The City of Belleville Signs Dr. Pratima Sharma to Doctor Recruitment Program

The City of Belleville is pleased to announce the signing of Dr. Pratima Sharma into the Belleville Doctor Recruitment Program. Dr. Sharma will participate in the program while she finishes her residency through the Queen’s Family Medicine Residency Program.

“Dr. Sharma, originally from Nepal, has been working in Belleville as a Clinical Assistant for the past year and loves the people and local community,” said Mayor Neil Ellis. “Council is pleased that we have been able to recruit Dr. Sharma. She has already been providing exceptional care to our residents at the hospital and we can’t wait to see her fulfill her dream of starting her own practice in Belleville.”

“After residing in Belleville for a year, I cannot envision relocating anywhere else,” said Dr. Pratima Sharma. “My husband and I are committed to establishing our roots in this remarkable community and I am eager to continue serving Belleville’s residents as a physician.”

Although healthcare and physician recruitment are not a municipal responsibility, the City of Belleville has recognized the shortcomings of the Provincial Health Care system and has implemented one of the most successful recruitment programs in the province, recruiting nearly 50 physicians and five nurse practitioners. The program is funded by the dividends the City receives as a shareholder of Elexicon Energy and to date, over $6 million has been committed to attracting primary healthcare providers.

For residents in need of a family physician or a nurse practitioner, it is important to register with Health Care Connect (HCC). HCC is a resource used by physicians and government agencies to place patients with physicians and can be relied upon by doctors and nurse practitioners when developing or expanding their roster of patients. Registering with HCC is the key to finding primary health care in Ontario. You can register with HCC by calling 1-800-445-1822 (TTY 1-800-387-5559) or by visiting the HCC website.