More responsibilities for David Orazietti

NEWS RELEASE

DAVID ORAZIETTI, MPP

************************* Orazietti to help lead provincial initiative to improve physician strategy in Northern Ontario

McGuinty government holding consultations on plans to improve underserviced area program

QUEEN'S PARK - David Caplan, Minister of Health and Long -Term Care, has selected David Orazietti, MPP of Sault Ste. Marie and Jean Marc Lalonde, MPP of Glengarry-Prescott-Russell to lead consultations on a plan to renew and improve physician recruitment and retention components of the province’s Underserviced Area Program (UAP) in Northern and rural Ontario.

“Our government is bringing the focus of the Underserviced Area Program back to its true objective - helping Northern and rural communities attract great physicians,” said Orazietti. “In addition to creating new medical school spaces at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, as well as building a new Nurse Practitioner Clinic at Sault College, this initiative is part of our continuing strategy to improve access to primary care for Northern Ontarians.”

Currently only 20 percent of the funding from the UAP is reaching the Northern and rural communities in the province.

To improve the program to better serve Northern and rural Ontarians, the province will be consulting with communities and other partners on its plan to strengthen the benefits of UAP incentive funding for rural and Northern communities.

As part of the renewal, the government is also proposing that all communities in Ontario, with the exceptions of Ottawa and the GTA, be able to recruit physicians with Return of Service commitments.

“The UAP is a valuable program intended to help underserviced communities across the province,” said David Caplan, Health and Long-Term Care Minister. “The program can improve access to health-care services by providing a variety of integrated initiatives aimed at attracting and retaining health care providers. Our government believes that improvements to the UAP will help make Ontario a more attractive place for doctors to work and that’s good news for all communities.”

A series of regional meetings will be held during the summer.

A consultation paper will also be available on the Ministry of Health and Long-Term care website with an e-mail address for comments.

Quick facts

- The UAP was established in 1969 to respond to the need for more health professionals in Northern Ontario. It has gradually expanded its role to address the issue of physician health human resources in southern communities

- The UAP is one of a number of supports provided by the government to help communities recruit and retain health care professionals.

- The Ontario government is establishing a Rural and Northern Health Care Advisory Panel to provide recommendations to the government on how best to deliver health care services to northern and rural areas.

- Return of service is a legal commitment to work in a particular community for a specified period of time. Physicians agree to return service in exchange for either financial assistance to offset tuition costs or a postgraduate training position.

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