Hospital, physicians, and community leaders rally support to help recruit medical professionals to the Cadillac region
Physician recruitment and retention in rural northern Michigan can mean the difference between a strong or struggling community.
Cadillac’s FIAMM Technologies President Thom Eory said companies such as FIAMM look for strong support systems in their communities.
“The hospital is the first facility that our citizens go to in a time of need,” he said. “We employ 170 area residents and it is important to me that they have prompt access to quality medical practices, procedures, and practitioners.”
After an initial commitment and donation from FIAMM, Munson Healthcare Cadillac Hospital’s Medical Executive Committee also recently donated $10,000 for a new physician recruitment fund to help strengthen the hospital’s efforts to attract medical staff to rural northern Michigan.
Hospital Medical Staff President Joe Santangelo, M.D., said the hospital’s Medical Executive Committee learned about the recruitment fund from longtime physician Gregory Lambourne, M.D., and felt strongly about supporting the effort.
“We know that professionals, businesses, and families take many factors into account when deciding where to locate. The ability to obtain excellent health care is an important one of those factors,” he said. “By recruiting and retaining both primary care and specialty physicians, we can continue to provide excellent care here in Cadillac.”
Munson Healthcare Cadillac Hospital President Tonya Smith said the fund was developed as a way for the hospital to be proactive and discerning of physician recruiting and retention issues in a challenging and changing health care environment.
“I really want to thank our medical staff and FIAMM for their recognition of how important physician recruiting and retention is for our community, and for the resources they have made available to us,” she said. “These gifts will help us continue to ensure access to primary and specialty health care for the Cadillac area.”
The hospital foundation has focused on physician recruitment as a top funding priority for this year. Donated dollars will be used to help hospital leadership implement short- and long-term recruitment. Community support will help with initiatives such networking opportunities, medical residents housing allowances, and medical school scholarships.
For information on giving to Munson Healthcare Cadillac Hospital’s physician recruitment fund, or other giving opportunities, contact Courtney Mulder at the Cadillac Hospital Foundation at 231-876-7522.