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Beginning next August, Saugeen Shores will have another new doctor.

Dr. Steve MacKinnon will be relocating to work full-time in Southampton's Memorial Hospital emergency room.  Minimum physician coverage is required to keep the emergency room open in Southampton and, in the past, it has been a contentious issue with deadlines set for possible closure.

The addition of a new physician willing to work in the emergency department is seen as a key to keep it open and one that has been an on-going concern for several years due to a number of reasons.  For some physicians, the emergency room is an unknown quantity that they have never worked in and, therefore, are not attracted to it or, perhaps, may not be qualified to work in ER medical practice.

Also seen as crucial to attracting ER doctors was the expansion of the facility, which is now going ahead.

Saugeen Shores Mayor and Bruce County Warden, Mike Smith has stressed the importance of the emergency room in the past, "...if it closes, it will probably mean the end of the hospital," he said.

The Mayor also credits the work of Bruce Power's Physician Recruitment Committee with attracting doctors to the area. 

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Tuesday, November 29, 2011