ESSEX -- Essex County physician recruitment has had a lot of success, but has a long way to go, according to a local physician recruitment officer.
Physician recruitment officer Joan Mavrinac informed Essex County council that the area needs physicians especially in family medicine, psychiatry, emergency medicine and pediatrics.
"So to get to the Ontario average, a number of physicians per 100,000 population, we need to add 165 doctors today to our existing physician group," says Mavrinac. "Compounding that, 1-in-5 of our family physicians is already over the age of 65."
Since the physician recruitment office was created 2003, 569 doctors have been attracted to Windsor-Essex County. That’s about 35 physicians per year.
The average annual attrition is 20 doctors per year, and the number of physicians has increased by about 15 per year.
Mavrinac was praised for her efforts, with some noting she has a limited budget with which to do work.
