It was a packed house at the Grande Banks Medical Clinic after an announcement that two new doctors were accepting new patients at the facility.
Several residents say they were under the impression that new patients would be selected based on a “lottery” style system; however, officials say that is not the case.
Applicants looking to become new patients were required to fill out a form with their medical information and submit it to the front desk. After which, officials say meet and greets will be set up with those selected, and from there, the decision falls on the doctors.
Morgan Marbach, an eager applicant at the clinic says the choice to apply was an easy one, as she has been dealing with chronic pain for several weeks.
“I’ve been dealing with pain since the beginning of January, and thankfully the doctors here are fantastic for that, I finally got some answers I couldn’t get at the hospital,” she says.
Marbach’s story seems to be the story that many Grande Prairie residents share, but she says the doctor shortage is a nationwide issue.
“I applied for a family doctor because mine moved to Castle Downs two or three years ago,” she says. “It’s that way in New Brunswick too, I’m originally from there and it’s rough.”
Marbach adds that she is concerned with Grande Prairie’s high population growth rate. She says if trends continue, it might become even harder for her family to find a doctor.
“A lot of people are moving here from other places, even on the Grande Prairie Facebook page you see people saying- ‘I’m moving to Grande Prairie, are there any family doctors?’ no there aren’t.”
AHS has been made aware of the shortage of healthcare professionals, and incentives are in place by the city to encourage physicians to make the move.
