Two new family doctors have signed on to practise in Haliburton County – taking the number of new physician arrivals in the Highlands to eight since early 2024.
Dr. Mario Lupu arrives as an overseas-trained doctor, having earned degrees in Europe and Australia, and joins the Haliburton Highlands Family Health Organization (HHFHO) roster with a clinical expertise in community-based family medicine and proficiency in sports and urgent care medicine. He started his position Sept. 18.
Joining Lupu at HHFHO is Dr. Carly Eisbrenner, further bolstering the Haliburton Family Medical Centre team. Joining Nov. 1, Eisbrenner will be taking on 700 new patients as part of her full-time practise, while also filling shifts in the emergency and inpatient departments at Haliburton Highlands Health Services (HHHS).
County warden Dave Burton said this should be welcome news to the hundreds of Highlanders without a family doctor.
“Access to quality health care is a top priority and having two new physicians join our region strengthens the care available to local residents and families,” Burton said. “We are grateful for Dr. Lupu and Dr. Eisbrenner’s commitment to practising here and look forward to the positive impact they will have on our community’s health and wellbeing.
The pair join Dr. Harrison Bishop, Dr. Peter Faulkner and Dr. Ali Bohra at HHHS, Dr. Shaysse Kayoumedjian at HFMC, and Dr. Mimi Van der Leden and Dr. Lesslie Ponraja from the Kinmount and District Health Centre as new arrivals serving Haliburton County since Jan. 1, 2024.
Lupu has years of experience working in other countries – he completed his medical degree at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Romania in 1999, received a Doctor of Medicine/ PhD from the University of Heidelberg in Germany in 2006, became fully registered with the UK General Medical Council in 2008, and received a post-grad diploma in sport medicine from the University of South Wales in Australia in 2020.
Kim Robinson, HHFHO director, said Lupu has taken over Dr. Norm Bottum’s 1,200-patient roster, with the longtime local doctor retiring from primary care Sept. 30.
“I truly hope to make Haliburton my home and be part of the community,” Lupu said.
Four more physicians needed
Eisbrenner is a recent graduate, having completed her Doctor of Medicine degree at McMaster University in 2022. She completed a rural family practice residency at the University of British Columbia in 2024, followed by three months of supplementary emergency room training.
Dr. Keith Hay, outgoing chief of staff at HHHS, said Eisbrenner is a “welcome addition” to the hospital’s medical staff. She said she’s excited to be coming to Haliburton County to launch her career.
“Haliburton has had a special place in my heart for years, and my husband and I are looking forward to making it home for years to come,” Eisbrenner said.
Burton credited the County’s physician recruiter, Wendy Welch, and County council for prioritizing new arrivals over the past couple of years – saying their collective change in approach has worked wonders.
The County offers doctors up to $150,000 to relocate here while reimbursing moving expenses up to $15,000. To qualify, physicians must commit to practising in the area for at least two years, with payments staggered at $25,000 annually for up to six years.
New hires are also provided with complimentary oneyear memberships to the Minden Recreation Centre and Haliburton Forest Wolf Centre, while the County maintains two properties doctors can use while they’re finding a more permanent home.
“They were drawn to the Haliburton Highlands for its welcoming medical community, the opportunity to provide comprehensive care in a small rural setting, and the quality of life the region offers,” Burton said on their reasons for joining.
“Both physicians value the strong support of their colleagues the ability to spend meaningful time with patients, and the chance to enjoy the area’s natural surroundings with their families,” he added.
Robinson said prior to the new arrivals, the HHFHO waitlist contained about 1,600 people.
“We are receiving a number of new requests to be added to the waitlist each day, so that number is climbing,” Robinson said. “Our plan is to attach as many patients to a primary health care provider as we have capacity to do so. In the case of Dr. Eisbrenner, that means 700 [new] patients will be attached.”
Robinson said a key part of attracting physicians is finding other healthcare services in the community they can contribute to, such as the ER and inpatient at HHHS, in long-term care or as a coroner.
She said HHFHO is still looking to recruit up to four further family doctors, though has secured a nurse practitioner who will start in late fall or early winter. Robinson said they will be assisting unattached patients or those whose primary care provider is located more than two hours away.
Anyone looking to join the HHFHO waitlist can do so by registering with Health Care Connect and completing a health questionnaire available at hhfht.com.
