Grand River Hospital fundraises for ER resident doctor salaries

Grand River Hospital is trying a new tactic to reduce wait times in its emergency department, by fundraising the salary of a new ER resident.

Donation envelopes landed in mailboxes across the region last week.

A unique, made in Waterloo region solution- Dr. Robert Wickett, chief of emergency medicine, Grand River Hospital

"The fact is, we do not have enough emergency physicians to serve our growing community," wrote Dr. Robert Wickett, the hospital's chief of emergency medicine, in theletter asking families to open their wallets to help recruit a doctor.

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"Most days, we need one more emergency physician so that we can see all patients quickly, not just those who are critically ill," he wrote.

Sponsored work placement

The letter explains that one medical resident already works in the emergency room at Grand River Hospital, thanks to funding from the Ministry of Health.

However, one doctor isn't enough to bring down wait times, according to the letter, which describes the fundraising ideaas a"unique, made in Waterloo region solution" to an ongoing problem.

The fundraiser is seeking to raise $300,000 from donors, which would pay for a second resident position a yearfor three years.

As part of the deal, the residents would also have to agree to an additional two years with the hospital, following the residency,Grand River Hospitalpresident and CEO Malcolm Maxwell told CBC News.

"That provides an additional set of hands in the short term, during their training, and that provides a likely recruit here in our own community to either replace someone who's leaving or to grow the department," he said.

Need to raise $300,000

Maxwell said the arrangement is possible because the new ER resident is not yet a full doctor, and not an employee whose salaries are paid by the Ministry of Health.

Medical resident salaries are paid by medical schools and in this case, the donated money would flowdirectly from the Grand River Hospital Foundation to McMaster Universityschools, creating a sort of sponsored work placement position.

"The ministry has no jurisdiction over hospital foundations, which are charities subject to oversight by the Ontario Public Guardian and Trustee," reads a statement from the Ministry of Health in response to aCBC inquiry about whether such an arrangementwas permitted under current funding rules.

While the statement didn't expressly state it was allowed, a spokesperson wrote that "Grand River Hospital receives public funding from the province and is required to use that funding for patient care purposes in accordance with the terms of its hospital services accountability agreement with the Waterloo Wellington (WW) Local Health Integration Network."