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 Canadian
Medical Association Journal
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Alberta investing $10 million to keep elite specialists
Medical recruiting wars have taken a new twist in Alberta, where the province has created a special fund to retain its elite physicians in the face of outside competition. Over the next 2 years, the Calgary Regional Health Authority and Edmonton's Capital Health Authority — the province's main centres for specialized procedures — will each receive $5 million. The move is designed to help them retain about 70 specialists who provide services for the entire province. The new money is earmarked for boosting salaries, purchasing new equipment and securing more operating room time for these specialists. It is supposed to help the province attract and retain doctors who are in high demand nationally or internationally or whose loss would compromise the quality of care across Alberta. "We hope the initiative will have some real payoffs," says Ron Kustra, a spokesperson for the Alberta Medical Association. "It's like building anything — this is another block that helps make Alberta competitive and attractive for physicians." This "top-up" of an existing fund to recruit and retain specialists followed fall negotiations between the AMA and Alberta Health and Wellness. The new money is separate from the recent 22% fee increase negotiated by the AMA. — Greg Basky, Saskatoon
Copyright 2001 Canadian Medical Association or its licensors |
