The City of Belleville Signs Another Medical Student to Doctor Recruitment Program

The City of Belleville is pleased to announce the signing of University of Toronto medical student, Jillian Macklin into the Belleville Doctor Recruitment Program.  Jillian will be the 45^th physician to be recruited by the City through the program and the assistance will provide support while she completes her residency here in Belleville and establishes her practice.

“Jillian Macklin is a Belleville native who left for university to pursue her goal of becoming a doctor and we are so proud to welcome her back to Belleville and provide her with some support as she finishes her training,” said Mayor Neil Ellis. “She is an outstanding individual and will provide excellent care to our community when she starts her practice in 2026.”

“After being away for over a decade of training, I am so excited and grateful to be coming home,” said Jillian Macklin. “Family medicine is rooted in community and trustworthy long-term relationships. It is important to me to work in a place that has these same values, and Belleville’s tight-knit community absolutely does. Belleville’s physician recruitment program has shown me what an incredible opportunity it offers to young physicians to set-up a comprehensive, diverse and well-supported primary care practice. I also pursued a PhD during medical training focused on healthcare for people who are homeless and who struggle with addiction. I hope to bring these learnings forward to serve our community in a time of need, and to give back to a place that has given my family and I so much.”

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 45 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.