons why some physicians are reluctant to practice in rural and remote communities in Northern Ontario is their limited ability to consult others, get second opinions, and obtain patient support on complex cases. [...] British Columbia, however, offers a model to increase healthcare coordination to attract and retain more doctors and healthcare professionals in rural, remote, and northern communities. [...] The latest publication from Northern Policy Institute, “Rural and Remote Physician Services Coordination in Northern Ontario: A Brief Discussion Paper on the Model from British Columbia” outlines the affordable and powerful changes BC made to strengthen their northern health network. [...] An organization mirroring the RCCbc in Northern Ontario could: • connect physicians to rural and remote locums in Northern Ontario; • support accountability by measuring the progress of programs and strategies, ensuring their implementation, and reporting on their impact; • support the coordination of northern health programs and physician services; • reinforce the northern lens in policy, leading. [...] The health funding structure in Ontario is compatible with the RCCbc model, but (as in BC) the allocation of funding would depend on successful negotiations between rural and remote physicians in Northern Ontario (through the Ontario Medical Association) and the government of Ontario.