Doctors in the area say they’ve gotten together to help attract- and keep- new physicians in the region.
It’s called “Creating a Healthy Physician Workforce at St. Martha’s Regional Hospital- A Physician-Led and Community-Supported Initiative.”
Dr. Tania Sullivan, the head of emergency medicine at St. Martha’s in Antigonish, says it came about as the result of a medical staff workshop on working conditions for doctors in Antigonish and community consultation.
She says the initiative is a strategic plan for doctors to review problems they’ve noticed with recruitment and retention, and find ways they can help.
Sullivan tells The Hawk local physicians have a good idea why doctors come to Antigonish and the surrounding communities.
“We really felt that physicians who are on the front line, who are living in the community, had a really unique perspective in what it takes to come here,” she says. “Being a physician who came here, who’s not from here (and) who chose to stay here for the last 12 years, I have a significant personal and emotional investment in this place.”
Sullivan says local physicians know what keeps a doctor here.
She says they want to show doctors from other places what’s great about Antigonish Co.
“I do believe that this area is full of beautiful stories,” she says. “I think so much of this initiative is going to be about highlighting that.”
Sullivan says she wants to share what made her choose to stay with new physicians.
She says recruits need to see what a great place Antigonish Co. is to live and raise a family.
