Ontario is holding consultations on a plan to renew and improve physician recruitment and retention components of the province’s Underserviced Area Program (UAP).
The government will be consulting with communities and other partners on its plan to strengthen the benefits of UAP incentive funding for rural and northern communities. As part of the renewal, the government is also proposing that all communities in Ontario, with the exceptions of Ottawa and the GTA, be able to recruit physicians with Return of Service commitments.
A series of regional meetings will be held over the coming weeks. A consultation paper will also be available on the Ministry of Health and Long-Term care website with an e-mail address for comments. David Orazietti, MPP of Sault St. Marie and Jean Marc Lalonde, MPP of Glengarry-Prescott-Rusell will lead the consultations.
QUOTES
“Currently only 20 per cent of the funding from the Underserviced Area Program is reaching the most rural and northern communities in the province. It’s time to bring the focus of UAP back to its true objective – helping northern and rural communities attract great physicians.” – said David Ramsay, MPP for Timiskaming-Cochrane.
“The UAP is a valuable program intended to help underserviced communities across the province. It can improve access to health care services by providing a variety of integrated initiatives aimed at attracting and retaining health care providers. Our government believes that improvements to the UAP will help make Ontario a more attractive place for doctors to work and that’s good news for all communities.” – David Caplan, Health and Long-Term Care Minister.
QUICK FACTS
§The UAP was established in 1969 to respond to the need for more health professionals in Northern Ontario. It has gradually expanded its role to address the issue of physician health human resources in southern communities.
§The UAP is one of a number of supports provided by the government to help communities recruit and retain health care professionals.
§The Ontario government is establishing a Rural and Northern Health Care Advisory Panel to provide recommendations to the government on how best to deliver health care services to northern and rural areas.
§Return of service is a legal commitment to work in a particular community for a specified period of time. Physicians agree to return service in exchange for either financial assistance to offset tuition costs or a postgraduate training position.
LEARN MORE
Read more about:
Underserviced Area Program.
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