CANADA, November 12 - Health PEI is welcoming three new specialists to Prince Edward Island, as a record number of physicians are joining the province. 

The three new hires bring the total confirmed hires this year to 35. They include

• One neurologist, starting in early December 2024.
• One psychiatrist, beginning in mid-December 2024.
• One radiologist, starting July 2, 2025.

“PEI continues on a path to attracting more physicians than ever before to serve Islanders. With our new Physician Services Agreement and a new streamlined, effective recruitment process, we are confident that even more physicians will join us in the days and weeks ahead, increasing access to care for Islanders.”

- Health and Wellness Minister Mark McLane

Recent recruitment changes have reduced the steps required to hire new doctors, from 49 to 11. This change means candidate physicians can move through the hiring process faster than ever and have a better experience. 

“Health PEI and this province offer fantastic opportunities for physicians. As we spread the word about the rewarding career physicians can have here and the huge impact they can have on our system, we are seeing more and more interest from candidates across Canada, the United States, and overseas,” said Melanie Fraser, CEO, Health PEI. 

Recruitment efforts have been aided by recent regulatory changes that allow a streamlined process for family physicians who trained in the US, United Kingdom, Ireland and Australia. 

For other specialists, the changes allow American trained Board-certified physicians as well as physicians coming from 29 jurisdictions in seven countries streamlined licensure.

By removing the physician complement last fall, it has allowed quicker and more efficient hiring of physicians without the added step of raising the cap in each specialty, creating a more efficient process, and eliminating time-consuming and unnecessary approvals. In addition, the Transformation Office at Health PEI has significantly streamlined the physician hiring process, reducing the steps involved from 49 to just 11, which has accelerated recruitment and allowed for faster integration of skilled professionals into the health system.

Media contact: 
Everton McLean
Chief Communications Officer, Health PEI
emclean@gov.pe.ca

Autumn Tremere
Department of Health and Wellness
agtremere@gov.pe.ca