Full-time Thunder Bay ER doctors to start in September

Four new doctors are coming to the Thunder Bay hospital’s emergency department, after the Ontario Ministry of Health announced it would spend $14 million to help relieve pressure on the crowded hospital.

"They're gonna start here September in 2014 and we've got a potential fifth starting,” said Dr. Stewart Kennedy, executive vice-president of medical and academic affairs at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre.

“That was our plan with the funding that we secured. And we have … plans to get another five here over the next years."

Since several doctors left last year, more than a third of the emergency department physicians have been temporary placements, Kennedy said.  

“We got together with the senior administration and the emergency department physicians and the Ministry of Health and we were able to put together a recruitment plan ... We have a commitment from four full-time ED doctors.”

Two of the doctors starting this fall already live in Thunder Bay, another doctor is moving back after training in Hamilton, and the fourth doctor is from Vancouver.