The Town of Tillsonburg is receiving $29,000 in provincial funding to launch a new health care recruitment marketing campaign designed to attract family physicians and other health care professionals to the community.
The funding, provided through the Ontario Ministry of Rural Affairs, covers half of the project's $58,000 cost, with the Town contributing the remaining 50 per cent.
The initiative will include the creation of promotional materials, digital and print advertising, and a dedicated recruitment website showcasing Tillsonburg as an attractive place for health care providers to live and work.
The campaign comes as approximately 2,900 Tillsonburg residents are currently without a primary care provider. As a regional service hub, the community also supports a catchment area of more than 160,000 people who rely on local health care services.
The recruitment campaign will promote available medical opportunities, relocation supports, professional development options and the community amenities that make Tillsonburg an appealing destination for physicians and other health care professionals.
Mayor Deb Gilvesy welcomed the investment, saying the funding will help create high-quality promotional content highlighting why Tillsonburg is a great place for primary care providers to build their careers, raise families and establish roots. She said the initiative is another positive step toward improving health care access for local residents.
Town officials say the project is intended to raise awareness of career opportunities among medical professionals, students and recent graduates while strengthening recruitment efforts, reducing vacancies in critical positions and supporting long-term health care capacity throughout Tillsonburg and the surrounding region.
The initiative is supported by several local and regional partners, including Rural Roads Health Services, the Oxford Ontario Health Team, local Family Health Organizations and other community partners.
The funding is part of the Province's $20-million Rural Ontario Development Program, which supports economic growth, rural workers and long-term community development. In Oxford County, the province is investing a total of $145,318 through the program.
