Rotarian Cara pictured with Susan Keast of the Muskoka & Area Ontario Health Team after her presentation on local healthcare provider recruitment. Photo by the Rotary Club of North Muskoka.
Susan Keast joined the Rotary Club of North Muskoka Thursday morning to share details on how MAOHT is recruiting health care providers in our area.
On Thursday, July 13th the Rotary Club of North Muskoka was joined by Susan Keast, Health Human Resources Recruiter with the Muskoka & Area Ontario Health Team (MAOHT). As a group we learned many details about the state of healthcare in our community including that there are 5,000 individuals waiting for a healthcare provider, and we will need 15-17 new healthcare providers to accommodate what is estimated to be 15,000 to 18,000 people needing a provider in the next three years.
So what is the MAOHT doing about it?
Susan has been getting the name of our community out there, connecting with current med students and showing what an amazing place Muskoka is to live. She has made connections with two students from University of Toronto and hosted them here in June, showing them how Muskoka is the perfect place to support not only their work but their personal interests. She is looking to expand her recruitment to multiple medical schools. A proposal has been sent to the government requesting funding for eight additional primary care nurse practitioners across Muskoka. Susan has connected with several physicians who will be providing locum support for current providers on leave.
We are the ones who will need doctors and nurse practitioners! How can people in our community help?
Susan shared that housing is one of the biggest needs currently, especially for short term locum support. Anyone who is able to provide short term housing is urged to connect with her. Continued contributions will allow recruiters to attend job conferences and host more students in Muskoka to showcase our wonderful community. It is also important to get the word out, let people know about the MAOHT's efforts and our need of healthcare support!
For more information on how you can support local health care recruitment in our community, contact Susan Keast at skeast@maoht.ca.