The city of Cold Lake has a problem. The number of medical staff in the area is about the same as it was ten years ago, but the city has grown significantly since then.
The city has decided enough is enough and has instructed administration to look into how they can recruit more physicians. They’ll report back at the next council meeting.
As it stands now, the city has 12 physicians, one surgeon and two nurse practitioners. Other than the city not having any nurse practitioners at all in 2006, that marks no net change at all between doctors coming and leaving the area. Councillor Vicky Lefebvre thinks that the biggest hurdle the city faces in recruitment is getting physicians to visit the area, but once they do it should go a lot more smoothly. “We don’t have all the amenities that a big city centre has, but once people come here, we have beautiful lakes, we have excellent fishing, we have wonderful outdoor activities… and once people come out and see it, I think they can be sold. But they have to give us a chance and come out and look first”