Learn · Ontario

Rural and Northern Ontario locum programs

Ontario Health funds locums who travel to cover rural and northern communities. The further you drive, the more the program covers.

Join LOCVM to find more rural opportunities

Your home or practiceThe community

Under 2 hours
None
One way, most direct route
2 to 4 hours
$404.94
One round trip
Over 4 hours
$674.90
For 4+ day assignments. $404.94 if shorter

Rural Family Medicine travel stipend, one round trip, for assignments from April 1, 2026. On top of your daily stipend, and not paid on stipend workdays.

Open now on LOCVM

A rural locum you can apply to

LOCVM lists locums across Ontario, including rural communities like this one.

See more like this

Obstetrician/Gynecologist (OB/GYN)

Obgyn Locum Opportunity In Eastern Ontario

Mississippi Mills, ON

Almonte General Hospital

Nov 2, 2026toOct 31, 2027

Which program is yours?

Ontario Health runs three locum programs. Find the row that describes you.

If you areYour programKnow this first

A family physician covering a rural practice
Program: Rural Family Medicine Locum Program
Know this first: Get pre-approval before your first day
Already working full-time in an Ontario ED, and want extra shifts
Program: Emergency Department Locum Program
Know this first: Current ATLS and ACLS
A specialist covering a northern hospital
Program: Northern Specialist Locum Program
Know this first: Your practice and home are both 40 km or more from the site

What a day pays

The Rural Family Medicine program pays a daily stipend set by the community's payment group. Communities with a higher Rurality Index of Ontario (RIO) score get a premium on top. Not every community has a stipend arrangement, so ask first.

A community qualifies when one of these is true

Its physicians are funded through an RNPGA
Its RIO score is 75 or higher
Its RIO score is 40 to under 75, with no more than 7 full-time family physicians

Example day

FHO community, RIO score 75 or more

Daily stipend, FHN or FHO community: $944.87
Premium, community RIO score 75 or more: $134.96

Per clinic day$1,079.83

Other rates

RNPGA: $1,079.84
FFS, FHG, BSM: $809.88
RIO 60 to under 75: +$67.48
RIO under 60: no premium

From pre-approval to paid

The Rural Family Medicine program. Deadlines count from the date of service.

Before you go
Get approved
- Find a posting on LOCVM
- Agree dates, on-call, and billing split
- Get pre-approval (your contract)
- Arrange privileges and travel
During the assignment
Work and keep receipts
- Primary care, ED, or inpatient coverage
- Keep itemized receipts in your name
Within 30 days*
Send your claim
- Expense claim and receipts by email
- First claim? Add the banking form
- Paid 4 to 6 weeks after a complete claim

* Do not go over six months. Claims sent more than six months after the date of service are not eligible.

Your pack list

Tick them off as you go.

In your bag

CPSO certificate of registration
CPSO certificate of professional conduct
CMPA membership in good standing
Active OHIP billing number and billing privileges
ACLS and/or ATLS, if the community requires it

The Northern Specialist program lists the first four.

Ask the community

Does this community have a stipend arrangement?
What are the dates, the on-call, and the billing split?
Will I cover the hospital?
Does the hospital add its own incentives?

Emergency department shifts

The Emergency Department Locum Program is for physicians who already work in an Ontario ED and want extra shifts.

You can join if all three are true

You work the equivalent of full-time in an Ontario ED (up to two EDs), and the extra shifts do not reduce that work
You hold a CCFP(EM) or FRCP(EM), or did one year of full-time ED practice with an independent licence in the last three years
Your ATLS and ACLS are current

Rules and application form on Ontario Health

ED pay changed in 2025

In 2025 the OMA announced a new Rural Emergency Medicine Coverage Investment Fund. Ask each hospital what it pays now.

Read the OMA announcement

Support during a shift

ED Peer-to-Peer gives real-time support 24/7 to any Ontario ED.

More ED supports, from NOSM

Keep reading

What rural practice asks of you

Dr. Sarah Newbery in Marathon, Dr. Steven Griffin in Bancroft, and Dr. Roy Kirkpatrick in Huntsville share what small-town practice is like, from treating your neighbours to handling cases you cannot easily refer.

Read the CPSO article

If you want to stay

Ontario has grants for physicians who set up full-time practice in eligible northern and rural communities.

See the incentives on NOSM

Occupational medicine work

Mobile occupational clinics bring workplace care to rural and industrial communities. Family physicians can add this work around an existing practice.

Get the free occupational medicine guide

FAQ

Do I need approval before I start?

Yes, for the Rural Family Medicine program. Get pre-approval, with a contract issued, before you start. Without it you may not be eligible for funding.

Who pays for my travel?

You book your own travel. The program pays eligible stipends and travel expenses directly to you, not to the community.

Is the ED program for physicians new to Ontario?

No. It is for physicians who already work the equivalent of full-time in an Ontario emergency department and take extra shifts on top.

Do the program amounts change?

Yes. The amounts on this page apply to assignments starting on or after April 1, 2026, from Ontario Health pages last updated in June 2026. Check Ontario Health before you plan an assignment.

Last reviewed October 18, 2026. Program rules change. Check Ontario Health for current terms.

Find your next rural locum

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