Three temporary doctors have been working in Olds while the town awaits the arrival of a few others.
Three temporary doctors have been working in Olds while the town awaits the arrival of a few others.
So far, nobody has committed to staying long term and therefore none can take regular patients, but according to Giles, Olds should not be a hard sell with its proximity to a major city, the mountains and its small-town charm.
"Our location is excellent. We are in a very attractive location," he said. "There are a lot of communities across Alberta that are struggling right now to bring enough physicians in and they are having to offer all kinds of incentives to motivate people to come to places that are much more remote, smaller, more difficult."
Olds mayor Judy Dahl would agree.
"We have an attraction in the Town of Olds, as far as our location goes, that is golden. And families can actually … work, play and educate and live here comfortably," Dahl said.
At the Aug. 25 town council meeting, Coun. Mary Jane Harper said that a few locums — temporary doctors — had been working in Olds.
According to Mel Giles, chair of the Olds Physician Attraction and Retention Committee at the Olds Institute for Community and Regional Development (OI), there were five vacancies in town and locums have filled four thus far.
Currently, three have been working at the Olds Hospital and Care Centre, responding to emergencies, as well as doing shifts and walk-in duty at the Wild Rose Medical Centre, Giles said.
In May, the Wild Rose Medical Centre announced the departure of Dr. Johann Van Der Vyver and Dr. Deon Vorster from the clinic.
The first doctor to arrive was Dr. Maria Lee, a new graduate from the University of Alberta on a six-month locum that started July 1.
Dr. Lee was then joined by doctors LeeAnna and Michael Blackshaw, a husband-and-wife team from Lethbridge and schooled at the University of Alberta. The two are on a three-month locum that started on July 15.
Still to come is Dr. Murray Rodych, a Lethbridge native, whose three-month locum starts on Oct. 1.
"They're recent graduates. Young people, full of energy, which is good," Giles said.
Once Dr. Rodych arrives, he said the total number of physicians in Olds would be near or at 15.
In addition to the four locums, Giles said the committee was expected to give a tour to another doctor — a general practitioner anesthetist — on Sept. 5.
If all goes well, it could be coup for the town.
"We've got our fingers crossed because we need anesthetists here for the hospital. Plus, he would be working out of the medical centre as a family physician to boot," he said.
From November to January, a pair of general practitioner anesthetists will be filling in to relieve doctors going on vacation. They will only be working at the hospital with anesthetics, Giles said.
Those two will be Dr. Andrew Birse on a three-month locum starting in November and Dr. John Sauve, on a two-month locum starting in December.
Giles added that the temporary doctors, who are recent grads, will have supportive peers as well.
"When young physicians, who have very little experience to start with, get into an emergency situation at the hospital and then need help, there is help available within five minutes. And that's attractive to young physicians starting out," he said.
Once a doctor is interested in practising in Olds, it's the job of the Olds Physician Attraction and Retention Committee to show them around. That could include conducting tours of the town or for physicians with children, showing them the local schools.
Finding a place for the doctors to stay is another.
"We're looking for accommodation right now for a lot of these people and it's very hard in town to find temporary accommodation, rental accommodation for a person that's only coming for three months or six weeks or 12 weeks," Giles said.
Wherever they wind up in town, Dahl is confident they will find a warm community.
"I know the citizens of the Town of Olds (will) welcome with open arms the new families and doctors.," she said. "I just (want to) thank them on behalf of the people."
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