CANORA STUDENT GETS HEALTH BURSARY

Released on January 17, 2002

Jason Jarotski of Canora is one of the recipients of a major health

bursary, Health Minister John Nilson announced today as he outlined the

province's commitment to keep and attract health professionals.



In early December the government announced a comprehensive health plan.

Included in the plan was a detailed strategy to retain and recruit health

professionals to the province. The plan includes initiatives to:



train more health care providers;

develop a representative workforce;

target bursaries to fill vacancies;

expand continuing education and development;

improve job satisfaction; and

implement province-wide health human resources planning.



Further components of the plan announced today include congratulatory print

ads for bursary recipients, out-of-province recruitment ads, Internet

banner ads and direct advertising to secondary educational institutions.

"Retaining and recruiting health care professionals are top priorities of

this government," Nilson told health professionals and health bursary

recipients while speaking in Saskatoon. "Currently, the department devotes

about $1.9 million a year to bursaries for physicians, nursing retraining,

and those professionals in difficult-to-recruit professions such as

physiotherapy, speech language pathology and audiology."



"To support the health plan, our government will commit additional money to

offer more return-service bursaries for hard-to-fill professions."



Students who want to enter difficult-to-recruit health professions will get

help with their tuition costs in exchange for a commitment to work in

Saskatchewan. Currently, the Saskatchewan Health Bursary's return service

commitment is targeted for rural locations. Students who accept a bursary

will agree to work in locations other than Regina and Saskatoon. However,

specializing physicians can potentially work in these two cities.



Bursaries of $7,000 per year are provided throughout the student's

education program, with a one-year service commitment for each year the

bursary is awarded. Likewise, nurses who want to re-enter their profession

will get help with their tuition costs in exchange for a commitment to work

in Saskatchewan. Various bursaries are also available to physicians.



As part of the government's $1.9 million bursary commitment, the Interim

Specialist Residency Bursary, new this year, is available for students

studying a medical specialty. A committee comprised of provincial

representatives and the Saskatchewan Medical Association has awarded 31

bursaries totalling some $558,000.



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For more information, contact:



Myrna Stark Leader

Health

Regina

Phone: (306) 787-4083