Monday, May 09, 2011
World’s Doctors Choosing Ontario
McGuinty Government Ensuring Families Have Access To Quality Health Care
Today more doctors from around the world are choosing to practise in Ontario, ensuring that families have access to the high quality health care they need, closer to home.
A record number of international medical graduates (IMGs) are now working in Ontario. The HealthForce Ontario Marketing and Recruitment Agency has been helping to boost Ontario’s efforts in recruiting doctors – both foreign trained and those trained in other provinces or the U.S. – over the past several years. A majority of these doctors are either treating patients in high-demand specialties, such as internal medicine, psychiatry and emergency medicine, or practising as family doctors.
Now IMGs make up almost 25 per cent of the doctors who are serving Ontario families. This achievement is in stark contrast to when Ontario was losing more doctors than it was recruiting, prior to 2003.
These initiatives, in part, are the reason why 94 per cent of Ontarians now have a family doctor. Having access to a family doctor helps keep pressure off hospital emergency rooms, can improve health outcomes and most importantly, delivers peace of mind to Ontario families.
Today's announcement is part of the government's Open Ontario Plan to provide more access to health care services while improving quality and accountability for patients.
QUOTES
"Before our government took office Ontario was losing more doctors to other provinces and countries than it was recruiting. I’m thrilled that we have managed to help reverse this trend while at the same time, recruiting and training record numbers of international medical graduates. Our ability to attract international talent is a testament to the quality of our province’s health care system."
- Deb Matthews, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care
"More doctors are choosing to live and work in Ontario thanks to the government’s initiatives. This is a great benefit to our province, to our communities and most of all to patients who will have better access to health care."
- Lou Rinaldi, MPP, Northumberland-Quinte West
"It is important that we continue to work together to make Ontario an even more attractive place to practise medicine and to help develop a comprehensive system that will improve patients’ access to quality health care."
- Dr. Stewart Kennedy, President, Ontario Medical Association
"HealthForceOntario provided me with the support and networking opportunities I needed. Thanks to them, today I am practising emergency medicine in Ontario."
- Dr. Francesco Mulé, Northumberland Hills Hospital
QUICK FACTS
- In 2009, Ontario gained 174 doctors from another province or country, according to the Canadian Institute for Health Information.
- Ontario offers 200 training and assessment positions annually for IMGs – more than all other provinces combined.
- There are currently more than 6,050 IMGs in Ontario, representing almost a quarter of the physician workforce.
- HealthForceOntario Marketing and Recruitment Agency helps to recruit qualified health care professionals into Ontario and assist internationally educated health professionals living in Ontario to become qualified to practise in the province.
LEARN MORE
Learn more about Ontario’s supports for internationally educated health professionals.
Find out more about International Medical Graduates in Ontario.
Public Inquiries
Call ServiceOntario, Infoline
at 1-866-532-3161
TTY 1-800-387-5559.
In Toronto, TTY 416-327-4282
Hours of operation : 8:30am - 5:00pm
|