Windmill Microlending and RBC announce a new initiative to address shortages in primary healthcare nationwide Français
TORONTO, April 30, 2025 /CNW/ - Canada is facing a healthcare crisis, with millions lacking access to primary care and doctor shortages worsening nationwide. On May 1, Windmill Microlending is expanding support for internationally trained physicians, thanks to a $5 million donation from RBC. This funding will help 850 physicians restart their careers over the next five years, helping improve healthcare access for Canadians. This is the largest corporate donation Windmill has received in support of healthcare workers.
Fittingly, this announcement comes on May 1, National Physicians' Day, a day dedicated to recognizing the contributions of physicians across the country.
A recent Health Canada report, Caring for Canadians: Canada's Future Health Workforce (January 2025), highlights the urgent need for more doctors across Canada, as domestic training alone cannot meet demand. Internationally trained physicians (ITPs) are key to solving this crisis, yet a majority struggle to resume their careers due to costly and complex licensing processes, lack of opportunities and limited access to credit to fund their endeavours.
Windmill helps these highly skilled newcomers by providing low-interest loans, coaching and mentorship to support foreign credential recognition and reaccreditation.
Now, Windmill and RBC—collaborators since 2006—are increasing their efforts to prevent the loss of valuable medical talent. RBC's new donation will fund loans and comprehensive wrap-around supports for foreign-trained doctors who qualify for Windmill's Healthcare Reaccreditation Loan program. Supports include individualized coaching, financial literacy training, digital career resources, and mentorship. The result of this expanded funding for ITPs will help to improve access to primary care and health equity across Canada.
"Canada has a critical shortage of doctors but a wealth of internationally trained physicians keen to restart their careers in Canada. We're thrilled that, thanks to RBC's support, newcomer physicians will be able to afford the costs of recertification, and Canadians will have access to hundreds more doctors. All of us at Windmill are so grateful to RBC for their vision, funding and support" says Claudia Hepburn, CEO, Windmill Microlending.
"Canada's healthcare crisis is exacerbated by staff shortages, burnout and high attrition rates," says Andrea Barrack, Senior Vice President, Sustainability and Impact, RBC. "Along will donations to more than 50 Canadian hospitals, our support of Windmill is aligned with our broader ambition to help reskill, upskill and improve the resiliency of our workforce, including healthcare workers across the country who are vital to our collective prosperity."
Interviews are available.
BACKGROUND
About Windmill Microlending
Windmill Microlending (Le Moulin Microcrédits) is a national charity founded in 2005 with a mission to empower skilled immigrants to achieve economic prosperity. Leveraging a unique social finance model, Windmill helps qualified newcomers overcome professional employment barriers by providing accessible, affordable career loans and support services. Windmill's clients, now numbering over 13,000, come from over 150 countries worldwide and span various professional sectors, including healthcare, business and IT and STEM. More than half of Windmill's clients are internationally educated healthcare professionals (IEHPs), including doctors, nurses, pharmacists, dentists and many others. www.windmillmicrolending.org
Health Canada estimates the current doctor shortage in Canada at 23,000 individuals (Source: https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/health-care-system/health-human-resources/workforce-education-training-distribution-study.html)
A recent survey by Unity Health Toronto revealed that 6.5 million Canadians do not have a regular healthcare provider (physician or nurse practitioner). In 2024, CIHI reported 5 million Canadians struggled to access primary care.
Windmill's Healthcare Reaccreditation Loan is offered at 4.95% interest, pegged to prime.
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