Recently, the Provincial Government launched programming to support family physicians in the province and help improve access to primary health care. Today the Department of Health and Community Services is announcing an expansion of program funding and eligibility criteria, making the Family Practice Programs the highest financial incentive offered to family physicians at this time in Atlantic Canada.

The Family Practice Start-Up Program will now provide $150,000 to new family practice physicians who open a family practice clinic, or join an existing family practice in the community, in return for a five-year service commitment. There has also been expansion to the eligibility criteria to include residents in the first year of their program, as well as additional funds to support a fall 2022 call for applications.

Since launch, 15 physicians have received funding from the Family Practice Programs to open or join a family practice. The program promotes patient attachment and continuity of care by setting patient panel size targets and by encouraging the provision of after-hours care by funding recipients. This expansion of funding is retroactive to October 2021, and the department will contact those physicians who have already received funding.

Additional information, including application forms, eligibility requirements, and service obligations are available online.

This program delivers on another commitment made by the Provincial Government in the October 2021 regarding a number of immediate and interim steps to improve access to primary health care in Newfoundland and Labrador, as well as help attract and retain health care professionals. The Department of Health and Community Services is committed to recruiting and retaining the best and brightest health care professionals to the province. More information can be found in the backgrounder below.

Quotes
“We remain committed to increasing access to primary health care in our province, and this expansion to the program will further incentivize new and existing family physicians to practice right here in Newfoundland and Labrador. The program will enable better career planning on behalf of residents which will impact the retention of these health care professionals.”
Honourable Tom Osborne
Minister of Health and Community Services

“The Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association applauds the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador for taking this important initiative to improve the recruitment and retention of family physicians. Today’s announcement means our province now has a competitive edge when it comes to recruiting doctors in Atlantic Canada. It also means we now have a family practice start-up program that can compete toe-to-toe with provinces across the country. This attractive incentive will add additional capacity to our physician workforce, which will ultimately benefit patients in the province.”
Dr. Kris Luscombe
President, Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association

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Media contacts
Laura Thomas
Health and Community Services
709-729-6986, 727-0341
laurathomas@gov.nl.ca

Jon Carpenter
Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association
709-691-0928
jcarpenter@nlma.nl.ca

BACKGROUNDER

Recent Measures to Address the Shortage of Health Care Professionals

• Committed to a suite of measures to expand the supply of health care professionals: creation of new Collaborative Team Clinics; increase in virtual care services to assist with the provision of urgent care; commitment to further increase the number of graduates from Licensed Practical Nursing Programs by 40 per cent, and Personal Care Attendant Programs by 20 per cent.
• Two new programs launched to support family doctors in the province and help improve access to primary health care:
  • The New Family Physician Income Guarantee initiative guarantees a minimum income equivalent to that of a salaried family physician to new family doctors who bill on a fee for service basis and open a family practice clinic – or join an established clinic – for the first two years of their practice. This will ease some of the uncertainty associated with the business aspects of opening a clinic by increasing financial certainty. Funding recipients will be required to enter into a two-year return-in-service (RIS) agreement with government.
  • The Family Practice Start-Up Program  which provided $100,000 (now increased $150,000) to new family practice physicians who open a family practice clinic, or join an existing family practice in the community, and stay in the practice for five years. Recipients who are approved for both programs must sign a five-year RIS agreement with government. Additionally, both programs will be linked to establishing a patient roster in the community, as well as the provision of after-hours care.
• Initiatives announced in March 2022 to address the challenges facing nurses in the province, including the nursing think tank; RFPs for core staffing review, health HR plan, workforce research; and an Internationally Educated Nurses Bursary.
• A new Assistant Deputy Minister for the recruitment and retention office has been hired and the office has been established within the Department of Health and Community Services.
• An additional five undergraduate seats have been added to the MUN medical School for Newfoundland and Labrador students.
• Launched Extraordinary Every Day, a health care campaign aimed at recruiting and retaining health care professionals.
• Staffing in the Regional Health Authorities has been enhanced to further support recruitment and retention efforts.
• A number of financial incentives and employee supports have been implemented to help address the immediate nursing workforce challenges and help stabilize the workforce.
• Compensation rates for covering ERs in smaller rural health centres (category B facilities) have been increased as a temporary measure until October 31, 2022 to help retain existing physicians at these sites, as well as attract other locum physicians during periods of vacancy. As well, in Labrador, Category A rates were increased in the last MOA agreement.
• A one-year pilot program to help entice retired family physicians to come back to the workforce. Through this program, the Provincial Government will cover the cost of licensing fees and liability protection for eligible retired family physicians, as well as provide a pro-rated rural retention bonus for physicians in eligible communities for every month of service they provide under this program. Additionally, the NLMA will waive membership fees for currently retired physicians who opt to return to practice under the program.