On the snowy morning of January 15th in Walkerton, Ontario, over 1,000 people lined up in the middle of the night to secure one of 500 spots for new patients needing a family doctor.

This scene could easily have happened here if we were fortunate enough to offer so many patients access to a family physician.

Kirkland Lake, Englehart, and the surrounding areas once had a full team of doctors. Back then, local governments worked together with doctors to ensure everyone had access to the care they needed.

Today, however, we are struggling. While we should have 17 doctors to serve our population, we’ve managed with as few as five in recent years. In 2024, we welcomed three new doctors, bringing our total to eight. While this is a step forward, we’re still only halfway to the number of doctors we need.

To address this, we need to go back to the days when recruiting and keeping doctors was a community effort.

In 2024, the Physician Recruitment and Retention Committee was formed. This group includes local businesses, community organizations, patient representatives, the Blanche River Health Foundation (BRHF), Family Health Teams, and Blanche River Health (BRH). Together, we’re working to attract and retain doctors in our area.

Recently, local municipalities have been asked to support this effort with annual funding. This funding will help with recruitment incentives (added), events, housing for new doctors, hiring expert recruiters, and even providing gifts like memberships to local recreation facilities.

We look forward to more collaboration, not just with local governments, but with businesses willing to help recruit doctors to the area.

Individuals can support recruitment efforts by supporting the Blanche River Health Foundation, which plays a vital role in enhancing healthcare in our communities. The Foundation raises funds to purchase essential medical equipment, fund capital projects, invest in staff education, and support special projects like recruiting and retaining doctors in the area. These efforts benefit the Kirkland Lake and Englehart hospital sites, reducing financial pressure on the hospitals and helping to build a healthier, stronger community.

You can support the foundation by:

• Cheque to Blanche River Health Foundation
  145 Government Road East, Kirkland Lake, Ontario P2N 3P4
• Your estate planner through planned giving in your will
• Buying lottery tickets at splitthepot.ca
• Or online at brhfoundation.ca

We know that long waits for medical appointments are causing more people to rely on the Emergency Department. Limited access to specialists is also forcing more patients to travel out of town for care. These issues are making it harder for patients to get the care they need and deserve.

While the task of recruiting doctors is a big one, working together as a community gives us the best chance to succeed. By joining forces, we can build a stronger, more coordinated effort to recruit and keep doctors in our area.

About Blanche River Health 

Blanche River Health (BRH) is a 74-bed hospital corporation with two sites serving the North Eastern Ontario communities of Englehart (26 beds) and Kirkland Lake (48 beds) as well as residents in surrounding areas. Our mission is to make health care work for you. 

BRH values people and continuous improvement and we demonstrate this through accountability, respect, and courage to excel. 

Please direct media inquiries to: Communications and Public Relations 

1-866-274-7774 ext. 2144 | communications@blancheriverhealth.ca

Photo caption: 

Members of the Physician Recruitment and Retention Committee includes volunteers from Blanche River Health, the Blanche River Health Foundation, business representatives, multicultural groups and Family Health Teams.

Pictured: left to right, back row: France Benoit (BRH Medical Affairs/Physician Recruitment Coordinator), Co-Chair Mandy Weeden (Kirkland District Family Health Team Executive Director), Emma Archer (Kirkland & District Community Development Corporation Community Economic Development Officer), Barbara Effenberger (BRH Vice President, Corporate Services and Chief Financial Officer), Co-Chair Jorge VanSlyke (BRH President and Chief Executive Officer) and Cassandra James (BRHF Executive Coordinator).

Front row: Sean O'Connor (Hoggarth Interiors Owner/Manager), Debra Schenk, CHRL, CHRP (BRH Manager, Human Resources) and Brian Bronson (BRHF Director).

Not pictured: Anna McPherson (Kirkland Lake Multicultural Group President), Dr. Lasha Gorecki, Dr. Mark Spiller, Nancy Prince (BRHF Director), Kari Raymond (Englehart Family Health Team Executive Director), Dan Strasbourg (retired), Barb Cook (BRH Executive Assistant to the President and CEO) and Samantha Saudino (BRH Interim Vice President, Clinical Services and Chief Nursing Officer).