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2012-2013 Membership & Business Directory
With the generous support of our corporate and municipal partners, the Chamber’s Family Physician Recruitment program is a broad community initiative for the betterment and well-being of KitchenerWaterloo-Woolwich residents and an important economic development initiative that serves the business community and ensures our economic competitiveness as a region. n
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The Chamber’s first family physician recruitment efforts began in 1998 as a volunteer Task Force initiative to enhance primary care and help the over 40,000 K-W residents without access to a family physician. In 2006, the Task Force was replaced by the Chamber Health Care Resources Council (CHCRC) with enhanced financial and human resources and a commitment on the part of the Chamber to be the community’s health care recruiter.
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Recognizing that access to these types of medical facilities is limited in our community, the CHCRC has taken the significant step of working with local developers to explore the feasibility of building a private or community developed medical centre that would provide a turn-key solution for 18 or more family physicians.
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Despite our past successes, the shortage of family physicians could again increase over the next few years as the impacts of population growth, the retirement of existing physicians, and the changing expectations of new medical graduates are realized.
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While the situation is dramatically better than it was in 1998 when the Chamber first became involved, the family physician shortage is not solved. The progress we have realized to date is the direct result of ongoing financial support from the local business community and municipalities, and that continued support is critical to the achievement of our goal.
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Five years from now we want to be able to say that every resident in Kitchener-Waterloo-Woolwich has access to a family physician and the best primary care possible.
Since 1998, over 145 family physicians have been recruited and the number of people without a family physician in our community has been cut in half, to just over 20,000 today.
The formation of the McMaster Medical School Waterloo Region Campus was a significant step for the community and there are now 28 first year students joining the three year undergraduate medical program each year. There are also 30 first and second year medical residents in the community, training to be physicians in the K-W Family Medicine Residency Program. Many more will follow in coming years and all want to be able to practice in an established medical facility which will meet their practice style and needs.
If you require updates to your directory listing(s), please email them to admin@greaterkwchamber.com. greaterkwchamber.com