Funding to Help Attract More Healthcare Workers to Cumberland County
Thank you baskets filled with treats and coloured cards from Cumberland County school children were presented to staff during Nurses Week last year as part of an appreciation program. (Contributed)
New healthcare workers settling in Amherst and other parts of Cumberland County will be supported with site-visit programs, social events and workshops led by the Town of Amherst and the Municipality of Cumberland.
With funding from the Office of Healthcare Professionals Recruitment (OHPR) Community Fund, the municipalities are preparing to welcome and engage newcomers to help build their sense of belonging and connection with the area.
“Our communities know best how to welcome and engage new healthcare recruits,” said Tory Rushton, Minister of Natural Resources and Renewables and MLA for Cumberland South, on behalf of Michelle Thompson, Minister responsible for the Office of Healthcare Professionals Recruitment. “This community fund puts the local people in control with the tools to make change and settle healthcare workers effectively.”
The projects and funding amounts are:
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Town of Amherst – $81,250 to host monthly newcomer supper events, holiday socials and a home-for-the-holidays event for local students in healthcare fields who are back home for Christmas. Free babysitting courses for both newcomers’ families and local residents and multicultural events are also planned. As well, inclusion and diversity training will be offered to local not-for-profit groups.
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Municipality of Cumberland – $69,900 to deliver programs under a community-led project called A Welcoming Community for Health Care Professionals in Cumberland County. Under this initiative, healthcare workers will be introduced to the area with site visits that include dinner and introductions to other healthcare staff and local residents. The municipality is also planning recognition events and celebrations for existing healthcare staff, diversity training and socials for networking and showing the area’s positive lifestyle.
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:
“As a community, we’re pulling together to brainstorm ways to attract new healthcare workers and make them feel a sense of belonging with our community, as we all do. We look forward to hosting and sharing with others and celebrating the great things about living here.”
— Dr. David Kogon, Mayor, Town of Amherst
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 for 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