More Funding for Healthcare Recruitment in Colchester County

A new marketing campaign that showcases Truro and the surrounding area to doctors looking for a new place to practise will be launched soon.

The Province is providing funding for the campaign by the Truro and Colchester Partnership for Economic Prosperity. The partnership will also use provincial funding to offer community tours, prepare welcome packages, attend recruitment events and help new doctors with site visits, housing, employment for their partners and social events for families.

“The Truro-Colchester region is the most central location in the province. We have a vibrant and active community with all the amenities that a family can ask for. We have so much to offer healthcare workers. This funding will help the community make that case to doctors who are considering a move,” said Dave Ritcey, MLA for Truro-Bible Hill-Millbrook-Salmon River, on behalf of Michelle Thompson, Minister responsible for the Office of Healthcare Professionals Recruitment. “We’ll be able to support our strong local team in building on the great work they are doing to ensure people in our area have access to the healthcare they need.”

The funding is from the government’s new Office of Healthcare Professionals Recruitment Community Fund. A total of 28 groups across Nova Scotia applied by the December 19 deadline, and more successful applicants will be notified in the coming weeks.

The fund, worth $2 million in total, is among the recruitment and retention initiatives outlined in Action for Health, the Province’s plan to improve healthcare.

Quotes:

“We are extremely grateful to the Office of Healthcare Professionals Recruitment for this crucial funding. These funds will dramatically increase our ability to attract doctors to the Truro-Colchester region, and to retain them. They will be used to develop local events and community building activities to make our doctors feel welcome, valued, and part of a great community. We also plan innovative new marketing activities to promote the benefits and assets of our community, and our amazing way of life, to doctors around the world.”

– J. David Phillips, CEO, Truro and Colchester Partnership for Economic Prosperity

Quick Facts:

• the Truro and Colchester Partnership for Economic Prosperity will receive $50,000
• organizations across the province could apply for up to $100,000 from the Office of Healthcare Professionals Recruitment Community Fund
• to be eligible, community organizations had to be a registered society, association, non-profit or charity; municipalities and chambers of commerce were also eligible
• two funding streams were available: community identified projects and community readiness supports; groups could request funding from one or both

Additional Resources:

Office of Healthcare Professionals Recruitment Community Fund: https://beta.novascotia.ca/apply-funding-recruit-and-retain-healthcare-professionals-ohpr-community-fund

Action for Health: https://novascotia.ca/actionforhealth/

Mandate letter of the Minister of Health and Wellness and Minister responsible for the Office of Healthcare Professionals Recruitment: https://novascotia.ca/exec_council/letters-2021/ministerial-mandate-letter-2021-DHW.pdf