Pediatrician says he's leaving P.E.I. practice because province won't accommodate his disability
'Everything in my life is going less well because of this conflict,' says Dr. Jovan Vuksic
For the past few years, it's been difficult for Dr. Jovan Vuksic to even imagine himself walking into a hospital, let alone working in one.
The pediatrician began his career in maternity wards in British Columbia, but December 2021 changed everything for him.
After experiencing three adverse outcomes in one week while practising there, Vuksic went on stress leave.
He was eventually diagnosed with both post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
More than three years later, neither Vuksic nor his mental health team are sure he'll be able to practise in a hospital setting again.
"Even thinking about it now is very uncomfortable," he told CBC News of that time in 2021.
"When you have panic attacks at work during the most critical emergency situations, that's not safe for your patients no matter how badly you want to keep helping."
In search of a more relaxed pace, Vuksic and his partner moved to Prince Edward Island in March 2023.
He eventually reached out to Health P.E.I. about working as a pediatrician on the Island.
That process proved to be anything but relaxing.
Vuksic said he was told by Health P.E.I. that all pediatricians in the province must do on-call work in a hospital setting.
When he told the agency he couldn't do that because of his disability, he said Health P.E.I. seemed to lose interest in hiring him.
"They said everybody has to do [on-call], and I said, 'I have PTSD.' They said, 'Well that's too bad but everybody has to do [on-call].' So even at that point I had an inkling that there was a problem," Vuksic said.
"I can not do the work, and the fact that a health authority for an entire island doesn't understand that a diagnosis of PTSD means can't not won't is very concerning to me."
'He's an incredible person'
Vuksic told Health P.E.I. he wouldn't apply for the job. He offered to do pediatric-based clinic work or primary care, but he never heard back from the health authority.
When he was cleared to return to work a few months later, he again reached out to Health P.E.I. He said the organization once again told him that all doctors have to do on-call work.
In February 2024, at risk of losing his P.E.I. medical licence if he didn't return to work, Vuksic began seeing patients at his own pediatric practice at Charlottetown Psychological and Therapeutic Services.
The clinic looks after patients with neurodevelopment, mental health and behaviour concerns, Vuksic's specialty.
But his patients don't pay a cent — he pays for everything because he knows some of the people he treats can't afford private health care.
Frustrated, he recently took to social media to post about his desire to stay and work in P.E.I., and his struggles with the province's health-care system.
He now says he's forced to close his clinic because he can't afford to work for free anymore.
I feel like I'm constantly at battle trying to convince people that what I'm doing is helpful and worthy, and I'm tired.— Dr. Jovan Vuksic
Marley Kwitco, whose son is one of the 80 patients at Vuksic's clinic, said she was floored to read that the pediatrician wasn't receiving any payment for his practice.
"I almost cried, because it's amazing that … a doctor believes that much in your child and wants to help your child and care for them, even though they're not making income off of it," Kwitco said.
"He's an incredible person."
Since her son started going to the clinic last March, Kwitco said he's steadily learning how to regulate his emotions. She said if Vuksic leaves, her child won't get the support he needs.
"I just am sad that the health-care system would let someone like this go," she said.
"Why can't they make the exception?... The Island doesn't have enough doctors that are specializing in different things and I don't think they should be pushing stuff away when people here need medical help."
'I'm sorry I couldn't find a way to do it'
In a statement, Health P.E.I. said it has been in touch with Vuksic on many occasions, has provided him with detailed information about how to practise in the province, and has invited him to participate in the interview process.
"Health PEI has a standardized process for hiring, appointing and privileging physicians," the statement reads. "Health PEI also has policies to ensure compliance with all legislation and regulations through the recruitment process and works with candidates to ensure all required accommodations are offered."
The agency added it has policies and support staff in place to assist any staff who require accommodations due to a disability or other protected grounds.
Vuksic said he'll continue to see his P.E.I. patients through telehealth and still wants to work in his chosen profession. But he'll have to do that in another province.
"Everything in my life is going less well because of this conflict," he said. "I feel like I'm constantly at battle trying to convince people that what I'm doing is helpful and worthy, and I'm tired. I'm really tired.
"To my patients: I'm sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't find a way to do it."