Doctor Attraction and Retention Efforts

The Town of Edson understands the challenges being faced by rural Alberta when it comes to attracting and keeping medical professionals in the community. While the Town is pleased to hear that two new doctors are planning to relocate to Edson, efforts continue to be made to attract and retain medical professionals.

One of Edson’s main attraction features for this field is the new hospital. The Edson Healthcare Centre opened its doors in 2016 and features top of the line health services, including acute care, continuing care, inter-professional primary health care, and community health programs. However, even with a new facility, it can be difficult to attract physicians to practice in rural Alberta as opposed to larger cities.

“Our local physicians have been working very hard ensuring the ER has coverage while providing services at the Medical Clinic.  Our goal is to get back to a full complement of doctors so they can start accepting patients again and lessen the burden on existing physicians.   We thank all our medical professionals for their commitment to Edson and look forward to welcoming new physicians to the community.  Council is committed to continuing to collaborate with our partners to ensure we can attract and retain medical professionals to Edson.”
-Edson Mayor Kevin Zahara

Attracting and maintaining a solid number of physicians in our community touches nearly all aspects of Council’s Strategic Plan, most specifically Creating a Connected Community that is Safe and Inclusive.

With that in mind, the Town of Edson has been working to create a positive working environment for medical professionals and advancing creative solutions to the issues they face.

• In 2011, the Town of Edson purchased the Edson Medical Centre to help maintain a stable work environment for doctors. Recently, the Town has worked with the local doctor’s group on updates to the Medical Centre lease to help reduce overhead and realign costs with current market values.
• The Town of Edson and Yellowhead County partnered on the purchase of a home in 2012 to help provide transitional housing for medical professionals as they relocate to our community.
• Currently, Town staff are working closely with the Edson and District Community Care Foundation, Hospital Administration, the Rural Health Professions Action Plan group, and other organizations to build relationships and come up with more strategic plans to make Edson a workplace of choice for doctors, nurse practitioners, and other professionals.
• Town staff are also working directly with medical students in the area on an attraction and retention plan and video.

Active conversations continue between the Town and Alberta Health Services regarding the operation of the hospital, recruitment strategies, and other health related concerns in the community.

The Town of Edson is committed to working will all of our community partners to make our Town a great destination for medical professionals.