**** HEALTH /WELLNESS Media Release
More Funding to Support Healthcare Recruitment and Retention
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Community groups and municipalities can now apply for up to $100,000 for projects to help recruit and retain healthcare professionals in Nova Scotia.
“We know that healthcare recruitment is most successful when people who live and work in the community are involved,” said Health and Wellness Minister Michelle Thompson, Minister responsible for the Office of Healthcare Professionals Recruitment. “We listened to community organizations and developed a program that has enough flexibility to meet the unique needs of the groups that are doing this work.”
The Office of Healthcare Professionals Recruitment (OHPR) Community Fund is managed by the office and has an annual budget of $2 million.
Projects could include hosting community retention events, developing marketing materials and undertaking initiatives to make a community more welcoming to healthcare workers.
Applications for funding must be received by December 19. Community fund guidelines and the application form can be found at: https://novascotia.ca/ohpr-community-fund
The OHPR Community Fund will support local recruitment efforts, an action item in Action for Health, the government’s strategic plan to improve healthcare in Nova Scotia.
Quotes:
“As a community, we are very excited to have this financial support from the Province. It lets us continue to be focused on the community level work of recruitment and retention. Rural communities throughout our province are at many different stages in this process, and this new funding stream recognizes this and offers supports at whatever level a community is at. The many facets of healthcare delivery in our province, which are tied to attraction, recruitment and retention, will benefit from action on many sides.”
– Rebecca Cassidy, community navigator, Yarmouth and Area Chamber of Commerce
“We know that community participation is what makes our recruitment and settlement experience stand apart for candidates coming to Nova Scotia. This fund will help communities access support to work in collaboration with our recruitment teams and add value to the experience for all healthcare workers and their families to help them receive warmth, hospitality and community from Day 1. These are the things that make Nova Scotia More than Medicine+.”
– Dr. Nicole Boutilier, Vice-President of Medicine, Nova Scotia Health
Quick Facts:
— eligible organizations must be a registered society, association, non-profit or charity, or a municipality or chamber of commerce
— two funding streams are available: community identified projects and community readiness supports; groups may request funding from either or both
Additional Resources:
Minister’s mandate letter: https://novascotia.ca/exec_council/letters-2021/ministerial-mandate-letter-2021-DHW.pdf
Action for Health, the government’s strategic plan to improve healthcare in Nova Scotia: https://novascotia.ca/actionforhealth/
More Than Medicine+ is Nova Scotia’s healthcare professionals recruitment campaign: https://recruitment.nshealth.ca/
