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STETTLER NEEDS DOCTORS

Doctor Update March, 25 2025 - An Update on the Collective Efforts Being Made Towards Our Doctor Shortage

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The Health Professionals Attraction and Retention Committee (HPA&R) is making measurable progress in addressing Stettler’s doctor shortage. Two new doctors are now in practice in Stettler, and three more have signed on and begun navigating the assessment process. These successes mark significant progress in stabilizing healthcare services and reflect the committee’s ongoing commitment to ensuring accessible and reliable medical care for the community.

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A joint initiative between the County of Stettler and the Town of Stettler, the HPA&R committee brings together key local stakeholders—including representatives from the Stettler Hospital and Care Centre, Stettler Medical Clinic, Heartland Medical Clinic, Alberta Health Services, and Stettler Needs Doctors.

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With a clear mandate to recruit and retain physicians, the committee is working to establish a sustainable framework that not only addresses the current shortage but also ensures long-term healthcare stability for Stettler and our surrounding area. Following the launch of a new joint Town-County physician incentive program in the summer of 2024, HPA&R has been actively implementing strategies to attract new doctors while supporting those already practicing in the community. At the lead of HPA&R Coordinator, Byron Geddes, the Committee has been diligent over the last several months connecting with doctors and touring them around the Town and County highlighting our recreational amenities, healthcare facilities, beautiful countryside and way of life. These efforts have shown great success so far in securing doctors to start practicing in Stettler throughout this year.

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“We know attracting and retaining physicians is a challenge faced by many rural communities, but through collaboration and dedication we are making meaningful progress. We are incredibly grateful to our existing healthcare professionals for their commitment to patient care and their support in these recruitment efforts. Our community is a fantastic place to live and work, and we will continue working to ensure sustainable, high-quality healthcare for our residents."

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Dean Lovell, Chair, Health Professionals Attraction and Retention Committee.

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While the committee continues to work tirelessly in the recruitment of doctors, we want to acknowledge the hurdles citizens have faced, with many losing their family physicians and having to travel for medical services while navigating emergency room closures.


We express our deep appreciation to all healthcare workers and administration staff at the Stettler Hospital, Stettler Medical Clinic and Heartland Medical Clinic, who have committed to providing the highest level of care to our community throughout this shortage by spending time answering questions, fielding complaints, and filling in service gaps. Their hard work, support and dedication to our community has been instrumental in not only maintaining excellent patient care in our region but also in assisting with physician recruitment efforts. Further, we wish to express our gratitude and acknowledge the years of dedicated service we have received from our current physicians who serve Stettler and our community.

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Dr. Hassan Lockhat - 27 years of service
Dr. Philip Vogel - 23 years of service
Dr. Francois du Toit - 20 years of service
Dr. Martins Agwaze - 16 years of service
Dr. Kimberly Chapman - 9 years of service
Dr. Emé Vermeulen - 3 years of service
Dr. Jaco Vermeulen - 3 years of service
Dr. Oluwamayokun Ojo - 1 year of service

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We also would like to thank our community partners at Stettler Health Services Foundation and Rural Health Professional Action Plan (RhPAP) for their ongoing support and programs which have further supported local physician recruitment.


The HPA&R committee will be providing further introductions to our new physicians in the coming month. We look forward to the opportunity to properly welcome them to our community as they settle in.

7000+

Stettler and area individuals that have lost their family doctor

6 out of 10

Individuals in Stettler and area who don't have a doctor

9

Doctors currently employed in Stettler

7

Stettler Doctors we have LOST in the last two years

16

Doctors needed for our area

  • Who are we?
    Our team of dedicated community stakeholders is unwavering in our commitment to bring doctors to Stettler and keeping our hospital open. This means ensuring Stettler has an adequate number of doctors, and the ER remains open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to meet community needs. We need your help to rectify the doctor shortages we are experiencing. Stettler Hospital has a first-class labor and delivery suite, along with first-class anesthesia/surgical facilities and equipment. Alberta has invested over 10 million dollars in the last few years to upgrade our hospital. The community has invested over 1.5 million dollars into equipment and enhancements. There have been announcements to expand the endoscopy surgical suites in the future. We need doctors so these assets are used.
  • Why do we have a doctor shortage?
    In the last two years, Stettler has lost seven family doctors. These doctors have left family medicine for several reasons. Some are pursuing specialty practices or further education. Couple that with overwhelming on-call scheduling for local doctors and increased reporting, their ability to have a proper work-life balance is almost impossible. We have been informed that there have been issues with how applications to Alberta Health Services (AHS) Medical Affairs have been handled. AHS Central Zone recruiting sends prospective CVs (resumes) out to communities that need doctors, and there have been missed opportunities resulting in doctors going to other communities. Stettler and the area within the county boundaries, including the villages, have a population of 14,400 people and a trading population of 35,000 people. With doctor panels only averaging 1,500 people, the math is easy. In the summer, with the seasonal campers, lake dwellings, and other tourist facilities, our Town and County can balloon to another 15 to twenty thousand people. A senior communications advisor, with AHS indicated that Stettler needs at least 16 doctors to support the emergency department and Stettler clinics.
  • What is the community currently doing to address the issue?
    The Town and County of Stettler have committed money to recruiting doctors. Their new programs will be explained at the Town Hall meeting on July 25th. Recently, the Town and County have graciously agreed to increase this amount over previous years, with the hopes that this will be a large enough incentive to bring new doctors to our Clinics and Hospitals. The Stettler Needs Doctors committee is focusing on raising awareness of the community's difficulties in recruiting doctors. Any funds raised will go towards this campaign and will help the recruited doctors establish themselves in our community. We want to bring attention to our crisis through the media and conversations with all healthcare agencies to make Stettler a top priority.
  • How are the Stettler Hospital and you affected?
    Did you know that our emergency department has been closed five times in the last thirty days? It is scheduled to be closed 7 times in the next thirty days unless AHS can find locums to fill the spots. Stettler Hospital OB Unit has diverted any High Risk/C-Section or patients requiring Epidurals 29 days out of the last 61 days! That means 50% of the time, our Hospital OB unit has been on diversion, and High-Risk cases are diverted to Red Deer. This is unacceptable! We will lose our only local anesthesiologist at the end of July to another community, resulting in no after-hours emergency surgeries, which impacts emergency C-sections primarily. We have had an ambulance Code Red (no ambulances available locally) regularly in the last 30 days Without a family doctor, you have restricted access to healthcare - except through an Emergency Room (if the emergency room is open) Young families with both parents working, cannot constantly be going to other communities for healthcare. Seniors, or others without transportation, will not be able to access healthcare except through the Emergency Department (when it is open)
  • What are the barriers for bringing doctors to Stettler?
    It seems that AHS Medical Affairs does not prioritize the recruitment of rural doctors in a timely manner Funding of rural doctors has been decreased in recent years resulting in an exodus of rural doctors to the cities AHS Medical Affairs may take up to two years to assess a CV (resume) of a foreign doctor, before they are considered for a position in our community. Even Canadian doctors from other provinces must submit their resumes. Historically, reviewing of prospective doctor's qualifications and performing the practice readiness assessment can take anywhere from 10 months to three years. This is a process from the College Physicians & Surgeons of Alberta To practice in Alberta, a foreign practitioner has to navigate Immigration, AHS Medical Affairs, and the Alberta College of Physicians & Surgeons of Alberta concurrently , and these agencies do not communicate with each other to ensure the timelines and conditions are met concurrently. With fewer doctors serving Stettler and area, based on the volume of workload and on-call schedules at our hospital, it often puts unreasonable expectations on our doctors. Thus, they are leaving. With fewer doctors serving Stettler and area, our ambulance, our nurses, our community businesses and our citizens are all affected. It hurts the entire community. Physicians completing their 3-month assessment under a Stettler Doctor may not stay in the community to practice according to the College of Physicians & Surgeons of Alberta.
  • How can I help? What can I do?
    Buy a "Stettler Needs Doctors" lawn sign to demonstrate your concern Tell your friends and neighbors to buy one too! Write letters to representatives or agencies expressing your concern using our email template under our "Letter Writing" page on this website. Suggested recipients are Premier Danielle Smith and the College of Physicians & Surgeons of Alberta
  • Why buy a lawn sign? Where will my money go?
    Your purchase of a lawn sign will show all agencies that we are unified as a community in crisis. We need doctors now! All funds will be used to enhance and improve the current initiatives of doctor recruitment by the Town and County of Stettler so they can attract and retain doctors in our community. Funds will also be used to finance the awareness campaign. Any excess funds at the closure of this committee will be donated to local groups and/or foundations who are attempting to better the community we live in.
  • How do I stay updated?
    Check back on this website, Facebook and Instagram pages for updates.
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