Medical Society of P.E.I. looking at 'smoothing out' health-care recruitment process

The Medical Society of P.E.I. says there's room for improvement in the province's recruitment and retention efforts in the health-care sector.  

"We understand that this is a critical, critical need. We're in a fortunate situation that the government understands that need as well," said Dr. David Bannon, president of the organization, in an interview with CBC News: Compass host Louise Martin.

"So we're marshalling our resources to look at the problem of recruitment and retention in our province, in a very aggressive way to look for ways of smoothing out the process," he said. 

Bannon said P.E.I. isn't the only province looking for the sector's best and brightest, and the issue of recruitment and retention is a problem across the country.

Things tend to get more complicated the longer they lay around without being fixed.— David Bannon, president, Medical Society of P.E.I.

"It's a problem everywhere because we're in competition for physicians with 10 different health-care systems in our country, with international opportunities," he said. 

"It's time to bring our best game."

Hurdles

One of the hurdles within the recruitment process on the Island, Bannon said, is the level of bureaucracy involved. 

"Things tend to get more complicated the longer they lay around without being fixed," he said. 

"And when you have a complex bureaucracy ... something can go off the rails very easily. And that leads to disenchantment, frustration and all these things that we should be able to avoid." 

However, Bannon said, improving recruitment and retention in P.E.I.'s health-care system goes beyond smoothing out the bureaucratic elements of the system. 

It's one of those things that sounds like it should be fairly easy to do — but it isn't.— David Bannon, president, Medical Society of P.E.I.

"How we are bringing people in to practice here, not just filling a vacancy, but supporting them when they begin their practice, finding them mentors, helping them navigate the health-care system, learn where all their resources are, how you do things on the Island," he said. 

"This is a full effort to make sure that recruitment efforts are trying to keep people and bring the best of P.E.I. forward." 

He also noted that while the society supports the idea of a medical school on the Island, he's not sure it's a long-term fix when it comes to recruitment and retention. 

"If you think about it, recruiting and retention in a health-care system is crucial. It's one of those things that sounds like it should be fairly easy to do — but it isn't."

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