Dr. Jeanne Barbeau-Cote.
SDG COUNTIES, Ontario - The first winner of SDG Counties’ Great River Docs - Medical Recruitment Contest has already begun practising in our region.
The physicians and staff of the St. Lawrence Medical Clinic are pleased to announce that Dr. Jeanne Barbeau-Coté has joined the team. Dr. Barbeau-Cote was selected as the first recipient of funding associated with the popular Great River Docs campaign that seeks to augment access to medical professionals in our region.
After getting her start in the province of Quebec, Dr. Barbeau-Coté brings experience in both family medicine and obstetrics and while she is not currently accepting new patients, she will be working as a locum for the next few months to provide care to patients whose family physician is away from the clinic.
“I was drawn to the beauty of the area, and the possibility of making my homesteading dream come true,” said Dr. Barbeau-Cote. “The team at St. Lawrence Medical Clinic is very welcoming. It was important to me to be able to pursue a practice similar to what I have done in the past, and I found that here. I will also be joining the team of family physicians at Winchester District Memorial Hospital who provide care to pregnant and laboring people as well as newborns. I look forward to contributing to the community both as a family physician and in my hobbies.”
The great River Docs campaign pays five qualifying medical professionals $5,000 each to sign employment contracts within the SDG Counties region. In order to be eligible, candidates must be licensed medical professionals qualified to work as physicians, physician assistants, nurses or nurse practitioners.
“The program has been an unqualified success,” said Tara Kirkpatrick, SDG Counties manager of economic development. “Our goal of bringing quality health care to residents of SDG Counties is a pillar of the strategic priorities we have set for the future. By initiating that process, and seeing the benefits of having medical professionals move to our region, we are creating a solid foundation for ensuring that residents get the best care possible.”
Earlier this year the Ontario government announced it would invest $4 million to connect more people to primary care teams in Cornwall and SDG Counties. The funding will be used to expand existing primary-care services offered by the Seaway Valley Community Health Centre, Centre de santé Communautaire de l’Estrie, Glengarry Nurse Practitioner Led Clinic, and the Rideau St. Lawrence Family Health Team.