NEW GLASGOW, N.S.

An emergency intervention by doctors concerned by the shortage of their peers is now in the treatment stage.

An idea initially brought up in a May 2018 meeting of hiring someone to assist the Nova Scotia Health Authority’s recruiter in selling the attributes of Pictou County has become reality. Nicole LeBlanc, who formerly worked as communications director for Central Nova MP Sean Fraser has accepted the position.

Her responsibility is three-fold. No. 1, she is to share the best attributes of Pictou County with those considering the area by having information on hand that’s tailored to their interests of each potential candidate and their family members. No. 2 she will help make sure doctors and their families find the support and activities they need for a quality of life that makes them want to stay. No. 3 she will keep in contact with those people from the region who are pursuing a career in medicine that they might be able to entice back down the road.

The position will operate with a budget of $150,000 with 30 per cent paid for by the Aberdeen Health Foundation, 30 per cent by Pictou County’s Municipal Units and 30 per cent from private businesses and individuals, including doctors.

The operational part of it is the responsibility of a group within the Citizens for a Healthy Pictou County while the governance part of it is coming out of the Medical Staff Association subcommittee. 

Murray Hill. president of the Citizens for a Healthy Pictou County, believes this tailored approach will provide great assistance for the two recruiters currently working in the Nova Scotia Health Authority’s Northern Zone. 

“We were always of the feeling that we have all the attributes that would make us attractive to a physician looking to establish a practice. What we were missing was to make sure that all those attributes were known to the people when they were here.”

This job isn’t to replace health authority recruiters, but to assist them. 

“We can make sure that we tailor the information that we have about our community and what there is specifically to the physician coming in," HIll said. “We call that a polish on the presentation.” 

Dr. Brad MacDougall, president of the Medical Staff Association, grew up in Antigonish and married a woman from New Glasgow, so in a way it was natural for him to want to return to the area to establish his practice in Westville.

“We knew we wanted to raise a family in a smaller area outside of the city and I wanted to practice community family medicine which is a little more varied than it might be setting up downtown in a larger center.”

But he understands why it’s harder for some graduates to make that choice.

“When you train in a large centre and you spend six to nine years there training between med school and residency you get attached to that city life," he said. “You make friends. You have a social life and your spouse may have a job as well. It’s a challenge for new graduates to pick up and leave that.”

What he hopes though is that with the help of LeBlanc they can do a better job of selling the positives of the community. For him that means more than brochures about the beauty of the east coast.

“I think any community in the Maritimes is selling the same thing – a nice community rural lifestyle with beaches and access to water,” he said. 

What Pictou County can offer differently is how friendly the community is and how it welcomes those newcomers, he believes. 

“That's going to ultimately make the difference in a physician coming here and definitely make the difference in them staying here,” he said.

Dr. James MacLachlan, medical site lead for the Aberdeen Hospital, said they are not limiting their recruitment assistance to any particular demographic. Some could be recent graduates looking to start their practice. Others could be doctors who are ready to retire from another area and want to have some adventure. 

While no one involved with the project expects immediate return on their investment of time and money, they hope in the long term it will alleviate some of the pressure being felt right now.

“This isn’t for the here and now,” MacLachlan said. “It’s for the here and now and forever.” 

MacLachlan said, ideally, he’d like to see 10 new doctors come to the area. That would address the current shortage and set the county up well to deal with retirements that are looming.

In her first month on the job, LeBlanc has already had the chance to help provide information during two doctor recruitment visits. 

She said she’s excited about this job because it offers her the chance to give back to the community she grew up in.

“I have a chance to do something incredible to give back through my profession and bring my skill set and really to share the place that I love with other people and try to get them to love it too.”

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