Based solely on a Dufferin's population of 54,436, the county needs 15 more family physicians to reach a recommended complement of 39, according to figures compiled by Shelburne Mayor Ed Crewson.

In his compilation, the mayor says, in brief, that if the population of Shelburne, Mulmur and Melancthon are combined, the figures would show a shortage of five doctors for those three municipalities and a shortage of 10 for the other five combined.

If Mono and Amaranth were added to the northern mix, it would be short 13 doctors for Shelburne, whereas Orangeville's group would need only two more.

The over-all Dufferin figures presuppose that all residents look for medical attention within the county, but some in the north look to Creemore and Alliston.

The figures do not take into account the "at risk" populations of retirement lodges and chronic care or long-term nursing/ medical needs of Orangeville and Shelburne.

Bob Baynham, the retiring president and CEO of Headwaters Health Care Centre, told county council recently that people beyond a certain age generally have one or more chronic ailments.

From the hospital's perspective, especially with a shortage of physicians and unsatisfactory wait times in the Emergency Department, he said Headwaters HCC should be considered an interested party in any municipal plans for residential development - especially those "that will target housing for a primarily elderly population."

Mr. Baynham acknowledged and thanked the municipalities that had participated in and initiated physician recruitment, but also pointed to the success of the Highlands clinic that was established adjacent to the hospital.

Whether or not the addition of seven family physicians at the clinic has alleviated wait times at the hospital's Emergency Department, where many people go for medical attention because they don't have a family doctor, Mr. Baynham said wait times are improving.

In terms of provincial standards and experience, "gener- ally speaking we do very well. But we're still not satisfied."

He said wait times "are not getting longer. People expectations are getting (shorter)," and young people have "very different expectations."

Mr. Baynham might have had good news for Shelburne. There, he said the hospital would be converted from a 26-bed "complex continuing care" facility to "one split between 10 CCC beds and 16 rehab."

This would mean more funding for the facility. He said a "peer review team" supported the proposal and "we now need the local health network to find the funding to support it."

He promised to "focus some real attention on it in the coming months."

Headwaters Orangeville is facing the "major challenge (of attracting) competent staff," something that is apparently becoming more difficult "especially in the health field."

He said it "helps to have a good reputation in the health community."

What does the future hold for Headwaters hospital?

Mr. Baynham said, among other things, it is hoping for a third operating room and "a building that would enable us to continue to attract physicians."

An immediate objective is for a "big ticket list of equipment needs, largely focused on diagnostic imaging." Major Phase 2 redevelopment plans, however, might be "10 years down the road."