Regional Physician Recruitment Brings Incremental Gains Amid Ongoing Access Challenges

Efforts to strengthen access to primary health care in Chestermere and Strathmore saw incremental progress in 2025, with both communities adding physicians as local population growth continues to place pressure on the region’s medical services.
Health-care access remains a widely discussed issue across Alberta. Workforce data indicates the province has increased its overall number of physicians in recent years, yet many residents still report difficulty finding consistent primary care. Provincial statistics show Alberta reached record levels of registered doctors, with more than 12,300 physicians practicing by mid-2025, reflecting steady year-over-year growth.
Despite this increase, access challenges persist. Estimates suggest nearly one in five Albertans may be without a regular primary care provider, representing roughly one million people across the province. That gap reflects broader national trends, with research indicating approximately 15 per cent of Canadians lack a family physician, highlighting the continuing strain on primary care systems.
Local recruitment efforts are intended to address those pressures. Chestermere added several physicians in 2025, supported by established clinics such as LakeMed, which provides family practice services and same-day access appointments for patients of varying ages and needs. Additional recruitment initiatives remain underway, reflecting the city’s ongoing growth and the need to expand community-based health resources.
Neighbouring Strathmore has faced similar challenges, underscoring the regional nature of the issue. Reports from residents there highlight limited clinic availability and difficulty securing a family doctor, with some patients travelling to neighbouring communities for care or relying on emergency departments for non-urgent issues.
Population growth since the early 2020s has amplified demand for services across the Calgary region, including bedroom communities east of the city. Physician workforce statistics show Alberta added hundreds of doctors annually in recent years, including a net increase of more than 470 physicians in 2024 alone. However, system-level shifts such as reduced working days per physician and declining availability of family practices accepting new patients have complicated the relationship between physician counts and real-world access.
Recruitment and retention initiatives continue to evolve in response. Programs designed to attract professionals to growing municipalities include updated compensation models intended to incentivize patient attachment, as well as provincial efforts expanding team-based care through nurse practitioners and allied health supports.
The growth in physician registrations also reflects a dynamic workforce. Provincial data indicates both incoming and departing doctors shape the overall total, with hundreds entering the system each year even as retirements and relocations occur. Policymakers and health planners note that sustaining access requires balancing recruitment with retention and ensuring infrastructure keeps pace with population expansion.
For communities such as Chestermere and Strathmore, incremental additions of local physicians represent meaningful progress, particularly for residents seeking continuity of care close to home. At the same time, the broader context suggests the challenge is far from resolved.
As Alberta’s population continues to expand, the success of long-term strategies aimed at strengthening primary care capacity will likely shape how effectively growing municipalities can meet residents’ health-care needs in the years ahead.