New Community-Based Projects for Yarmouth-Area Healthcare Workers
Yarmouth Mayor Pam Mood presents Dr. Roland Muise with the Healthcare Hero Award, a retention initiative, at the 2nd Annual Physician’s Appreciation Reception in February. (Contributed)
Cultural exchange and appreciation events, new promotional tools, and bike sharing are a few of the community-led projects planned to welcome and attract new healthcare workers to Yarmouth.
The Yarmouth Region Medical Professional Recruitment Partnership will receive $79,500 to deliver these activities and more. Funding is being provided by the Office of Healthcare Professionals Recruitment (OHPR) Community Fund.
“Yarmouth is focused on attracting new healthcare workers and making them and their families feel comfortably settled and welcomed in southwest Nova Scotia,” said Colton LeBlanc, Minister of Service Nova Scotia and MLA for Argyle, on behalf of Michelle Thompson, Minister responsible for the Office of Healthcare Professionals Recruitment. “This funding ensures that our region can use their creative ways to make new healthcare recruits feel included in community life.”
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:
“Yarmouth is welcoming people from all over the world coming here to work and raise their families. Projects like this enable us to ensure that they feel a sense of belonging and connection to our community that they’ve chosen to call home.”
— Connor Adams, Chair, Yarmouth Area Chamber of Commerce
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