News Release
October 18, 2006
Health - 750
NEW RECRUITMENT INITIATIVES TO ATTRACT HEALTH WORKERS
Saskatchewan residents can expect to see more health professionals coming to work in the province, making life better today for families and building a better future here for our youth. Health Minister Len Taylor today unveiled four innovative initiatives aimed at attracting health professionals to Saskatchewan: HealthCareersinSask.ca (a provincial recruitment agency); the Saskatchewan Relocation Program; the Saskatchewan Rural, Northern and Hard-to-Recruit Program; and an expansion of clinical placement capacity. HealthCareersinSask.ca is a no-fee health care recruitment website connecting health professionals with career opportunities in regional health authorities and the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency. "Keeping and attracting key health providers as a means of ensuring timely access to quality health care is a top priority of this government," Taylor said. "The establishment of a new provincial recruitment agency will support the recruitment activities already underway in the regional health authorities and will accelerate our ability to reach a wider audience." The other initiatives flow from the $25 million retention and recruitment plan announced in September, and will support the provincial recruitment agency and the health regions in their recruitment efforts. Through the following two programs the government is targeting to recruit 600 new health employees to fill vacancies over the next two years -- approximately 400 nurses and 200 employees from the broader health workforce. The cost for these two programs is estimated at $6 million over the next two years. These programs are designed to build an overall capacity in the province by welcoming new employees, particularly those who used to reside in Saskatchewan; retain graduates from Saskatchewan health programs; build capacity in northern and rural locations; enhance recruitment to hard-to-recruit positions in Saskatoon and Regina; and retain current employees by filling vacancies, a move which should assist current employees with workload and an ability to plan vacation time. The Saskatchewan Relocation Program allows health workforce employees residing outside Saskatchewan to apply for up to $5,000 to assist with relocation costs, in return for a one-year commitment to work in Saskatchewan. The Saskatchewan Rural, Northern and Hard-to-Recruit Program provides health workforce employees living in or outside Saskatchewan with a return-for-service grant, in exchange for accepting a northern, rural or hard-to-recruit position within the province. Health workforce employees living in and outside Saskatchewan who agree to work in northern Saskatchewan are eligible for $7,000 in exchange for a one-year commitment to work in Saskatchewan, and $15,000 for a two-year commitment. Health workforce employees living in and outside Saskatchewan who agree to work in a rural position or in a hard-to-recruit position in either Regina or Saskatoon are eligible for $5,000 in exchange for a one-year service commitment and $10,000 for a two-year commitment. Employees living in Saskatchewan who establish residence in northern or rural communities are eligible for an additional $5,000 for a one-year service commitment and $10,000 for a two-year commitment. In addition, a $500,000 expansion of clinical placement capacity means students in health programs can participate in placements in rural communities, in Aboriginal communities and on interdisciplinary teams. These programs have been designed and recommended by committees that were established in September to provide advice to the Minister on how the $25 million retention and recruitment plan money should be directed, working with in the framework of the nationally recognized strategy, the Health Workforce Action Plan. In November these committees will focus on retention programs to assist in keeping employees already working within Saskatchewan's health system.-30-
For More Information, Contact:
| Joan Petrie Health Regina Phone: (306) 787-4083 Email: jpetrie@health.gov.sk.ca |