// President's Message

For the past several months the President’s Committee on Physician Recruitment has focused its advocacy efforts on collaborative care. The results of these efforts are significant: the establishment of additional collaborative care centres has been officially supported by the City of Fredericton, and the Progressive Conservative and Green Party have both pledged to make collaborative care a priority if elected to government in September.

We’re pleased with this progress, but there’s still much to be done. The current physician shortage in Fredericton is serious, and will only worsen as our community’s most senior physicians retire. To encourage new and established physicians to choose to practice in our city we need to offer practice options that are attractive to doctors and that have proven successful in other communities. And that’s why we’re focused on collaborative care.

Our conversations with physicians, medical residents, and staff at the regional health authority all come back to the importance of collaborative care. This practice model allows doctors to share space, staff, and resources, which allows doctors to spend more time with patients and less time on the administrative aspects of running a sole practice. Just as importantly, physicians who practice in collaborative settings report a better work/life balance, which can in turn be linked to a better overall practice experience.

Fredericton’s physician shortage is a key issue for the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce. It’s directly linked to the quality of life of our residents, our businesses’ ability to attract the right candidates, and our future growth. I look forward to advocating for improved access to primary healthcare in Fredericton.

Sincerely,

Mike Toole

Chair, President’s Committee on Physician Recruitment
President, Fredericton Chamber of Commerce