Sold to the highest bidder

Kim Arnott has an interesting article published on the Municipal Information Network site regarding the fight communities face in attracting doctors.

Are municipalities headed toward a bidding war for doctors?

by Kim Arnott,
Freelance Writer

The city of Belleville has put its offer front and centre. Head to the Ontario city’s web site (www.city.belleville.on.ca) and you can’t miss it. In big, bold letters – near the top of the page – the community of 48,000 advertises its doctor recruitment program.

The details? The community will pay up to $150,000 to any physician agreeing to practice medicine in Belleville for at least five years.

In less than a year, the city-led program has enticed 14 new doctors – or doctors-in-training – to commit to Belleville.

A similar offer in nearby Hastings County has convinced nine medical students to sign on to work in that community.

Last month, the northern Manitoba community of The Pas sent a three-member delegation to Ireland with tuition cash to lure medical students across the ocean.

Cash incentives, cars, and even houses are now being offered up in some communities desperately seeking doctors.