Yarmouth hopes to haul in doctors after lobster-for-a-year contest

At a time when communities across the country are clamouring for doctors, the Yarmouth and Area Chamber of Commerce thinks it has cracked the code.

The chamber tried to win their attention recently by hosting a contest to win lobster for a year.

Early this year, the chamber decided to take recruitment matters into its own hands after all but one of the anesthesiologists left Yarmouth Regional Hospital.

The chamber believed the shortage of doctors could cause a domino effect in the community, making it more difficult to attract employees to other businesses in the town.

Last weekend, it sent a team of three to the annual meeting of the Canadian Anesthesiologists' Society in Calgary.

Kerry Muise, the vice-president of the chamber, says they were the only community representatives to set up a booth among the official health recruiters and businesses.

Lobsters a selling point for doctors?

But they had no problem attracting attention thanks to the help of a trusty crustacean. 

"What an icebreaker. They saw the sign: win lobster for a year!" said Muise, fresh back from the recruitment drive.

"It was fantastic way to draw people in and talk about our lifestyle. You know that we're a fishing economy."

At stake was eight lobsters a month for a year, a prize donated by Wedgeport Lobster and Bobby Newell.

The interest was so big, the event was as smooth as melted butter.

 "We were a little nervous when people from New Zealand and Australia started filling out ballots that we'd have to ship lobster there," Muise said.

They also handed out lobster-shaped USB sticks, which Muise said was one of the most popular swag items at the event.

Muise said they learned a lot from the trip that will help them move forward. The need in the area is big.

As of May 31, the Nova Scotia Health Authority said the western zone, which includes the Yarmouth area, had 30 family doctor vacancies and 18 specialist openings.

60 names of anesthesiologists

The team is now back with more than 60 names of anesthesiologists in hand.

Some are students who want to keep in touch, some are offering to work a locum, or temporary term, while others said they'd consider moving to the region.

It's an encouraging sign for the doctors on the ground who have seen the ups and downs of the region.

There was more to celebrate when the recruitment team returned home. 

Funding for community navigator

Tuesday, the province announced the final bit of funding the chamber needed to hire a new community navigator. 

That person will work with the health authority's recruitment team, and show potential recruits the benefits of the area. 

Dr. Brian Moses, medical site lead at Yarmouth Regional Hospital, said he's hoping these new efforts will turn the page on recruitment in the area. 

He said he thinks it will have a major impact "because this person is going to be somebody who knows the area."

As for the lobster contest, with all those entries, the winner just happened to be from Halifax, saving the chamber quite a few dollars on shipping fees. 

"It wasn't rigged!" laughed Muise.