Supporting Community-Led Healthcare Recruitment, Retention on Eastern Shore

Three community groups on the Eastern Shore are launching new projects to recognize their healthcare workers and attract more, supported by funding from the Office of Healthcare Professionals Recruitment’s Community Fund.

“Community volunteers and leaders play a key role in attracting and retaining healthcare workers to this part of the province,” said Kent Smith, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture and MLA for Eastern Shore, on behalf of Michelle Thompson, Minister responsible for the Office of Healthcare Professionals Recruitment. “These are three great examples of community-led projects that help present and promote our communities in ways that showcase the genuine experience of living and working here.”

The organizations, their projects and funding amounts are:

• Old School Community Gathering Place – $73,433 to produce a 10-minute promotional video showcasing village life and resident interviews describing their experiences working and raising families in rural Nova Scotia.

• Musquodoboit Valley Health Foundation – $53,600 to deliver the Grow From Within program, which encourages residents to consider jobs at the local hospital or long-term care facility; the funding will support a new website and social media campaign, appreciation events for staff, and help to create a new facilitator position to coordinate events and execute a strategic plan.

• Sheet Harbour Chamber of Commerce & Civic Affairs – $52,860 to create a new website and social media campaign, provide welcome baskets and organize networking events for newcomers, and deliver a school-based program to encourage young people to consider careers in healthcare.

In total, 30 organizations across the province will receive support through the OHPR Community Fund this year. More details will be announced in the coming weeks.

The fund, established in 2022, is an action item in Action for Health, the government’s plan to improve healthcare. It supports community healthcare recruitment and retention initiatives organized by local non-profit organizations, charitable community groups, cultural organizations, member-based organizations and boards, municipalities and chambers of commerce.

Quotes:

“We understand the important role communities play in welcoming newcomers to our province and engaging healthcare professionals. This funding will help us come together with our partners and bring these ideas to life, making Sheet Harbour a better place for healthcare workers to live, work and stay – and making some new friends along the way.”
— Janice Christie, President, Sheet Harbour Chamber of Commerce & Civic Affairs

“We can reach the world through video and the internet, so producing a new video for Musquodoboit Harbour is a great investment. That’s the way we’ll attract and reach healthcare workers unfamiliar with Nova Scotia or this village. Our hospital, like so many in the province, offers a community-based approach to care and we are very excited to get working on this important project.”
— Karen Bradley, Chair, Board of Directors, Old School Community Gathering Place

Quick Facts:

• the OHPR Community Fund supported 28 community-led recruitment and retention initiatives in 2022-23, investing more than $1.5 million into a range of projects, including healthcare worker recognition events, online support tools, marketing videos and even a community garden

Additional Resources:

OHPR Community Fund news releases: https://news.novascotia.ca/search/all?field_topics=287

Fund guidelines and details are available at: https://novascotia.ca/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