Facing a critical need for medical professionals, Ontario Sault is taking a bold step: actively recruiting doctors from the United States. This proactive approach highlights the pressing challenges many communities face in ensuring adequate healthcare. But how are they doing it? And what makes them stand out? Let's dive in!
According to Tasha Varpio, Ontario Sault's manager of physician recruitment and retention, the early efforts are showing real promise. She's been busy 'doctor-shopping' at conferences, including the Michigan Academy of Family Physicians conference on Mackinac Island and the American College of Emergency Physicians' emergency medicine conference in Salt Lake City.
"The big topic among recruiters is American physicians," Varpio shared during a presentation to the Sault Ste. Marie city council. "It has never been as easy," she stated, emphasizing the improved pathways for U.S.-trained physicians to practice in Ontario. "We have some conversations getting really close. I hope to do some recruitment of Michigan-based docs to come and practise here. It was a fruitful two conferences I attended," Varpio said. "We have the best fishing hole, being a border city."
But here's where it gets interesting: While cross-border shopping for goods might be less appealing these days, the Ontario Sault is successfully 'shopping' for medical doctors in the United States. Varpio also noted that some communities in British Columbia have seen similar success.
Hired just a year ago, Varpio is armed with a budget of $300,000, funded by the City of Sault Ste. Marie ($205,000) and the Sault Area Hospital ($95,000). Her efforts have already yielded impressive results, with a dozen physicians recruited to Sault Ste. Marie in 2025, including:
- Nine family physicians
- One pathologist
- One pediatrician
- One medical oncologist
- Three physicians in the process of obtaining an academic license
To broaden their reach, Varpio also attended a recruiting conference in Dublin, Ireland, this year.
What's in it for the doctors? Sault Ste. Marie offers attractive incentives, including a $5,000 relocation allowance for doctors from other parts of the province and a generous $10,000 for those recruited from outside the province. They also cover site-visit expenses, including flights and accommodations for spouses and families, allowing potential recruits to experience the city firsthand. Furthermore, an $83,000 Health Force Ontario incentive is available, in return for a four-year service commitment, and other grants are offered to retain northern Ontario physicians and attract medical specialists.
Currently, Varpio is working on creating welcome packages for the new doctors, hoping to include services like snow removal, golf memberships, legal and real estate services. She's reaching out to community and business leaders for donations to make these packages even more enticing.
And this is the part most people miss: Six of the physicians recruited this year are part of the Practice Ready Ontario (PRO) program. This program streamlines the process for internationally trained physicians who've completed postgraduate training and have experience in family medicine or as a general practitioner outside Canada. The program includes a 12-week clinical field assessment in a designated Ontario community. PRO candidates must also sign a three-year return-of-service agreement in a community with a high 'rurality' score or in one of the Northern Urban Referral Centres (Sudbury, North Bay, Thunder Bay, Timmins, or Sault Ste. Marie).
A Controversial Question: Do you think these recruitment strategies are sustainable long-term? What other innovative approaches could communities use to attract and retain medical professionals? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
