MUNICIPALITY OF SHELBURNE ANNOUNCES HEALTH CARE IMPROVEMENT STRATEGY
October 28, 2009

SHELBURNE – The Municipality of Shelburne has announced plans to deal with the severe health care challenges in eastern Shelburne County. The plan will look to address acute short term needs as well as the long term challenges facing the area.

Shelburne County has been identified by the Nova Scotia Department of Health as one of four areas in the province with the most severe family doctor shortages and the emergency room at Roseway has one of the largest closure rates in the province.

The Municipality will be committing financial resources to address some of these issues, and we will also be engaging stakeholders and other levels of government to partner with the Municipality.

To deal with immediate physician shortages and acute ER closures the Municipality is committed to the following:

• We will be providing direct financial assistance to emergency room doctors and family physicians who want to locate to the area and serve our residents.
• We will be providing financial assistance to a proposal to develop a state of the art medical clinic in the Shelburne area. This clinic will include facilities for family medicine and other community health care services such as physiotherapy, mental health services and nurse practitioners. We will be working with the DHA and other levels of government to secure the rest of the funding required to complete the project.

To deal with family physician recruitment in the long term and other health care service issues in the Municipality we will be focusing on the following activities.

• A meeting with the Minister of Health in the coming weeks to outline the municipal strategy, our resources committed, and potential joint solutions.
• Outreach to medical students and family medicine residents who were born and/or raised in the area. This may include incentives for candidates to practice family medicine in the area.
• Develop a long term operating model for a new state of the art medical clinic.
• Outreach to current family medicine residents who are currently considering Shelburne County as a practice area and provide direct financial assistance if they agree to practice in the Municipality.
• Seek support from the DHA for strategic initiatives and work with them to develop an implementation plan.

Contact: Kirk Cox
Chief Administrative Officer
902.875.6776
kcox@municipalityofshelburne.ca

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