CANADA, August 13 - Prince Edward Island has become the first province in Canada to recognize family medicine as a standalone specialty, a significant milestone achieved through the recently signed five-year physician services agreement.

Under this agreement, PEI family doctors will now rank among the top three highest-paid across Canadian provinces, helping PEI attract and keep skilled physicians.

“We know that stabilizing primary care will strengthen our entire healthcare system. This agreement is the next step in building and enhancing our healthcare system by retaining our current physicians and expanding our healthcare team to ensure Islanders have access to care as close to home as possible.”

- Health and Wellness Minister Mark McLane

With family medicine now formally recognized as a specialty, this agreement positions PEI as a national leader in healthcare innovation and quality.

By elevating family medicine and investing in competitive compensation and incentives, PEI is taking bold steps to ensure that Islanders receive the highest standard of care, while also making the province a top destination for medical professionals.

“Strong primary care improves outcomes for all Islanders and will help take the burden off acute and emergency medicine,” said Melanie Fraser, CEO of Health PEI. “This agreement helps us remain competitive to recruit and retain these highly sought-after physicians. By reducing their administrative burden, family physicians spend more time doing what they got into medicine for in the first place. The leadership roles they will play in our patient medical homes will benefit every Islander.”

The agreement also introduces a new Panel Incentive Program, rewarding family physicians who exceed their expected patient panel size, including taking patients off the provincial registry. This initiative is designed to encourage physicians to go above and beyond, further enhancing access to primary care for Islanders.

In the past six months PEI has hired 32 new doctors. These new hires combined with the province’s electronic medical records (EMR), patient medical homes and collaborative care model, innovative recruitment efforts, and the medical school, position PEI as the best place to come and practice medicine.

Media contacts:
Autumn Tremere  
Department of Health and Wellness  
agtremere@gov.pe.ca

Everton McLean  
Health PEI  
emclean@gov.pe.ca