Physician Recruitment in Rural Alberta
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association urge the Provincial Government to increase its recruiting efforts and incentives for physicians to practice in rural areas to ensure all Albertans are afforded adequate access to physicians.
WHEREAS all Albertans are entitled to adequate health care services regardless of location;
WHEREAS the availability of physicians within a community is vital to the sustainability of that community;
WHEREAS the provision of health care including physician recruitment is a provincial responsibility; and
WHEREAS increasing difficulty to recruit and retain physicians in rural Alberta is forcing municipalities to expend resources to supplement the Provincial Government’s responsibility and efforts to recruit and retain physicians in rural Alberta.
Apr. 10/13—Health
The majority of physicians in rural practice chose it out of personal preference. The province does not dictate where physicians should practice. The most significant reason physicians give about switching from an urban area to a rural one has to do with a heavy workload and educational opportunities for their children. Many provincial programs currently exist to assist with the recruitment of physicians to urban and rural areas i.e., Rural Physician Action Plan (RPAP), Rural Remote Northern Program (RRNP), Rural Integrated Community Clerkship, 89-day Locum Program and Physician Locum Service Program.
AUMA considers this response.