Signing bonuses and concierge perks lure family doctors

In 2023 the Alberta town of Stettler faced a sudden collapse in primary care when retirements and departures halved the number of family doctors serving its 12,000 residents. The hospital emergency room began closing on some days, forcing patients to drive 50 miles for care.

A summer meeting at the hockey arena drew about 450 people, and a local recruitment drive eventually brought seven new physicians, restoring the town’s previous capacity so that anyone there can now get a family doctor. A 2025 OurCare survey found one in four Canadian adults said they lacked a family doctor; with some people overseen by nurse practitioners or community health centres, the share without basic primary care falls to about one in five.

“Canada’s primary care system is in a crisis when one in five people don’t have access to the front door of the very foundation of health care,” Dr. Tara Kiran said, calling access a core national value. Towns and provinces have been spending to recruit clinicians.

Canada, Stettler, Alberta

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