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By Bill Jackson For the Chronicle The philosophy behind professional recruitment is more than � nding a per-son with technical expertise. That's especially true when it comes to securing medical specialists who don't just help create a continuum of care, but complete a virtual circle of life. "� e last thing you want to do is hire a spe- cialist who in 18 months takes a job in Toronto because all their friends and family are actu- ally in Toronto and they neglected to mention that," said Dr. Peter Potts, the chief of sta� at Grand River and St. Mary's hospitals. It's Potts' o� ce that channels the needs of the hospitals' various departments as part of a specialist recruitment program that's come into focus the past few years. Separate from the physician recruitment program that's run through the Greater Kitch- ener-Waterloo Chamber of Commerce to attract general practitioners, recruiting special- ists and subspecialists can be a complex pro- cess that places particular focus on � t. A good fit is important for any job, Potts admits, but health care professionals in pri- mary care are usually more autonomous com- pared to specialized � elds, he said. New family doctors usually find an office and hire their own support sta� , whereas spe- cialists develop more interpersonal relation- ships, interacting with nurses and multidis- ciplinary groups in a hospital setting where collegiality is vital to patient care. "You're part of a bigger group when you're hiring a specialist, and because the investment is high you really want to get it right," Potts said. "We're not trying to get someone for 18 to 24 months. We're trying to recruit people who want to make this community their life's work." Spurred on in part by a growing popula- tion here in Waterloo Region, part of a Local Health Integration Network with a population of almost 800,000, Potts said local hospitals have been able to ful� ll most of their special- ized sta� ng goals in recent years with the addi- tion of hepatobiliary (liver, gallbladder) and cardiothoracic (chest organ) surgeons, and more recently a retinal surgeon to provide ser- vices previously only available outside the area. Carefully and tactically, weighing needs and wants with a� ordability, the main goal is to add specialists of value to expand the breadth of care. "We've estab- lished a hematol- ogy program and up until now there was no hematology pro- gram in our LHIN (separate from the cancer program)," said Potts. T h e h o s p i t a l s soon hope to hire a second hematolo- gist, as well as an interventional cardiologist as part of a growing cardiology program. "Down the road, one aspirational goal is potentially developing a neurosceiences pro- gram," said Potts. "We're one of the few LHINs in Ontario that has no neurosurgery capability currently and our neurosurgical intervention rates are among the lowest in the province. "It was the same for cardiac care before we had the regional centre." But recruitment comes at a cost, part of which is o� set by donors and property taxpayers. In addition to a $10,000 for the chamber's recruit- ment program for family physicians, Kitchener granted the hospitals $10,000 in this year's budget to help with specialist recruitment. Other area municipalities have also made contributions, seeing it as an integral part of economic devel- opment. Potts said the hospitals can spend $15,000 to $40,000 to attract some specialists who are often granted various � nancial incentives to set up practice or relocate. � e process often begins by placing adver- tisements in professional journals at the national or international level, which can be quite costly on its own, Potts explained. Potential candidates go through an exten- sive vetting process including credentialing, which places an emphasis on personal needs. "Keep in mind they can work in many com- munities, but they are looking for a health-care system that is exemplary and a community that meets the needs of them and their family mem- bers," Potts said. "It's not a question of throw- ing money; it's a question of � t." � e pendulum has swung toward hospitals that are recruiting and teaching. "We know statistically that two-thirds of people who graduate from programs in a par- ticular community will stay," Potts said. � ough teaching was done on more of an ad hoc basis before, it's now a fundamental focus. Grand River Hospital hosts more than 300 medical students and residents in clinical placements each year. In addition, more than 600 students in a variety of � elds and educa- tion levels come to GRH annually for training experience. Having the right teachers in place creates a symbiotic relationship that pays dividends when it comes to patient care. "The goal for both hospitals is to become established clinical teaching hospitals, not only to retain manpower, but also for qual- ity of care," said Potts, citing the vigilance of additional clinicians who put more eyes on the patient. When you elevate quality of care it becomes cyclical, because those people in turn will hire good people within a solid work environment, he said. "So we're trying to create that virtual circle," said Potts, adding that a fulsome health-care system is vital to the region's economic devel- opment goals. It helps attract talent in other sectors, such as the growing tech sector that regards qual- ity health care as a signi� cant selling point for drawing talent to the region. NEW ARRIVALS! CANADIANMADE, CUSTOM BEDROO ANDDININGSAVE 5-50%OFF YOUR PURCHA SE - DETAILS IN ST ORE! OM THURSDAY, MARCH 9, 2017 • WATERLOO CHRONICLE • 3 Finding a � t Specialist recruitment is vital to expanding care at the region's hospitals, says chief of sta� Dr. Peter Potts is chief of staff at Grand River and St. Mary's hospitals. BILL JACKSON PHOTO CITY NEWSCITY NEWSCITY NEWS WATERLOO CHRONICLE "We're not trying to get someone for 18 to 24 months. We're trying to recruit people who want to make this community their life's work." Dr. Peter Potts Chief of Sta� , St. Mary's and Grand River Hospital