Greater Sudbury has a chance to double the number of dermatologists here, city council will hear next week.
The city has one of just two dermatologists working in all of northeastern Ontario, says a staff report for the Dec. 12 meeting. There used to be one in Barrie many people travelled to see, but that practice has closed.
“Over the last 12 years, attempts were made to recruit a second dermatologist to Greater Sudbury to assist with the backlog of patients,” the report says. “However, these attempts were unsuccessful. Very few dermatologists graduate each year due to limited residency spots, making the pool of potential candidates quite small.”
But recently, a graduate of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine who is about to finish dermatology school in southern Ontario has expressed interest in coming to the city.
“The candidate is exploring several practice opportunities located in various communities,” the report said. “Staff have recently been in contact with the candidate who has indicated that another community has made financial incentives available to specialists in the amount of $40,000 and is requesting access to a similar amount if the candidate were to decide to set up practice in Greater Sudbury.”
The report recommends entering into a four-year agreement with the doctor in exchange for the $40,000 incentive. The city offered the current dermatologist an incentive package 18 years ago, and more recently used incentives to attract a geriatrician.
“In most cases, Health Sciences North is responsible for the recruitment of specialists, while the City of Greater Sudbury focuses on the recruitment of family physicians and nurse practitioners to the community,” the report said. “In this situation, this dermatology candidate is planning to practise within a community-based office rather than within a hospital setting, therefore Health Sciences North likely won’t take part or provide any type of incentives to assist with the recruitment of the candidate.”
Money to fund the recruitment would come from an existing budget in the economic development department.
