Council received a letter from Teli Karamydas regarding city plans to help the Northern Health Region deal with the doctor shortage. Mayor Cal Huntley who is also a member of the Health Region Board said the Board is looking for new solutions.  He says they’re obviously still in the recruitment mode.  He explains they’ve hit a point in the cycle where there’s a shortage of doctors right now but they have agreed that they need to look at a new approach and they’re investigating different venues that will maybe take them out of the norm but provide the kind of coverage that they’re looking for at the end of the day. Huntley adds they’re just starting this journey but they understand it’s very important and it’s a top priority for them and the City will be working with the RHA on it as well.

Huntley say one idea suggested until a permanent solution can be found is to have doctors with a practice in Winnipeg come up on a regular rotation so people know they can see the same doctor again on a future visit.  He says we have a 25 million dollar expansion to our hospital so they are working to make sure we have the doctors to make it work