Things are looking up for Humboldt in terms of doctor recruitment.
There are once again eight doctors at the Humboldt Clinic, and according to the Saskatoon Health Region (SHR), if all goes to plan, Humboldt could have 14 doctors by this time next year.
Dr. Mishack Zwane replaces Dr. Nevine Mahrous, who left the Humboldt Clinic this summer. Mahrous' departure left the practice with just seven doctors, where there had been 10 just a year before.
The drop in the number of physicians at the clinic, which serves between 30,000 and 35,000 people in a wide region, meant that many in the area were left without a family physician. It also meant the list of people waiting to see the doctor on call grew by leaps and bounds.
However, in Zwane's first week at the clinic, he managed to shorten that list.
He had been kept busy since starting work at the clinic on November 28, Zwane told the Journal on December 1.
Zwane comes from Tisdale, where he practised for five years after moving to Canada from South Africa in 2006.
Looking for a change, he checked out Humboldt in July, and as his work permit was up for renewal at the end of October, decided to move to Humboldt this fall under a new work permit.
"I came to Humboldt... and liked it," he said.
Zwane had actually worked with one of the doctors at the Humboldt Clinic, Dr. Radabe, previously.
The Humboldt Clinic attracted him, he said, because of its size, and because of the freedom it promised him. He is able to set his own hours, allowing him to pursue education opportunities, and he can run his practice the way he likes to.
There's also a team atmosphere and a collegiality among the doctors and staff, he indicated, which he enjoys.
"So far, so good," he smiled, adding that he had enjoyed seeing a lot of patients in his first week at the clinic.
"I like being busy," he said.
Zwane moved to Humboldt with his wife, Mary, and their 11-year-old daughter. Their two sons, aged 10 and 12, attend private school in Toronto. One of them plays soccer in the Canadian Soccer league.
The family is already settling into Humboldt, Zwane indicated - they had already attended the Clinic staff Christmas party, where they were able to meet the families of the staff and make some friends.
But Zwane hopefully won't be the only new doctor at the Humboldt Clinic in the next year.
"We have some positive discussions underway with a number of physicians," said Shan Landry, vice president of community services with the Saskatoon Health Region last week.
"We could see the Humboldt Clinic increase to as many as 14 physicians, if everything came true, by mid- to late-2012," Landry said.
Sometimes, things do fall through with physicians, she indicated, so they are always cautious in their announcements.
Doctors coming into this country have a lot of red tape to get through before they can start practising, Landry explained.
They have to get their credentials approved, go through the immigration process, and even then, personal circumstances like a parent getting sick or a child attending a different university, could lead deals to fall through.
"Any number of things can happen," Landry said, when they are planning so far ahead.
However, things are looking good for the Humboldt Clinic right now.
In their "in our dreams" outcome, she said, by this time next year, there will be a larger practice in Humboldt than we have ever had before.
But even if some of their deals with doctors fall through, Humboldt will still be in a positive situation, she feels, with Dr. Zwane already starting at the clinic, and other doctors almost signed and expected to arrive late this winter or early in the spring.
All this success is thanks in part to the efforts to a local committee.
The crisis in staffing levels at the clinic led to the creation of the Humboldt Doctor Retention and Recruitment committee last spring. Headed by the Humboldt and District Chamber of Commerce, the committee includes representatives of the clinic, the Saskatoon Health Region and more.
"The collaboration with the Chamber of Commerce, the Humboldt physicians group the SHR and the Humboldt District Hospital Foundation is really paying off," Landry said.
"We're getting lots of leads. Our concerted efforts are telling, in that we have some potential underway," she added.
Landry also acknowledged the work of Kelvin Fisher, a recently retired director of Rural Health and Planning for the SHR. He played a large role in getting new doctors to Humboldt, Landry said.
Though the situation in Humboldt is looking good, the recruitment process for other centres like Watrous and Wakaw are not going as well, though "there is potential," Landry said of these other communities.
If staffing in Humboldt improves, the clinic here "can absorb from other communities," she said. "But the goal is to have those communities enriched as well."
The SHR is exploring other options for those communities beyond recruiting physicians, including developing primary health care teams, hiring nurse practitioners and a new solution called community paramedicine, which ties in with emergency medical services.
