Apr
18
2011

From the desk of the Navigator - Relocating? Finding a Family Physician

Posting season is upon us.  Is your family relocating?  If so, your family will have a long list of tasks to do.  One of those tasks will be finding a new family physician.  Currently, there is a national shortage of family physicians in Canada and on average Canadian Forces Families face increased barriers finding family physicians due to several relocations and being faced with long waitlists each relocation.  As a result, 39% of Canadian Forces families report being unable to re-establish medical care upon a relocation.  27% of Canadian Forces Families report that they do not have a primary care physician for themselves or their children which is a percentage twice as high as the 14% national average (DMFS, 2010).  If you have a family member with a long term health concern it is imperative that health care accessible in the new city.

So what can your family do?  Here are some tips to help your family find a physician in your new city:

  • Check with your current family physician.  Your current family physician may have some tips to help you family find a new physician.  Possibly your family physician may know of a physician accepting new patients in the new city;
  • Educate yourself on the realities of health care in the new city.  Is it difficult to find a family physician in the new city?  What is the medical treatment centre system like?  Can a medical treament refer a patient to a specialist or do they only handle urgent care needs.  Can a medical treament centre manage a patient with a long term health concern;
  • Start your search early.  Start your search before you relocate.  You can phone physicans offices to see if they are accepting new patients from home.  The house hunting trip will be a perfect opportunity to see if any physicians in the local area are accepting patients.  Starting early will alleviate some of the stress after a relocation and as this can be a long process so starting early will give you a head start;
  • Check with friends or co-workers who already live in the new city.  Do you have any friends or does the Canadian Forces member have any co-workers who already live in the new city?  Maybe they know of a family physician accepting patients.  Possibly you know a family who is moving away from your new city who would be willing to ask their family physician if they would be able to fill that spot with your family;
  • Check provincial databases.  Each province has a provincial database with a listing of physicians accepting new patients.  Go to this website http://intraspec.ca/find-a-doctor.php  to find a link to the database in the province you are moving to.
  • Stay patient.  This can be a long frustrating process for families.  Stay patient and continue to advocate for your family to acquire a family physician.

 

 

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