The locum program assists specific designated underserviced communities in Ontario with temporary medical services to replace physicians on holidays, education leave, etc.

The Rural Family Medicine Locum Program is now administered by HealthForceOntario Marketing and Recruitment Agency through the Ontario Physician Locum Programs.

The Specialist Urgent Locum Program and the Specialist Respite Locum Program are now administered by HealthForceOntario Marketing and Recruitment Agency through the Northern Specialist Locum Programs.

Additional practice supports exist for northern health care professionals. The Northerneastern Ontario Health Professional Development Program (NOHP-Dev) provides support to health care professionals in Northeastern Ontario by providing health care professionals with quality, accessible educational opportunities. NOHP-Dev hopes to decrease professional isolation and therefore promote quality, accessible health care in northern communities by assisting in the retention of health care professionals. The Psychiatric Outreach Program provides support for psychiatrists.

The Northern Ontario Virtual Library provides northern health care professionals with 24/7 virtual access to a selected suite of Ovid biomedical databases, full text journals and textbooks and to MD Consult. Northern Ontario health professionals who do not have access to health information services locally should contact NOVL for traditional library services, including document delivery, mediated literature searching, current awareness, reference and consultation.

The Professional Association of Internes and Residents of Ontario's (PAIRO) Resident Placement Program (PRPP) is a unique initiative that provides residents with individual career selection assistance and communities with needed physician resources. The program offers an opportunity for residents to better understand the available career opportunities in the province and to select those that best meet thier professional and personal needs. In turn, this also serves the communities in which they work by supplying appropriately matched physicians to them. For more information, please access the PAIRO website.

HFOJobs (formerly the PAIRO Registry). In 2006 the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care launched an ambitious health human resources strategy – HealthForceOntario. HFOJobs, an expansion of the PAIRO Registry, is a key tool in the HealthForceOntario strategy designed to ensure that Ontario has the right mix and supply of appropriately educated health care professionals today, and in the future. HFOJobs is a comprehensive job website designed to connect physicians-in-training, established physicians and International Medical Graduates with Ontario’s underserviced, rural and urban communities for recruitment and retention purposes. Users can search for locum and permanent practice opportunities, and obtain information on compensation, health resources and general information about a community. To find out more on HFOJobs, please visit : www.HealthForceOntario.ca.