(file photo/CJME News Staff)

By CJME News Staff

$60M from province

Sask. government launches plan to expand health-care workforce

Sep 7, 2022 | 11:08 AM

The Saskatchewan government has launched a plan it hopes will add more than 1,000 employees to its health-care system.

The plan, dubbed the Health Human Resources Action Plan, was included in the 2022-23 budget. The government said the investment will total more than $60 million over the next several years.

“Bolstering our health-care workforce through competitive recruitment efforts is a top priority for our government, and we are expanding on our four-point plan to recruit, train, incentivize and retain health-care providers to stabilize and steadily grow the provincial workforce,” Minister of Health Paul Merriman said in a media release.

“We will be actively marketing Saskatchewan both within and beyond our provincial borders to ensure people here at home, across Canada and globally know Saskatchewan is a great place to find health-care opportunities, build your career and enjoy a high quality of life.”

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The government release said hundreds of workers will be recruited over two years from abroad. To that end, a recruitment mission to the Philippines is set for the fall to promote opportunities in Saskatchewan and a Memorandum of Understanding is being negotiated with the Government of the Philippines.

As well, four “health system navigators” will start work this fall to help internationally educated health-care workers move into the system.

A call is going out to unlicensed internationally educated health-care professionals (IEHPs) and others with experience in the field who are living in the province or in Canada who may be eligible for training or employment to join the workforce in Saskatchewan.

Training

Saskatchewan has introduced an accelerated training, assessment and licensure pathway for internationally educated nurses — the first such program in Canada. It includes support for recruits from other countries to move to the province and start work here.

The first group from the Philippines is to start online training this fall.

The government noted it’s also possible that post-secondary partners will offer programs to help the campaign, including adding training seats and the potential of creating new professions such as physician assistants.

Already, 150 nursing seats have been added in Saskatchewan’s registered nursing, registered psychiatric nursing, and nurse practitioner education programs.

Incentives

A new program will offer incentives of up to $50,000 over three years for a return-of-service agreement for hard-to-recruit positions, mainly in rural and remote areas.

The government has other financial incentives available, including loan forgiveness programs, bursaries and supports to those interested in working in health care in the province.

Retaining workers

The government said 100 new permanent full-time positions will be created and 150 part-time positions will be converted to full-time permanent positions for high-demand jobs in rural and remote areas.

As well, new mentorship programming will be created and the Saskatchewan Health Authority will work with partners to create a First Nations and Métis recruitment and retention strategy.

“Our government is delivering solutions that will simplify processes, remove obstacles, and cut red tape so qualified people can work in Saskatchewan as quickly as possible,” Merriman said in the release.

“By identifying and assisting with licensing for internationally educated residents living in Saskatchewan, along with welcoming and supporting hundreds of health-care recruits over the next two years, and improving awareness of opportunities in the province, we will achieve success.”

Information on all of the initiatives is available here.

A new Saskatchewan Healthcare Recruitment Agency has been created to co-ordinate the recruitment and retention efforts of physicians, nurses and other health professionals.