Released on April 25, 1997
Health Minister Eric Cline and Saskatchewan Medical Association (SMA)President Dr. Allan Miller today announced two new programs to support
physician services in rural communities. Rural Practice Establishment
Grants of $25,000 will be available to encourage physicians to practice
in rural areas and a Rural Physician Enhancement Training program will
support enhanced training for physicians who practice in rural areas.
Both programs will be funded from the Rural and Remote Incentives Fund
established under the 1995 agreement between the government and the
SMA. The 1997/98 budget provides $1.64 million for this fund.
"This new grant program will assist in the recruitment and retention of
physicians and help to make Saskatchewan more competitive with other
jurisdictions," Cline said. "In particular, it is our hope that this
incentive will encourage more of Saskatchewan's family medicine
graduates to consider rural practice in our province.
"The training program will lead to better health services for rural
residents by enhancing the skills of current and future rural
practitioners."
The programs were developed jointly by the SMA Rural Practice Committee
and the government. "We are hopeful that these programs will encourage
retention of our valued rural colleagues as well as assist in
recruitment of the additional physicians who are urgently needed in
some rural Saskatchewan communities," said SMA President Dr. Allan
Miller.
The Rural Practice Establishment Grants will be available to new family
physicians who take up practice in rural Saskatchewan between April 25
and December 31, 1997. The program applies to physicians who join a
practice with one or more other physicians in communities with
populations under 10,000. Applications will be received until June 30,
1997.
The Rural Physician Enhancement Training program will provide income
for one year while physicians undertake an additional year of training
in obstetrics, anaesthesia, general surgery, psychiatry, emergency
medicine or geriatrics. Funding will be available to support two
physicians currently practicing in rural Saskatchewan and two
second-year family medicine residents. Recipients must make a
commitment to provide service in a rural Saskatchewan community,
generally for two years.
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For more information contact:
Warren Bickford Donna Hjertaas
Saskatchewan Health Saskatchewan Medical Association
Regina Saskatoon
Phone: (306) 787-8433 Phone: (306) 244-2196