Released on June 3, 1998
Health Minister Clay Serby and Saskatchewan Medical Association (SMA)President Dr. Daniel Kirchgesner today announced two new programs to
encourage Saskatchewan trained physicians to practice medicine in
rural Saskatchewan.
The Rural Practice Establishment Grants of $18,000 will be available
to Canadian graduates, with a focus on those from Saskatchewan, who
take up practice in rural Saskatchewan. The Program applies to
physicians who join a practice that can support two or more physicians
in communities with populations under 10,000. Foreign-trained
physicians who establish new practices and who are fully licensed to
practice in Saskatchewan may also be eligible.
The Medical Resident Bursary Program will provide support at a level
of $18,000 per year for up to three years and will be available to
physicians during their residency training years in Saskatchewan.
Residents must make a commitment to provide service in a rural
Saskatchewan community for one year for each year of assistance.
"This Medical Resident Bursary Program will assist in the
recruitment and retention of locally trained physicians," Serby
said. "As well, the Rural Establishment Grants will provide
additional support to assist with the start-up costs of a new
practice. These programs complement the various other
initiatives we have put in place and demonstrate our government's
commitment to the issues of physician training, recruitment and
retention."
Both programs will be funded from the Rural and Remote Incentives
Fund established under the 1998 agreement between the provincial
government and the SMA. The 1998/99 budget provides
$1.64 million for this fund. The programs were developed jointly
by the SMA Rural Practice Committee and Saskatchewan Health.
"We now have a number of recruitment and retention initiatives
supported by this fund and we are hopeful that these programs
will encourage our medical students and graduating physicians to
take up practice in rural Saskatchewan," Kirchgesner said.
Saskatchewan Health and its partners have been very active in
developing new programs and incentives designed to recruit more
physicans to Saskatchewan. These new programs will complement
existing initiatives including:
the SAHO Physician Recruitment Co-ordinator position that
was established last February will build stronger links
between health districts and recent graduates of the College
of Medicine and will assist in the recruitment process;
the Undergraduate Medical Student Bursary Program provides
bursary assistance to medical students willing to make a
return in service commitment to rural Saskatchewan.
The province has also focused on making practising in rural areas
more attractive. Saskatchewan Health recently announced a new
agreement with the Saskatchewan Medical Association that provides
pay increases for all physicians and
established a $5.5 million Emergency Coverage Program for
rural areas.
This program will complement existing programs, including:
the Weekend Relief Program which provides funding for
replacement physician services on weekends to help improve
the quality of life of rural physicians, and
an expanded locum relief program which helps ensure adequate
short term physician coverage.
Serby said the province continues to develop a comprehensive
strategy aimed at recruiting Saskatchewan trained medical
graduates and retaining the existing complement of physicians.
This is part of the province's continuing commitment to stabilize
and provide quality medical services to residents.
-30-
For more information contact:
Jeff Brown
Saskatchewan Health
Regina
Phone: (306) 787-4088
Donna Hjertaas
Saskatchewan Medical Association
Saskatoon
Phone: (306) 244-2196