Supporting Community Efforts to Recruit and Retain Doctors in Guysborough, Canso and Port Hawkesbury

No one knows communities better than the people who live and work in them. That is why government is supporting community-led projects in Guysborough, Canso and Port Hawkesbury to help recruit and retain doctors.

“Nova Scotia has so much to offer doctors and their families in communities throughout the province,” said Lloyd Hines, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal on behalf of Communities, Culture and Heritage Minister Leo Glavine.

"Government is pleased to support three projects, led by the Town of Port Hawkesbury, Eastern Memorial Hospital Foundation in Canso and Guysborough Memorial Hospital Foundation, that help make our communities more welcoming for doctors and their families.”

Government has provided $10,000 to the Town of Port Hawkesbury to support a new program that aims to connect community volunteers with new physicians.

Eastern Memorial Hospital Foundation has also received $10,000 to support the creation of a new team, which will develop a welcome and promotion plan for the community. The group will consult and support new physicians and build an online portal for newcomers to find cultural events and activities in the area.

Guysborough Memorial Hospital Foundation has also received a $9,400 grant to help form a Welcome Home committee, which will develop a web-based video guide to the community designed to introduce new doctors and their families to the community.

Quotes:

“This funding will empower our community with the tools we need to demonstrate the quality of life we offer in Port Hawkesbury. This is a significant investment to ensure we can engage with our health-care professionals in meaningful ways, so they feel welcome in our community.”

– Brenda Chisholm-Beaton, mayor, Town of Port Hawkesbury

“Recruitment and retention of physicians in rural and remote Nova Scotia is vital to our health-care system, enabling our communities to access health care where they live, work and play. This new project will help support the recruitment and retention of health- care professionals by highlighting everything our community has to offer and tailoring that offering to physicians and their families.”

– John Bent, chair, Eastern Memorial Hospital Foundation

“The Guysborough Memorial Hospital Foundation is pleased to have received funding from government that will allow us to support the recruitment and retention of physicians to our community.”

– Bill Innis, chair, Guysborough Memorial Hospital Foundation

Quick Facts:

• municipalities, museums, libraries, social enterprises, First Nations, communities and community groups and cultural organizations that are registered Nova Scotia not-for-profits may apply
• funding is available through the program to a maximum of $25,000
• $200,000 is available each year in the Healthy Communities Stream
• the next round of applications for the program opens April 1
• in February, government announced a $25,000 grant to the Municipality of the District of Chester to build a Love Where You Work campaign tailored to doctors and their families

Additional Resources:

For more information, visit: https://novascotia.ca/culture-innovation-fund-healthy-communities/

Nova Scotia’s Culture Action Plan: https://novascotia.ca/culture