Matthews Memorial Hospital finds two new doctors

NEWS RELEASE

MATTHEWS MEMORIAL HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION

************************* Successful recruitment insures continued hospital and clinic services

The successful recruitment by the Matthews Memorial Hospital Association of two family physicians to multi–month contracts has insured residents of St. Joseph Island and the surrounding North Shore will continue to have access to 24–hour emergency care at Matthews Memorial Hospital and clinical care at the St. Joseph Island Medical Clinic in Richards Landing beyond January 1, 2011.

The success came after a concerted effort by the Association, Sault Area Hospital, the Ontario Ministry of Health, Northeast Local Health Integration Network and HealthForceOntario to fill vacancies created by the departure of Dr. Robert Armstrong and Dr. Lenka Snajdrova from the island practice.

Dr. Armstrong had provided the association and MOHLTC notice in October that he would no longer be providing coverage of Matthews Memorial Hospital’s emergency department after December 31.

Dr. Snajdrova will also be leaving in January on a multi–month sailing adventure with her husband and family.

Coverage of both the clinic and Matthews’ ER will be covered by Dr. Snajdrova and a locum until Dr. Suzanne Shoush and Dr. Chris Richardson can assume their new positions January 10 and 14 respectively.

Dr. Shoush stepped forward to offer her assistance after receiving positive feedback about the island practice from Dr. William Crawford a locum who had spent many weeks working there in the past.

Dr. Richardson was recruited through the association’s participation in the PAIRO Physician Recruitment Tour in September.

Connie Witty, MMHA board chair, said: “We are pleased that we have been successful in our efforts to meet our immediate needs and are encouraged by expressions of interest for full-time contracts. We are pursuing these now and hope to be able to announce a long-term solution soon.”

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