There could be an expansion of Belleville’s successful Physician Recruitment Program next year.
City staff presented a report to city council suggesting that Registered Nurses, Registered Practical Nurses, and Personal Support Workers taking courses at Loyalist College have their education partially subsidized in return for taking a job in the city.
Staff proposed a one year pilot project where students hoping to graduate as a Registered Nurse from Loyalist College would receive a $5,o00 subsidy from the city. It would be divided in to TWO payments: $2,o00 at enrolment and $3,000 when the graduate starts a job in Belleville.
A student taking a course to become a Registered Practical Nurse would also receive $5,000 while someone in a PSW program would receive $3,000, paid in two instalments.
Staff suggest 10 such bursaries could be offered each year to certain students. The extra cost would be $50,000 annually.
Some on council, including councillors Bill Sandison and Kelly McCaw, said the subsidies should be even higher for RNs, RPNs and PSWs.
Sandison thought the familly doctor program should be beefed up as well.
“Wait times are extended well beyond what we’d consider reasonable and while we’ve had a really good recruitment program where we’ve funded two physicians a year I really think we need to step that up and double it to four.”
Another proposal being floated is a specialist physician recruitment program featuring a subsidy of $15,000 a year for five years.
The City of Belleville currently invests $525,000 a year in its Physician Recruitment Program.
Staff will bring more information and council will discuss health care recruitment in detail during budget discussions in April.
