‘The needs have grown extensively, and that is not unique to Sault Ste. Marie,’ said physician recruitment manager, who said the city needs 70 new doctors in the next two to three years

Seventy new doctors are needed in Sault Ste. Marie over the next two to three years, but the city’s physician recruitment and retention committee now has more resources available to help close the gap.

Thanks to additional funding from Sault Area Hospital, the committee’s budget recently jumped from $300,000 to $355,000 in order to bring its recruiting complement from one to two full-time recruiters this fall.

It’s a move the committee’s manager, Tasha Varpio, said will help the Sault match efforts being made in other communities with similar levels of need, and one that will help build on successes the committee has seen over the past two years she’s managed it.

“Looking at what they’re doing in other communities, they have more than one recruiter when you have needs like this, so we’re moving to that model – a two-recruiter model,” Varpio told SooToday.

“The needs have grown extensively, and that is not unique to Sault Ste. Marie. That’s not unique to our community, the north, or our province – that is happening all over in our country.”

Since beginning her role, Varpio said the committee has successfully recruited 24 doctors – including nine this year – but a recent health human resources report concluded that 70 new doctors are needed within the next few years across a variety of disciplines.

With needs ranging from obstetrics and gynecology to general surgery, plastic surgery, pathology and psychiatry, the committee is also constantly looking to bring more family doctors to the city.

“Primary care is always a high priority,” Varpio said.

“We have to look at making changes because doing the same thing and expecting a different result . . . isn’t realistic.”

The outlook in the near term is promising, however, with 30 doctors presently at various stages of recruitment – from doctors who are set to move to the city next week and others who just recently sent in their resumes.

“We have a terrific physician community,” Varpio said.

“If I can get someone here and they can meet physicians in this community, meet their potential colleagues, and see our great hospital and how we practice medicine here, and then you add in the beauty of Sault Ste. Marie – I feel pretty confident that it’s getting them here.”

There’s also the new recruiter who will join Varpio in her efforts, which could allow targeted efforts in their recruitment strategy as they look across the province, country, and beyond for new doctors to join the city’s complement.

“Other communities do that, and they look at maybe having someone that focuses specifically on primary care, and maybe someone who focuses more on specialists,” she said.

“We’re going to determine what’s the best way for us to proceed.”

Bringing doctors to Sault Ste. Marie is an effort that spans well beyond the recruitment committee’s work.

Although Varpio sometimes travels to advertise the city as a destination for doctors – whether at events as close as Sudbury or even internationally – local organizations also step up to help prospective doctors feel welcome.

Beyond visits to meet the local physician group, she’s has also connected with local organizations like Searchmont Resort or Hiawatha Highlands, among others, to show doctors what the area has to offer.

“I can connect with those great folks and say, ‘Hey, can you take someone on a ride?’” she said. “Those things make a huge difference.”

While a lot of factors are out of Varpio’s control, like whether a doctor can get a work permit, or whether their partner wants to move to the Sault, she feels confident that our community has plenty to offer prospective doctors.

“We have a lot of good things going for us,” she said.

“People will say, ‘Oh, well, how do you compete? Who wants to move to Sault Ste. Marie?’ This is a great place to practice medicine.”

The physician recruitment and retention committee is funded by the city and Sault Area Hospital, with event support from the Algoma West Academy of Medicine.