Woodstock, Ont. welcomes new family doctor

Woodstock City Hall is seen in this undated image. (City of Woodstock/Twitter)

Amid a provincial shortage of hospital staff and family doctors, Woodstock is proud to announce the opening of a new family practice later this month.

According to a press release from the City of Woodstock, Dr. Sarah Davies will be opening her family practice on Sept. 19. Davies completed her MD and post-graduate family medicine training at London, Ont.’s Western University.

“She has a broad range of interests in medicine and hopes to work with medical students and residents,” the release says.

“We’re so pleased to welcome Dr. Davies back to the community,” said Kristy Hons, physician recruiter for the City of Woodstock in a statement. “Dr. Davies had the privilege of meeting and training under many local Woodstock physicians during her studies at Western and we’re so fortunate that she’s decided to establish her practice here.”

According to March 2022 data from the Health Analytics Branch and Health Force Ontario, it’s estimated that at least six new physicians are needed to meet local demand in Woodstock. When factoring in the rest of Oxford County, that number increases to 12.

The release adds that due to Woodstock’s projected population growth, recruiting more doctors to the community remains a “high priority” for the city.

“Woodstock is an easy place to love,” said Hons. “We’ve seen physicians return to Woodstock to set up their practices after completing their residency here. It’s always exciting to visit the different medical schools and invite them to come visit our community so I can show them the opportunities that exist here.”

The new practice will open at 645 Finkle Street, suite 200 in Woodstock. Anyone interested in applying to become a patient can so on Davies’ family physician website.