Northumberland recruitment specialist lands 3 new docs
By reporter Natalie Hamilton
There are three new doctors in the house as Northumberland County announced recently its recruitment initiative has brought a trio of family physicians committed to practising here.
Within just shy of a year, the Northumberland-wide doctor recruitment initiative, spearheaded by physician recruitment specialist Paula Mason, has brought a total of five new doctors to the county.
It’s an accomplishment that has cleared the Health Care Connect wait-list for Port Hope and Cobourg.
Mason is pleased to see the results but said the work continues as the Ontario Health Team of Northumberland estimates there are about 8,000 people in the county who still need a primary-care provider.
And about 300 to 400 Northumberland residents remain on the Health Care Connect waitlist, primarily people living in the Brighton and Trent Hills areas, she shared. Ideally, Northumberland County needs an additional six to eight family doctors, she said.
“We have several very hot prospects in the pipeline that hopefully will pan out before the end of the year,” Mason told the Independent. “We’re working with a few nurse practitioners as well who we anticipate will be taking on a roster of patients, too, so that will add more capacity.”
She said building strong relationships has been important in achieving success with the program.
“Recruiting physicians is about more than filling vacancies – it’s about building relationships and connecting physicians with opportunities where they can build a rewarding career and life,” said Mason. “Welcoming three additional physicians to the region, bringing our total to five this year, is an exciting accomplishment and reflects the strength of the partnerships supporting this work.”
Northumberland County launched in September 2025 its Northumberland Primary Care Recruitment initiative. The program is supported by a physician recruitment advisory committee (PRAC), which is comprised of representatives from municipalities and health system partners across Northumberland.
The physician recruitment program was established through council-approved direction to support the recruitment and retention of primary-care providers.
Earlier this summer, Dr. Uwa Ima-Edomwonyi, who goes by Dr. Uwa, joined the team at Halo Medical Clinic, located in the Port Hope Medical Centre. Originally from Nigeria, Uwa brings nearly two decades of experience caring for patients in the United Kingdom across primary care and urgent care settings, as well as experience in medical education. He is currently accepting new patients.
Residents seeking a family physician are encouraged to register with Health Care Connect to be linked with a primary-care provider. Patients may also contact the clinic directly by calling 905-885-8686, by visiting the clinic in Unit 4 at 15 Henderson St., or by joining the wait-list to be contacted for a new patient appointment by visiting https://www.halomedicalclinic.ca/join-waiting-list.
Interested residents are asked to ensure they select the Port Hope location when completing the registration.
“My family and I fell in love with the warmth, natural beauty and strong sense of community in Northumberland County and chose to put down long-term roots in this welcoming place,” stated Uwa, in a recent release. “The county offers a supportive health-care network and a great quality of life, and I am genuinely excited to contribute to the health and well-being of our residents and community.”
Meanwhile, Dr. Mian Muhammad Zain Tufail recently announced he will assume the practice of Dr. S. Ali at the White Rose Medical Centre in Port Hope. Tufail completed his medical training in Pakistan before moving to the United Kingdom, where he completed specialty training in general practice (family medicine). Since completing his training, he has worked as a general practitioner across a range of primary care and urgent care settings, according to a recent bio.
“What drew me to Northumberland County was the opportunity to build a long-term family medicine practice in a welcoming community where I can develop meaningful, lasting relationships with patients and their families,” said Tufail. “I am very excited about making Northumberland County my professional home and serving the people of Port Hope for the long term.”
Dr. Jessica Langevin, originally from Windsor, will be joining the Cobourg Medical Centre, part of the Northumberland Family Health Team, later this fall.
A graduate of the Mayo Clinic family medicine residency program in Rochester, Minnesota, Langevin will work alongside Dr. Kathy Barnard-Thompson as part of the transition to assume Barnard-Thompson’s practice. Langevin will also provide clinical services at Northumberland Hills Hospital.
“During my family medicine residency, I completed my continuity clinic in a small rural town where I experienced firsthand the privilege of caring for patients across different stages of life while becoming part of the community myself,” shared Langevin.
“Joining a practice in Northumberland County brings together everything I was looking for, both professionally and personally. I’m excited to become part of the community and look forward to building lasting relationships while caring for patients and their families for many years to come.”
The county noted the recruitment of these three physicians reflects a continued collaboration among health-care providers, community partners and municipal leadership to bring physicians to Northumberland, and to support the growth of primary-care services throughout the region.
“This is an exciting milestone for Northumberland County, and most importantly, for the residents and families who rely on local primary care,” said Warden Bob Crate.
“Recruiting five physicians to our region in such a short period of time is a testament to what can be achieved when our health-care partners, municipalities and community come together around a shared priority. We are proud to welcome these physicians to Northumberland and are grateful for their commitment to building their practices and their lives in our community.
“While there is more work to do, this progress gives us strong momentum as we continue working to improve access to primary care for residents across the county.”
Collectively, the five physicians are expected to provide access to family doctors for about 6,000 patients, encompassing those who are transitioning from retiring physicians and new patients entering the primary-care system, noted county officials.
In a report to county council on Sept. 16, prepared by Mason and reviewed by William Detlor, director of community and social services, the physician recruitment specialist provided an update on the first year of the program, including recruitment outcomes, current priorities and anticipated funding requirements.
In early 2026, Northumberland County received a significant donation from an anonymous Port Hope resident, facilitated by the Port Hope Rotary Club. The funding was “instrumental” in supporting the recruitment of the five physicians, noted Mason.
“The donated funds are now nearly depleted, and additional funding will be required to sustain recruitment efforts. A request for additional recruitment funding will therefore be brought forward as part of the 2027 budget process,” she noted in the report.
During the first year of the program, the maximum physician recruitment incentive was reported at $100,000 per physician.
“At the time, this was generally competitive with surrounding municipalities, including Quinte West and Prince Edward County, while remaining below the $150,000 incentives offered by the City of Belleville and County of Hastings,” reads the report.
However, Quinte West recently increased its physician recruitment incentive to $175,000, Mason stated.
“This change further increases the competitive pressure on Northumberland County to provide incentives that are sufficient to attract physicians to the region.”
The program has established a growing pipeline of more than 50 prospective primary-care providers and strengthened relationships with local health-care organizations and community partners, it was noted.
“Despite these successes, the physician recruitment environment is increasingly competitive, and the depletion of the initial external funding presents a significant challenge to maintaining recruitment momentum. Continued investment in physician and primary-care provider recruitment will be important to improving access to primary care for Northumberland residents.”
The PRAC is planning a fundraising event for the fall, with a goal of securing multi-year financial commitments from local businesses, developers and residents to support future physician recruitment incentives, noted Mason.
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