Timmins hospital looks to fill staffing gaps

The Timmins and District Hospital (TADH) is running advertisements on social media indicating it is in urgent need of 'locums.' 'Locums' are physicians and specialists who work temporarily in communities outside their home practices.

The Timmins and District Hospital in November 2021. (File Photo/CTV News Northern Ontario)TADH officials told CTV News that almost every department at the hospital requires some fill-ins at this time.

The staff at the hospital said the medical care patients require these days is significantly greater than 30 years ago – whether it is an aging population or people who have not been taking care of themselves, there is an increased demand for more physicians and specialists.

"We do not have enough local physicians to meet the needs of the patients in our community,” said Dr. Doug Arnold, TADH’s chief of staff.

“So, we go out and look for locums which is a physician who comes and fills a role for a set period of time and then returns to their home community."

Dr. Doug Arnold, the chief of staff for the Timmins and District Hospital speaks with CTV News about the local and national staffing shortage. (Lydia Chubak/CTV News Northern Ontario)The hospital is using its social media platforms to call out for help.

Some of TADH’s recent social media posts are directed at recruiting locum pediatricians and general surgeons.

"The need has been increasing,” said Arnold.

“What we have seen through the pandemic is an attrition of physicians. In other words, physicians who’ve previously were working have looked to transition either into a reduced role or have outright retired and what we’re seeing is that that gap has yet to be made up with new grads."

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Officials with the hospital said their recruitment and retention efforts are going well but it is still not enough.

Arnold said because medical professionals are needed throughout the country, Timmins needs to set itself apart from all the other communities.

“I would like to appeal to the listeners that it is a community challenge so when you’re meeting with a physician, whether that’s your own physician who’s here permanently or a physician who’s only here as a locum in whatever capacity, can you thank them,” he asked.

“Can you show them that they’re appreciated? Make Timmins a place where physicians want to come and work."

One locum who decided to come work here is Dr. Neera Singal, a faculty ophthalmologist from the University of Toronto who grew up in Timmins.

Dr. Neera Singal, a faculty ophthalmologist from the Univeristy of Toronto who grew up in Timmins, talks with CTV News about why she is participating in the Timmins hospital's locum program. (Lydia Chubak/CTV News Northern Ontario)“What makes it even more special to me is that my father practiced here as a general surgeon for about 15 years and so I haven’t been back to Timmins in 25 years,” she said.

“I feel it’s a great way to give back to my community and it’s been really special for me to come back up.”

Arnold said Timmins is a great place to work in health care and it is certainly open for business.

Over the past year, TADH has recruited nine physicians – including two psychiatrists and two pediatricians, but only one family doctor.