Initiatives in Digby to Support and Attract Healthcare Workers

A community survey, holiday socials and transportation assistance are a few of the outreach projects designed to attract and retain healthcare workers in the Digby area.

The Digby and Area Health Service Charitable Foundation will receive $16,600 from the Office of Healthcare Professionals Recruitment (OHPR) Community Fund to help newcomers transition to the area and show appreciation for existing healthcare teams.

“Everything that we can do to help make Digby an attractive and comfortable choice for healthcare workers and their families helps us all,” said Jill Balser, Minister of Labour, Skills and Immigration and MLA for Digby-Annapolis, on behalf of Michelle Thompson, Minister responsible for the Office of Healthcare Professionals Recruitment.

In total, 30 organizations from 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:

“Through a lot of hard work, our community members have taken on the exciting role of attracting, welcoming, engaging with and supporting our healthcare professionals and their families. And with the assistance of the Office of Healthcare Professionals Recruitment, our community navigator strives to make the Digby area an attractive place to pursue a career in healthcare and a home that offers social interaction and seeks feedback from our established and new professionals on how to make Digby an even better place to live.”
— Dan (Butch) Reitzel, Chair, Digby and Area Health Service Charitable Foundation

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