Health superboard will help in recruiting doctors for regions: Stanton CEO

Theamalgamation of N.W.T.'s regional health boards into one healthsuperboardwill help co-ordinate recruiting efforts, saysSue Cullen, interimCEOof the StantonTerritorialHealth Authority.

The N.W.T.government continues to have a tough time finding permanent doctors for regions outside of Yellowknife, withvacancy rates for family doctors in those regions ranging from 48 to 100 per cent.

In theDehcho region, for example, there has not been a resident doctor for at least nine years.As a result, patients in communities typically see different doctors from month to month and year to year.

Cullen says the current boards spend a lot of time passing information back and forthon recruitment issues.

"Each of the currently operating authorities has their own recruiter, so we're now spending much more time in them linking together on a regular basis to find out 'what's working for you?'and 'do you have locums that would like to work in our area?'"

She says one doctor is currently very interested in signing on as a permanent doctor in the Dehcho.

Cullen also points out that some of the regions have been served by the same visiting doctors for years.