The Town of Espanola has had a long-time partnership with the Espanola Regional Hospital & Health Centre when it comes to physician and health care staff recruitment.
Hospital CEO Jane Battistelli and Dr. Rob Lepage, the Chief of Staff, met with Espanola Council last night to ask for $20,000 to go towards recruitment.
Battistelli says past support has led to the hiring of a Nurse Practitioner and a crisis worker in the emergency department, filling frontline nursing positions, and a Stage One Submission to support a CT Scan.
She adds Ontario Health North has endorsed their CT Scan submission, which now sits with the Ministry of Health for approval.
Dr. Lepage adds they currently have vacancies for two full-time family physicians and two nurse practitioners’ positions.
He says the support will help the hospital to bring physicians to the community and show case the health campus and physician model adding the funding would also be used to offset the estimated incentive costs of $70,000.
Council thanked the two adding the ask of $20,000 will be part of the pending 2025 budget talks.
