What is the Kawartha Lakes Health Care Initiative?


The Kawartha Lakes Health Care Initiative (KLHCI) is an incorporated non-profit, charitable, organization whose mission is to recruit family physicians to the City of Kawartha Lakes (CKL), to retain family physicians in the City of Kawartha Lakes, and to conduct research, public education, outreach and advocacy as it relates to recruitment and retention of family physicians. 

KLHCI's vision is that everyone living in the City of Kawartha Lakes has a primary health care provider.

In 2003, the City of Kawartha Lakes established a city wide committee of council to address the lack of health care professionals in the city. As a result of this committee, the KLHCI was founded.

In August of 2004, KLHCI became an incorporated non-profit organization and in January of 2005 the first Board of Directors was formed.After doing extensive research into the recruitment and retention of health care professionals, and becoming involved in the recruitment process, KLHCI proceeded in December 2005 to hire a staff Recruitment and Retention Coordinator. Please click here to meet our board.

In January 2008, KLHCI received charitable status, which facilitates fundraising and promotes charitable contributions to support doctor recruitment and retention for the City of Kawartha Lakes. For more information on making a donation or if you are interested in assisting with doctor recruitment and retention, please click here.

Funding

The KLHCI is funded by the City of Kawartha Lakes and Ross Memorial Hospital.Some funding has also been provided through grants from Kawartha Lakes Community Futures Development Corporation. In 2009 a grant from The Ontario Trillium Foundation to strengthen organizational infrastructure and capacity by implementing governance training, strategic planning, volunteer recruitment, management strategies, community awareness and engagement, and volunteer opportunities was completed.

During 2009/2010 a grant from the Kawartha Lakes Community Futures Development Corporation, through Industry Canada, was received for the development of a Rural Family Medicine Residency Program proposal.  This proposal has subsequently been submitted to all Schools of Medicine in Ontario.

Find out more about Community Partnerships, Primary Health Care in the City of Kawartha Lakes and Why There is a Lack of Family Physicians, as well as How the KLHCI Recruits