Lethbridge added 28 physicians over the past year, AHS continues search for more
Lethbridge has added 28 physicians over the past year, according to a quarterly report published by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta.
That pushes the total number of doctors to 303 for the city of nearly 108,000.
The 28 new doctors is an increase of just over 10 per cent from the previous year. However, a backlog of patients is preventing doctors from accepting new patients.
“Physicians right now are all overburdened with 2000 or more patients, whereas the average physician should have around 1,000,” said Bev Muendel-Atherstone, the Lethbridge chapter president for Friends of Medicare.
“So if a new general practitioner comes into a clinic then they would take on half of another physician’s caseload.”
According to AlbertaFindADoctor.ca, there are no family physicians in Lethbridge currently accepting patients.
That leaves tens of thousands of people without a doctor.
“We have about half of Lethbridge suffering without physicians. And of course that means people are going to the ER when you would normally go to your physician,” Muendel-Atherstone said.
The addition of more doctors is good news but Alberta Health Services (AHS) is working to recruit even more.
AHS has developed an international sponsorship program, is recruiting Canadian and internationally trained physicians and incentivizing full-time positions.
"AHS values the work our physicians and healthcare teams do every day in communities across Alberta. We remain committed to supporting recruitment and retention efforts to ensure we are there for our patients and families when they need us the most,” AHS said in a statement.
The City of Lethbridge has also been working to attract doctors to the city.
In the spring of 2022 city council adopted new policies to attract physicians to Lethbridge.
“The City of Lethbridge continues to support efforts from our partners at Alberta Health Services to attract and retain medical professionals for the community,” the city said in a statement.
“As the municipal government, we don't have jurisdiction over health care, but understand a healthy and thriving community must include a strong base of family doctors."
More physicians appear to be on the way for Lethbridge.
A new medical training program at the University of Lethbridge is set to start accepting students for the 2025-26 school year.
Each general practitioner at the teaching clinic could care for up to 1,200 patients a year.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
CFL suspends Argos QB Chad Kelly at least nine games following investigation
The CFL suspended Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly for at least nine regular-season games Tuesday following its investigation into a lawsuit filed by a former strength-and-conditioning coach against both the player and club.