KIM BURTON-SCHRAM
LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER
Hôpital Glengarry Memorial Hospital in Alexandria is hoping to benefit from the Québec government’s Bill 2 which is forcing some doctors in that province to consider looking elsewhere to run their practices.
HGMH has received several calls from interested physicians, particularly those from La Belle Province, however, none of the inquiries has resulted in a formal commitment, says Keri-Lyne Massia, Executive Assistant to the CEO and Board Liaison and Communications Officer at HGMH.
The hospital has two on-site office spaces available for rent and offers incentives to assist physicians in establishing their practice in Alexandria. “This is an excellent opportunity to strengthen our medical team,” said Massia, “and enhance care for our community.”
Quebec doctors, along with the Canadian Medical Association oppose the law, expressing concern that it will further disengage already strained practitioners, causing them to retire early or leave Québec for other provinces, such as Ontario or New Brunswick.
With the introduction of Bill 2, a new bill to overhaul and reduce compensation to physicians in Québec, family doctors fear they will no longer be able to afford to keep their clinics open. The provincial government says the reforms are necessary to improve access for every Quebecer to a health care professional by the summer of 2026. However, doctors feel the burden to improve access to health care has fallen on their shoulders.
Bill 2 takes effect on January 1, 2026 in Quebec, and ties 10 per cent of physicians’ salaries directly to performance standards set by the province. If those standards are not met, payments to doctors will be taken back. In addition, the new bill will see a fixed amount per patient paid to family physicians – an already strained system lacking close to 1,200 much needed general practitioners. The new targets are set high, expecting 97 per cent of surgeries completed within one year of assessing the patient and 75 per cent of emergency room patients seen within 90 minutes of arriving at the department.
Over 300 doctors have already applied for licenses to practise outside of Québec. Premier Doug Ford is inviting seasoned, veteran doctors to, “come by, we’ll roll out the red carpet for you.”
HGMH continues to actively recruit physicians as the area sets to grow with the provincial’s government investment in the lagoon expansion in Alexandria and new housing being constructed.
L’article Hôpital Glengarry Memorial Hospital sees opportunity as doctors leave Québec est apparu en premier sur Cornwall Seaway News.
