Members of Bluewater Health and the Sarnia-Lambton Ontario Health Team (OHT) are exploring ways to recruit primary care physicians to Sarnia, following the dissolution of Blue Coast Primary Care in September.
The two organizations are scheduled to present to city council on Monday, November 17, in hopes of receiving grant funding through the 2026 budget.
Bluewater Health Chief of Staff Dr. Michel Haddad said they're hoping to maintain the funding that would have gone to Blue Coast Primary Care.
"We will provide our own staff to help with the ongoing recruitment efforts. But we still need the funds to actually help recruit physicians, to help them with the transition here, in terms of relocation costs," said Haddad. "It's not asking for any more money but we're just hoping the money doesn't disappear."
Blue Coast Primary Care received a yearly grant of $80,000 from the city.
A presentation included in Monday's council agenda said there are approximately 9,000 Sarnia residents who don't have a primary care provider, and over 30 per cent of family doctors are retirement age.
"At least for the next five years, I would say even 10 years, there's going to be an avalanche of retirements in primary care," Haddad said.
If this program is approved, Haddad said they would work with local physicians to help build connections for recruitment. These efforts would also align with Ontario’s Primary Care Action Plan to connect every person with a primary care provider by 2029.
"This will tie in nicely also with our efforts to enhance local medical education," Haddad said. "We're hoping -- strategically speaking -- to recruit family physicians who would look after patients in the community and also educate the next generation of physicians. Becoming hopefully, more of a self-sustaining model where we train people who will stay local."
Haddad said for now, the focus is on Sarnia. Discussions with other municipalities within Lambton County may happen at a later date.
Budget deliberations are scheduled to begin on Tuesday, November 25.
