(Today’s Northumberland file photo)
By Cecilia Nasmith/Today’s Northumberland
The Rotary Club of Port Hope has directed an anonymous donor’s contribution to the county’s Physician Recruitment program, the Northumberland County Community Health Committee heard at this week’s meeting.
Physician Recruitment Specialist Paula Mason shared the news of “a large anonymous donation that was gratefully received by the Physician Recruitment program in Northumberland County.”
The report she prepared said the donation was $596,225, “earmarked for physician incentives.”
“Obviously we all know physician incentives in physician recruitment is not a municipal responsibility but, in terms of the competitiveness across the region, it’s something that at this point in time we do need to provide if we want to remain competitive,” Mason said.
As required by the donor, she added, a small committee will be set up with two members of the Port Hope Rotary club and three members of county staff to consider eligible candidates – “students of, or recent graduates of medical programs accredited by the Committee on Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools, medical residents, graduating or recently graduated nurse practitioner (subject to their eligibility under the Program) or international medical graduates to practice in the geographic County of Northumberland),” the report said.
Committee responsibilities will include incentive amount to be awarded to each candidate, a payment schedule for this disbursement, the service commitment attached to the incentive and a policy for reimbursing the funds should that obligation not be completed.
“They will provide input and advice to our Physician Recruitment committee, who will then provide their recommendations to county council through this committee,” Mason explained.
“We do have a fundraising committee we have just established as part of our Physician Recruitment program, who will be looking into incentives for any physician recruitment, not necessarily newly graduated physicians. But in particular, this large donation is to be considered for new graduates.”
Port Hope Mayor and Committee Chair Olena Hankivsky declared it “amazing news.
“It’s definitely a necessary prerequisite for successful recruitment – and I will play the Port Hope card and say I am extraordinarily proud this has come out of our community. Rotaries do such incredible work in their communities.”
