There was a sizable increase in the number of physicians practicing in Lethbridge over the past year. (Photo: Lethbridge News Now)

By David Opinko

Lethbridge adds 27 physicians over the last year

Jul 17, 2024 | 12:38 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – A new report shows that doctors are indeed coming to Alberta, including Lethbridge.

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA) has released its report on Physician Resources in Alberta for the second quarter of 2024.

They say, from the end of June 2023 to the end of June 2024, there was a net increase of 27 physicians in Lethbridge, or 9.7 per cent, bringing the city’s total up to 306. That includes three who began their practice in Q2 this year.

The numbers entail family doctors, other specialists, and non-specialists.

The only other communities south of Calgary that were listed are Brooks and Medicine Hat. Those communities saw the additions of three (+13.6 per cent) and eight (+4.5 per cent) physicians respectively.

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Health Minister Adriana LaGrange says rural communities across much of the province are benefitting in the growth of physicians.

“At a time when rural Albertans are experiencing difficulty in accessing physician care, I am especially pleased to see significant year-over-year growth in the number of practising physicians in rural Alberta,” says LaGrange. “The Central Zone had the fastest growth, with an increase of 59 physicians from the same period last year, for a 7.5 per cent increase, followed by the South Zone, with an increase of 31 physicians, a 5.4 per cent increase.

Despite the local gains, however, AlbertaFindADoctor.ca still does not show any family physicians in Lethbridge who are accepting new patients.

The report states that Alberta had its highest-ever growth in physician staffing in the second quarter.

The province added 124 physicians in just the last three months and 496 over the past year. The last year saw the additions of 208 more family doctors

There are now 11,756 practicing physicians in Alberta.

LaGrange says, “This increase is incredibly positive, but we’re not stopping our efforts to attract more physicians. As part of the Health Workforce Strategy, we are working to increase the number of spaces in our province’s medical schools, residency positions and training opportunities for international medical graduates.”

The full report can be found on the CPSA website.

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