County Docs addressing physician shortage in Prince Edward County

bboyce • January 9, 2023

PICTON, January 3, 2023 - The Municipality of the County of Prince Edward (The County), the Prince Edward Family Health Organization (PEFHO), the Prince Edward Family Health Team (PEFHT), the Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital Foundation (PECMHF) and Quinte Health are pleased to announce the formation of the County Docs Physician Retention and Recruitment program which will be pivotal to addressing the shortages of physicians in Prince Edward County.

County Docs, which is led by recruiter Adam Hambly, has started to actively recruit physicians to practice in Prince Edward County. Shortages of physicians, a decline in enrolment in family medicine and the stress of the Covid-19 pandemic have all led to a critical shortage of family physicians not only in Prince Edward County, but across our country.

There are currently five physician vacancies in Prince Edward County with three more expected in 2023. Demand for physicians is great due to a shortage of doctors resulting from retirements as well as rising patient needs. The County is also experiencing an increase in residents relocating permanently. This in turn, leaves those new residents without a family doctor. Not having adequate primary care providers puts a significant demand on the emergency services at the local hospital creating another health care issue.

Competition for recruiting family physicians is extreme between communities and has brought our local organizations together to strategize what can be offered to keep Prince Edward County a premier place for new physicians to want to live and practice medicine. Lack of competitive financial incentives, the expensive cost of housing for locums and medical learners and lack of office space are arising as prominent areas requiring investment if Prince Edward County is going to be competitive.

“In the past, there were few challenges in finding new physicians to take over practices from those leaving or retiring. However, given a perfect storm of fewer medical graduates in family medicine, an aging physician workforce and a growing and aging population, this is no longer the case,” said Dr. Anne Nancekievill, a local family physician recruitment champion. “Our family doctors are integral to our community. Not only do they take care of patients in their offices; they support our local hospital by taking care of admitted patients, as well as covering shifts in our Emergency Department, acting as medical directors and covering physicians for our four Long Term Care facilities and providing palliative care both at home and in our local hospice. Our family physicians also provide guidance and support for both our Family Health Team and local hospital programs. We currently have 18 family doctors serving a population of over 25,000 people. It is not enough.”

Hambly was hired to address the recruitment crisis in mid-July. He has achieved early successes including the creation of a new recruitment and retention strategy that is based on reducing barriers for prospective physicians. Hambly is actively recruiting and creating the program elements that other jurisdictions have had for a longer time, boasting maturity and longer prominence in the public domain. Showcasing Prince Edward County is a key component. A dedicated website for County Docs is in development and is expected to launch in February. Other highlights achieved to date include:

• Securing one locum for a one-year contract, with possibility of permanency - Locums temporarily assist with vacation coverage. In this case, securing this locum has helped stabilize a practice where the existing physician has retired and with the locum’s commitment, orphaning patients was avoided

• Launch of a Doctor Accommodation Network (DAN) to support housing for locums and new physicians. This is critical as locums can provide much needed breaks from practice and viewed as an important factor to prevent family physician burnout

• Speaking to more than 25 potential recruits, conducting 11 introductory calls, with four full-site visits completed. A recruitment pipeline takes a long time to build but this activity is a strong beginning

“With the support of incentive funding by The County, one barrier has been removed, for now. However, we are seeing competition in financial incentives continue to escalate. We have to think about a whole package of offerings for new physicians. Our goal is to not only make Prince Edward County a top choice for new physician recruits but also a place where physicians want to stay. Retention of our current and future physicians is as equally important as recruiting them here,” said Hambly.

Many community members have asked how they can help support the Physician Recruitment and Retention efforts. The Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital Foundation has partnered with County Docs to invest in the future of healthcare delivery in PEC by launching a new Physician Recruitment and Retention Fund. The Physician Recruitment and Retention Fund will give people in the community an opportunity to contribute to the initiatives underway that will attract and retain new physicians to our area.

“The Foundation welcomes the opportunity to partner with The County, the Family Health Team, the family physicians, Quinte Health, and Adam Hambly to help advance physician recruitment to new prospective doctors, and retention opportunities for those already practicing,” said Barbara McConnell, chairperson of the Foundation. “Through collaboration and giving interested donors a way to contribute, the support we will generate will not only connect patients to doctors, but also result in our hospital continuing to offer procedures and treatment options that are unique to a smaller community.”

To make a donation to support The Foundation’s Physician Recruitment and Retention Fund, contact Shannon Coull at 613-476-1008 ext 4503, email info@pecmhf.ca, or visit pecmhf.ca and select ‘donate’. Also, cheques may be mailed to PECMH Foundation at 403 Main Street, Picton, ON K0K 2T0. Donors who give to this fund will not receive preferential treatment in securing a family physician. Donors will help strengthen the future delivery of healthcare across our region.

More on County Docs’ strategy will be shared with the community in February, when an official program launch is expected. In the meantime, the public is invited to visit our landing page, www.countydocs.ca for more information.

“Even at these early stages of formal program development, we want to acknowledge the community for their support. We know having a family physician is at the top of everyone’s mind and we are working hard to stabilize our healthcare delivery,” said Hambly.

Medical students or family physicians interested in learning more information can contact Adam Hambly at info@countydocs.ca

Those seeking a family physician should contact Health Care Connect at 1-800-869-8828 or go to health.gov.on.ca/en/ms/healthcareconnect/pro/

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Media Contacts:

County Docs:

Adam Hambly, info@countydocs.ca

PECMH Foundation Physician Recruitment and Retention Donations:

Shannon Coull, 613-476-1008 #4503, email: SCoull@qhc.on.ca

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Rotary Club of Picton donates $5,000 to Back the Build

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BLOOMFIELD, October 28, 2025 – What began as a way to bring isolated people together safely to make cherished holiday memories during the Covid pandemic … grew over 5 years resulting in over 3,000 people (and countless pets) being photographed at ANDARA Gallery’s annual “Holiday Photo in the Barn” event … raising over $35,000 for the Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital Foundation. Today, Tara Wilkinson and Andrew Csafordi are proud to announce that this beloved program will be transitioning over to The Eddie Farm & Hotel for the 2025 Holiday season … and beyond. “We have loved every minute of our five years hosting this special holiday fundraiser! The program has grown so much and now requires more energy and resources. We couldn’t be more thrilled to hand the reins of this beautiful annual tradition over to the stewardship of Alex Portman and Michael von Teichman at The Eddie Hotel and Farm … the epitome of “Christmas in the County”. We know their team will do a great job continuing this treasured tradition for County residents and visitors in support of our beloved hospital”, said Tara Wilkinson, co-owner of ANDARA Gallery. Artists Tara and Andrew will continue to focus on creating, exhibiting and selling contemporary fine art paintings, photography, digital art and ceramics year-round from their colourful ANDARA Gallery - named one of Ontario’s Top 10 Best Art Galleries by TripAdvisor earlier this year. ANDARA Gallery’s upcoming holiday art show and sale, “LUMINOUS” will run November 15th through December 6th and then December 16th to 23rd from 11 AM to 5 PM. For more information, visit www.andaragallery.com. The 6th Annual “Holiday Photo in the Barn” event will take place at its new location, The Eddie Hotel and Farm located at 15786 Loyalist Parkway (between Bloomfield and Wellington) in Prince Edward County … Thursdays through Sundays between Noon and 6 PM starting on Thursday, December 4th and running through Sunday, December 21st, 2025. The event will now be known as “Holiday Photos at The Red Barn”. Residents and visitors can now make an advance reservation for their group photo time through www.theeddie.ca/holiday-photo-in-the-barn. Guests will check in a Nellie’s Cheese Shop located in The Red Barn where they can make their donation to PECMH Foundation’s “Back the Build” campaign, purchase a snack, hot chocolate, mulled cider and other holiday gifts. You then bring your own fully charged camera and choose from one of 3 photo areas in and around The Red Barn. Eddie staff will be available to assist with taking your photo or you can use one of the iphone camera stands available at each photo location. All they ask in return is for a donation to PECMH Foundation’s “Back the Build” campaign. “We suggest a donation of $10 per group, but a larger donation is welcome if you can afford it, and less is fine if you can’t” says Alex. An income tax receipt will be issued by the PECMHF for all donations over $100. To make your reservation for the 6th Annual “Holiday Photo in the Barn” event at The Eddie Hotel and Farm, go to www.theeddie.ca/holiday-photo-in-the-barn. “We are delighted to be taking over the annual “Holiday Photo in the Barn” event from Tara and Andrew at ANDARA Gallery and bringing it to The Eddie Hotel and Farm. It seemed like such a good fit since our property is already so decorated after The Red Barn Holiday Market - which takes place the last weekend of November each year. We loved the idea of people being able to capture their family memories over the years against the backdrop of “The Eddie”, says says Alex Portman, Co-owner of The Eddie Hotel and Farm. “We are delighted to continue this wonderful tradition of providing such a joyful experience for our community that brings people together to create holiday memories while raising much needed funds for the new hospital,” says Michael Von Teichman, Co-Owner of The Eddie Hotel and Farm. “Thank you to Andrew and Tara of ANDARA Gallery and everyone who has supported this event over the past five years. We look forward to continuing this wonderful holiday tradition with Alex and Mike at The Eddie Hotel and Farm. No matter the size, every donation makes a difference in the care you and your family will receive in our new hospital,” said Nancy Parks, Back the Build campaign chairperson. “We look forward to everyone coming out to support this festive fundraiser again this year as we work to modernize and enhance health care services to ensure people living in and visiting our community continue to have access to care close to home.” The Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital Foundation is a charitable organization dedicated to raising funds to advance health care for the people of Prince Edward County and patients of the hospital. -30- PHOTO CAPTION: (L-R) Holiday Photo in the Barn Founders and ANDARA Gallery Co-Owners, Andrew Csafordi and Tara Wilkinson, celebrate the transition of their annual fundraiser over to The Eddie Hotel and Farm in Prince Edward County with (Centre) Nancy Parks, PECMHF Back the Build Chairperson and (R), the Eddie’s Co-Owners, Michael von Teichman and Alex Portman. Photo Credit: Staff, The Eddie Hotel and Farm.

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Picton Fair Bake Off Honour Deputy Jim Young

Picton Fair Bake Off to Honour Deputy Jim Young

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