Physician Recruitment Looking Ahead

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all sectors of business, including healthcare. The need for primary care has never been more important.

Traditional recruitment efforts have been a challenge over the past two years. It also has proved to be a time of opportunity. Though the pandemic has in many ways changed how we currently connect with physicians, it has also forced us to adapt to this new, changing environment.

Kitchener-Waterloo continued to be a desired location, staying consistent with pre-Covid times. An unexpected but welcome effect of the pandemic was that physicians with ties to our community chose to relocate to Waterloo Region to be closer to family and friends.

Today, it seems as though brighter days are ahead. We welcome the lifting restrictions cautiously and look forward to welcoming visiting physicians to a community with busy streets, shops and restaurants, showcasing the spirit of Waterloo Region that makes this community so special.

We also look forward to engaging with family medicine residents and physicians in traditional recruitment methods through in-person recruitment fairs and events and our Annual Family Medicine Resident event in the fall.

The Future is Bright

Many factors contribute to our success in attracting new physicians. We are an exceptional community offering numerous urban and rural lifestyle amenities that appeal to both physicians and their families. They are attracted by such diverse features as the Farmer’s Markets, recreational facilities, multiculturalism, universities, colleges, varied dining options and research facilities. We are also home to the Waterloo Region Campus of the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine and the Kitchener-Waterloo Family Medicine Residency Program allowing us to “grow our own” primary health care professionals. While we take great pleasure in celebrating our progress, we realize that our physician recruitment efforts are far from over. Kitchener-Waterloo will continue to be challenged with rapid population growth, a growing number of practitioners at retirement age and younger physicians who roster smaller practices as they look for work-life balance.

The Chamber Physician Recruitment Program efforts and initiatives are only made possible by the generous support and investment of our sponsors who are recognized on page 9.Thank you for your leadership and contribution to this critical program.

The Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce thanks our front-line workers who have continued to provide exceptional healthcare and work tirelessly to protect us over these past two years.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Jenna Petker

Jenna is Physician Recruitment Lead for the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce.