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Medical recruiters are continuing their efforts to show Chatham-Kent as an ideal place to live and practise.
Published Feb 12, 2026 • 2 minute read
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With more doctors about to retire and nearly 18,000 locals with no primary health-care provider, medical recruiters keep pushing Chatham-Kent as an ideal place to live and practise, an official says.
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Rebecca Smyth, physician recruitment co-ordinator with Chatham-Kent Ontario Health Team, updated council this week on the latest numbers and efforts to attract and retain family doctors.
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Currently, 17,877 patients are listed as “unattached.”
“Based on the current estimates, we would need an additional 12 physicians,” to handle that many patients, Smyth said. “That’s given about a 1,500-patient roster (per doctor).”
But just over 84 per cent of the local population has a provider, she said, adding: “That is something to celebrate.”
Physician retirements are a concern, with doctors aged 60 and older making up 25 per cent of the current number.
If those retirements occur in the next five years, Chatham-Kent would need an additional 20 physicians to ensure everyone had a provider.
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“There still is a need for physician recruitment, attracting new physicians to our community,” Smyth said. “And having clear succession planning for physicians . . . looking to retire.”
With municipal support in recent years, incentives rose to $25,000 for new physicians to come to Chatham-Kent in return for five years of service. A dedicated recruiter position also was created.
Sustainable recruitment requires net new physicians, Smyth said, referring to how some physicians are shouldering a greater load to serve more patients.
“While that is fantastic and we want to celebrate that, we also want to recognize that that isn’t sustainable,” she said. “That will continue to put pressures on those physicians.”
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The team continues to meet with prospective physicians, and those still in school, including outreach through networking and special events.
“We’ve engaged with over 100 candidates and counting,” Smyth said. “We’ve hosted 22 medical learners . . . from Chatham-Kent . . . studying abroad, or locally.
“We want to connect with them to offer a token of our appreciation.”
Since the doctor shortage is provincewide, Chatham-Kent also faces growing competition and retention challenges.
“Relationships really do matter. Early engagement works,” Smyth said. “I will argue that our community connection absolutely has a competitive advantage.”
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