Adam Prudhomme
Editor
Wanting to strike while the iron is hot, Greater Napanee council made the decision to authorize a one time recruitment offer to two physicians showing an interest in setting up a practice in town.
At their special summer schedule meeting on Tuesday, council unanimously voted to authorize the execution of forgivable loan agreements with two physicians who wish to establish practices in Greater Napanee. The offer includes $55,000 upfront per doctor, with $45,000 to be paid out in equal $11,250 instalments over the next four years in return for a five year commitment. That clause also states within two years, the doctors must maintain a patient load of no less than 900. The motion was put forward by deputy mayor Max Kaiser and seconded by councillor John McCormack.
Tuesday’s decision circumvents a motion made at council’s previous meeting, when it was decided the town would establish a committee to establish physician recruitment guidelines. Mayor Marg Isbester supported the decision to forge ahead with the forgivable loans of $100,000 per doctor now because time is a factor.
“We have had a request of two young doctors who have worked here in our hospital, they’ve very interested in setting up a practice here,” said Isbester, noting they’ve been in talks with the two perspective doctors for the last few months. “They of course would need some financial help. They have given us a very detailed costing of what it would be to set up an office, which would be in the existing Lenadco building, built to the specifications that they would be large enough that they could accommodate at least two other doctors.”
According to the calculations of the perspective doctors, establishing a new practice would cost $145,650 in the first three months alone.
“They have given us a very detailed list of the equipment they would need, which would be purchased out of any money we would decide would be put on the table” said Isbester.
“We still are still not considered an underserved area, so it makes it difficult for us to attract doctors,” said Isbester. “But we did have a doctor who left a practice and we have been given permission to work with (Dr.) Kim (Morrrison) to set this up that (any new doctors) would be taking over basically a large roster of patients left empty by Dr. Valli Hota, who retired and retired rather quickly.”
The two doctors expressing interest have stated they’re looking to get their practice up and running by late September or early October, which is another reason council supported the notion of making an offer before the committee could be established. There’s also the ever present possibility another municipality could make them an offer.
“Any futures can be shaped or formed by whatever the committee works out for future plans,” said Kaiser. “But I think we need to deal with these two right now. They’ve been waiting and they’ve been dialoguing with other municipalities. This is not something that we want to wait on.”
In an effort to entice the doctors to stay on beyond their five year commitment, the town included a clause that would forgive any loans for equipment be forgiven if they remained in the area two years beyond the original five years.
Should these two doctors take the offer, council still has plans to move forward with the doctor recruitment committee as there would still be a need for more doctors in the area.
“We’re building a team of primary care providers that work together to make sure that we wrap care around the entire community,” said Morrison, who is assisting the town in their recruitment efforts. “How many that is would depend partly on the type of work that each family doctor does, we want them all to be a part of the hospital, we want them all to be involved in teaching. That’s what keeps our community vibrant and allows us to attract them and over time it makes it easier for us to attract more and makes it less important how many dollars are on the table as opposed to this is a great place to work.”
Town staff is expected to bring back a report to the next council meeting to provide council with financial options from the operating budget to finance the $110,000 that would be needed for their upfront forgivable loan.