By paNOW

Health Region staff levels stable

Sep 22, 2017 | 6:00 PM

Doctor numbers are holding steady for the Prince Albert Parkland Health Region (PAPHR).

Doug Dahl from the health region admitted there were problems keeping a steady level of employees in the past but for now things are looking good.

“Right now, we know we’re stable but we also know we do need to work to retain the physicians we have,” Dahl said. “When you have a relatively small number, losing a couple of people can make it destabilize things very quickly.”

Physicians are being recruited from a variety of sources according to Dahl. He said the situation has improved over the last few years for a couple of reasons.

He said a good mix of students graduating from school and international physicians are being distributed around the health region.

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Those with experience before coming to Canada participate in a Saskatchewan International Physician Practice Assessment program, which Dahl said has “opened up” the number of countries Canada can recruit from.

“We also have more Canadian trained physicians who are looking for opportunities in rural communities,” Dahl said. “Some of that we think is very much a product of medical training that sends students out to rural areas.”

Dahl said more physicians venturing into rural areas are realizing the possibilities offered in smaller communities.

The PAPHR also works with physicians to ensure they have an adequate work and life balance with manageable on-call shifts. Dahl said the health region also works with communities to ensure physicians feel welcome in their new environments.

“There’s organizations and support groups in those communities who do a lot of things to help physicians settle in the community,” Dahl said. “Sometimes there’s incentives to help recruit them and keep them a little while.”

Dahl said both the province and the health region offer different kinds of incentives to keep physicians around longer like cash incentives, which are offered depending on how long they plan to stay in their posting. Communities can also offer physicians housing-based incentives to entice them to come to their town.

Bryan.Eneas@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @BryanEneas