Loss of doctor leaves Neepawa community scrambling

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Published on Wednesday, September 11, 2013

By: Kate Jackman-Atkinson

myWestman.ca

As of Oct. 4, Neepawa will be short one doctor with the retirement of Dr. Owen White, who is both a general surgeon and a family doctor. Last month, he announced that he would be closing his medical practice at Mountain Medical Clinic. With no new doctor lined up, Dr. White’s retirement has left many of his patients scrambling for regular medical services.

Dr. Ong, of the community-owned Beautiful Plains Medical Clinic, explains that the five doctors who work out of that clinic are full. “The rest of us, I can speak for the doctors, everybody has as much as we can handle,” he said.  He explained that they have a responsibility to the existing patients already under their care. “We are responsible for our patients under our care, we are not responsible for Dr. White’s patients,” he continued.

Dr. White’s patients have three options until another doctor can be found for the community.  Michelle McKay, Prairie Mountain Health’s director of medical services administration, explains that those with emergent conditions should call 9-1-1 or go to the emergency room at the hospital. Both McKay and Dr. Ong say that those who are sick and injured will be cared for. Those with semi-urgent conditions, such as requiring antibiotics, can present to the emergency room where they will be triaged and treated by the physician on call, whoever it happens to be. Those requiring routine appointments will have to either wait until a new physician comes to the community or look to another community for services.

Grant Lukin, a longtime Neepawa resident and business owner for more than 30 years, is facing first-hand the challenges of trying to find a new doctor. He’s upset saying, “I put money into the [community] clinic [as a taxpayer] and I can’t go there.”

Practices full

According to Dr. Ong, the physicians working out of the community clinic already have as many patients as they can handle. Ong has approximately 1,500 clients, Dr. Poettcker has about 1,000 patients and spends three days a week working as an anesthesiologist at the hospital, Dr. Tariq has 1,300 patients, Dr. Milligan has about 1,000 patients, many of whom are maternity patients who require additional care and Dr. Wiebe, who began working at the clinic two weeks ago, has 1,200 patients having inherited Dr. Nasralla’s patients when he left the community. The doctors also do on call rotations at the Neepawa hospital.

Today’s doctors tend to have young families and like other young professionals, they want to be able to spend time with their families. “Years ago, we were expected to work until 9 p.m. and see 50 to 60 patients a day,” said Dr. Ong, adding that these aren’t the conditions under which today’s doctors want to work. He said that if the community forces the doctors take on many more patients, they will burn out and leave. “They chose to work here,” he said. He adds that pushing doctors to take on more clinic patients might reduce their willingness to do on-call rotations, which they have no legal obligation to do.

Dr. White was on medical leave earlier this summer and the community’s doctors did fill in to help look after his patients. However, Dr. Ong said that the other doctors can’t permanently take on his patients. “While he [Dr. White] was away, we scrambled and looked after his patients.  But it was totally different.Before we were just caretakers,” said Dr. Ong.

With a total of 15 examination rooms, the newly-renovated community clinic can now accommodate up to eight doctors.  The problem is finding the doctors. “Just because we have a new clinic with room doesn’t mean we can accommodate [more patients],” said Dr. Ong. “We’re doing all we can,” he added.

Recruitment underway

While there is no new doctor lined up to come to the community, recruitment efforts are underway.   “We haven’t stopped recruiting,” said Dr. Ong, adding that last week he toured two young doctors around the community. “They aren’t ready to come though,” he added.  Neepawa’s situation isn’t unique. “There are no doctors available to come work anywhere,” said Dr. Ong. “The whole region is scrambling.”

“I respect Dr. White’s decision… He has every right to decide to retire,” he continued, but added that it would have been better if Dr. White had given more than six weeks notice.  When he retired, Dr. Chapman gave two year’s notice and found Dr. Tariq to take on many of his patients.

Don Schmall, who chairs the town’s doctor recruitment committee, said they are expecting that it will take two physicians to replace the work done by Dr. White. “Dr. White has been very good to the community over the years,” he said. 

Schmall said that they are always recruiting.  “We will try to ramp up to try to find a surgeon. That’s a lot more difficult to find,” he said. He added that they work closely with McKay but that Neepawa is doing a lot better than other communities in the region.  “We are fortunate to have six doctors,” he said.

Dr. Ong said they expect it will take about a year to recruit a new general practitioner to the community. Schmall meanwhile, said they expect that it will take about two years to recruit a new general surgeon.  He explained that few general surgeons are trained in Canada and by the time an international graduate is recruited and their credentials are checked, it takes about two years.  There is one training program for general surgeons in Canada.  The two-year program is taught in Prince Albert.

Local recruitment efforts in Neepawa have been aimed at attracting younger, Canadian educated doctors. The community’s doctors, as well as community members, have been very involved in recruitment efforts. The community clinic was purchased to make the community more attractive to doctors and the efforts have been largely successful.  

Realistically, they are expecting it will take about a year to secure a new doctor for the community.

When it comes to recruiting doctors, Schmall said that they are in a relatively strong position. “With the new clinic, we can attract doctors. We have doctors coming to us rather than us having to chase them,” he said. The community has also been accepted as a teaching location by the University of Manitoba’s medical school, meaning that the community regularly hosts medical students who work alongside Dr. Poettcker and Dr. Milligan and gain exposure to the community.

In the short term, Dr. Myers from Brandon will be doing some of Dr. White’s surgical work.  He began coming to the community earlier this year when Dr. White was on leave. Dr. Thess, an ear, nose and throat surgeon from Portage, will continue to perform surgeries in Neepawa. Schmall noted that with the regional health authorities being amalgamated, it’s easier to share physicians within the region.