The success of Belleville’s Physician Recruitment program has warranted a bump in funding.
Belleville Council stuck to its original plan by voting at its meeting Monday to approve a motion to have another $160,000 be added to the program’s 2026 budget from the city’s Automated Speed Enforcement reserve fund.
This was done after an amendment was brought forward and promptly voted down to increase the budget through the Tax Rate Stabilization Fund.
This extra funding is meant to help the city achieve a goal of 30 physicians recruited as outlined near the beginning of the current council term in the next five to 10 years.
To this point, Manager of Physician Recruitment Karen Poste noted 27 physicians have been recruited.
Poste noted in her report that provincial attachment data connected to local health cards indicates there are still approximately 7,800 residents without a primary health care provider.
Under Belleville’s current program, a family doctor receives five $30,000 payments for a total of $150,000, a specialist receives three payments of $25,000 for a total of $75,000, and a nurse practitioner is granted two payments of $5,000 for a total of $10,000.
Since the program began in 2007, it has been responsible for attracting 70 family physicians, specialists, or nurse practitioners to the city.
Prior to the motion’s approval, Coun. Kelly Henderson suggested the money should come from Ontario Family Health Care Team correspondence.
“If we’re doing the work, we’re getting the results and they’re collecting the money, I think they should be bringing some of it to this table to help us fund our efforts,” she explained.
“We’re definitely helping them and we’re receiving no benefit for that.”
Coun. Barb Enright-Miller agreed, adding the city is spending a lot of money that it shouldn’t be, but it’s important to continue funding the health and well-being of residents in the city.
“It would be nice if they came to the table, they haven’t yet,” she said.
Enright-Miller asked Poste if there have been any promises made on how to disperse the funding that is available.
Poste explained there is no formal commitment to specific physicians, but the doctors are aware of the program and are fully expecting that the money will be rolled out.
City finance director Brandon Ferguson told council if the funding was to be put on the tax fund, the percentage of increase on residents would be 1.2-per cent.
The amended motion failed on a vote of 7-2, with only Couns. Lisa Anne Chatten and Barb Enright-Miller voting in favour.
The original motion was then approved by a vote of 6-3, with dissenting votes being Couns. Paul Carr, Kelly Henderson and Kathryn Brown.
