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Physician Workforce Strategy

“We must eliminate the gaps in Northern Ontario health human resources in order to achieve equitable and sustainable access to quality health care.”

Dr. Sarah Newbery
Associate Dean, Physician Workforce Strategy
physicianworkforce@nosm.ca
@NOSMMDworkforce


The health and wellbeing of Northern Ontarians depends on having timely access to physicians and other healthcare providers, to meet the diverse needs of the people.

In June of 2023, Northern Ontario was actively recruiting for 384 physicians.  This was an increase from recruitment needs of 364 physicians in the year prior.

As with many places, the need for family physicians across our communities has increased.

At NOSM University we are working hard, alongside partners to reverse this trend and ensure that communities and citizens have the physicians that they need to improve care and health outcomes.

What do we know about our current needs?

We are working closely with community-based recruiters and hospital partners to understand what we are recruiting for across the North for physicians.

The data is an UNDERESTIMATE of need and if we are truly to transform health care delivery to meet the needs of Northern Ontario, there is much work to be done to forecast and measure the population need.

This data is imperfect, but it is the best we have available. To understand the data:

  • We need to keep in mind that the data reflects only current contract vacancies and there are challenges about whether current funding allocations meaningfully reflect the number of physicians required to meet the health needs of the population.
  • The recruitment of specialists in Northern Ontario’s large centres takes place largely through hospitals and so the data does not completely reflect the need for specialists outside of the hospital setting.

Examples of likely gaps are in the need for allergy specialists, rheumatologists and addiction medicine physicians who may be largely in the community rather than hospital.

  • The data does not include any forecasting information nor the unmeasured and unmet need of some of our communities.
  • The current need also reflects only the clinical service requirements and does not include the expectations of participation in teaching or other scholarly work that is expected of physicians who are working with a medical university like NOSM  University.

So the data is an UNDERESTIMATE of need and if we are truly to transform health care delivery to meet the needs of Northern Ontario, then we will need more physicians than is noted here. At present however, this is the best estimate for unmet need for physicians that we have.

What is NOSM University’s role in the development of physician resources for Northern Ontario?

NOSM University’s role falls broadly in four domains:

  1. Education and training of future clinicians – both through NOSM University’s programs and through elective and core rotation placements for learners from other schools
  2. Facilitating the retention of skilled faculty through career and academic opportunities
  3. Collaboration with health system partners for planning, advocacy and alignment
  4. Collaboration through formal and informal agreements with other Ontario universities to increase clinical placements of core and elective learners in Northern Ontario

NOSM University offers several Family Medicine and Royal College Specialty Postgraduate Programs. Learn more.

Physician HHR Data for 2023

As of June 2023, based on data gathered from community and hospital level recruiters, Northern Ontario is recruiting for:

More than 200 family doctors – most of which are needed as rural generalists in our rural communities.

  • We are recruiting for 180 specialists with those we need in highest numbers being:
    • Psychiatrists (24)
    • General Internists (22)
    • Pediatricians (7)
    • Anesthetists (15)
    • General surgeons (13)
    • Emergency physicians (either CCFP EM or FRCPC) (>15)

Smaller numbers in key subspecialties like rheumatology, respirology, physiatry,  sleep medicine, interventional cardiology, dermatology, and several others are also needed. Although smaller numbers are needed, these subspecialists are critical to health care services in Northern Ontario.

Expand the heading below to view previously reported data.

Physician HHR data – June 2022

As of June 2022, based on data gathered from community and hospital level recruiters, we know that:

In Northern Ontario, communities are actively recruiting for over 350 physicians. Of these, there is active recruitment for more than 150 specialists, and more than 200 family physicians. Of the family physicians, we need 110 to be rural generalists in rural communities across the North, and this is an increase of 10% from June of 2021.

Image depicting the text that proceeds it along with a decorative image of Ontario, two physicians, plus a graph labelled with 10%.

  • The specialists we need in highest numbers are:
    • Psychiatrists
    • General Internists
    • Pediatricians
    • Anesthetists
    • Diagnostic imaging specialists
    • Emergency physicians (either CCFP EM or FRCPC)

Smaller numbers in key subspecialties like rheumatology, respirology, physiatry,  sleep medicine, interventional cardiology, dermatology, and several others are also needed. Although smaller numbers are needed, these subspecialists are critical to health care services in Northern Ontario.

Expand the heading below to view previously reported data.

Physician Human Health Resource Data – June 2021

In January 2021, based on data gathered from community and hospital level recruiters, we know that we needed at least 313 physicians across Northern Ontario.  In June 2021, that need increased to 325 physicians, with an increase in the need for family physicians and rural generalists in particular.

Breakdown of the 325 physicians needed:

  • 135 family physicians, 97 of those in rural communities.
  • 4 enhanced skill FPs in care of the elderly, FPA, palliative care
  • 166.5 specialists, in a variety of disciplines,
  • 18.5 hospitalists and emergency medicine physicians (either FP or specialists)
The specialists we needed in highest numbers were:

  • Psychiatrists
  • General Internists
  • Pediatricians
  • Anesthetists
  • Diagnostic imaging specialists
  • Emergency physicians (either CCFP EM or FRCPC)

For more information about working as a physician in N. Ontario

For more information about working as a physician in Northern Ontario, please see the HFO jobs portal here or visit specific community listings at https://jobconnect.health/

Contact Information

Office of Physician Workforce Strategy
Email: physicianworkforce@nosm.ca

 

 

Quick Links

NOSM University Strategic Plan

NOSM University Strategic Plan

Rural Generalist Pathway

Rural Generalist Pathway

OMA Prescription for Northern Ontario

OMA Prescription for Northern Ontario

Addressing the Gaps

Addressing the Gaps

History and Past Work

Summit North and NPRAC

Summit North and NPRAC

Physician Resources Action Plan for Northern Ontario

Physician Resources Action Plan for Northern Ontario

Ontario/Queensland Knowledge Transfer Project

Ontario/Queensland Knowledge Transfer Project

Presentation: Building a Flourishing Physician Workforce

Presentation: Building a Flourishing Physician Workforce