Local Family Doctor Takes on Physician Recruiter Role in Dufferin/Caledon

Hills of Headwaters Collaborative OHT; Caledon; On-site; CAD 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job description

Local Family Doctor Takes on Physician Recruiter Role in Dufferin/Caledon

Hills of Headwaters Collaborative Ontario Health Team (HOHC OHT), in collaboration with Dufferin County, the Town of Caledon and Headwaters Health Care Centre, have announced Dr. Lydia MacFarland, a family physician in Orangeville, as the new Physician Recruiter. In this role, Dr. MacFarland will lead the recruitment of new physicians as well as efforts to support existing physician providers.

The Physician Recruiter position is a purposeful partnership between local government representatives, family physicians, health providers and community members who together form the HOHC OHT’s Physician Recruitment and Retention Task Force. The goal of this Task Force is to add to and support existing primary care and physician services in Dufferin County and Town of Caledon communities.

“I have a great love for family medicine and believe that a strong physician and primary care foundation
is at the core of a thriving community,” said Dr. Lydia MacFarland. “My husband and I moved to Orangeville three years ago and we cannot imagine practicing or raising our young family anywhere else. My hope is to acknowledge and build on the incredible foundation established by the doctors who came before us while finding creative solutions to the challenges that healthcare professionals are currently facing,” added Dr. MacFarland.

Over the first three months, Dr. MacFarland will focus on several key initiatives to strengthen local physician recruitment, including developing strategies to enhance efficiency and effectiveness of the current recruitment process for the communities as well as the hospital.

“From the beginning, this OHT has been committed to improving access to care for all while improving the patient and provider experience. We are confident that Dr. MacFarland will enable these efforts and improve health outcomes in our community,” said Dave Pearson, Executive Director, HOHC OHT.

Recruitment efforts will aim to address current physician shortages in the community and needs within the hospital. As of March 2022, the estimated number of community members needing access to primary and team-based care was 15,213. This number has only grown since then due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, retirements of family physicians, and an increase in the number of people living and working in our community. Dufferin County, the Town of Caledon and Headwaters Health Care Centre have committed combined funding up to $150,000 to support these recruitment and retention efforts.

“With many Ontarians lacking access to a family physician, the state of health care is in crisis in our province, including in Dufferin County. Many of our residents are unable to access quality, timely care, which is why Dufferin County partnered with the Hills of Headwaters Collaborative Ontario Health Team, Headwaters Health Care Centre and the Town of Caledon for physician recruitment efforts. We are pleased to announce that Dr. Lydia MacFarland has taken on the physician recruiter role in Dufferin/Caledon and look forward to seeing improved health outcomes in our community,” said Darren White, Warden, Dufferin County.

“The Town of Caledon is proud to partner with Hills of Headwaters and Dufferin County to address the need for primary care physicians in our community. As Caledon anticipates a population of 300,000 by 2051, it is crucial that we have the essential support systems in place to serve our residents. With the assistance of the Hills of Headwaters Collaborative Ontario Health Team, we can enhance the recruitment of family physicians and other healthcare professionals, alleviating the strain on nearby hospitals. Together, we are strengthening our ability to serve Caledon more effectively,” said Annette Groves, Mayor, Town of Caledon.

“Dr. MacFarland’s role as physician recruiter marks a significant milestone in our collective commitment to ensuring that our community benefits from the best possible medical expertise,” said Kim Delahunt, President & CEO, Headwaters Health Care Centre.

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We acknowledge that Hills of Headwaters Collaborative Ontario Health Team and its partners work within the traditional territories and ancestral lands of the Tionontati (Petun), Attawandaron (Neutral), Haudenosaunee (Six Nations) and Anishinaabe peoples.

Hills of Headwaters Collaborative Ontario Health Team is supported by funding from the Government of Ontario.