(Dreamstime)

By rdnewsNOW staff

$1 million

Province announces investment to address rural physician shortages

Jan 26, 2023 | 3:06 PM

To help bring more physicians to rural Alberta, Alberta’s government says it is working to offer physician training in Lethbridge and Grande Prairie.

Government officials say Alberta has the best front-line health-care workers in the world, and Alberta’s government is working to ensure that Albertans have access to the care they need, when and where they need it. The government says rural Albertans are disproportionately affected by the nation-wide shortage of healthcare workers and their community members cannot access physician training close to home.

Alberta’s government says it is investing $1 million to explore ways that regional post-secondary institutions, such as the University of Lethbridge and Northwestern Polytechnic, can help deliver medical education outside of Edmonton and Calgary. The government says research shows that positive learning experiences in rural health-care settings lead to more physicians choosing to pursue careers in rural areas.

“Over the past year, we’ve made strategic investments to address health care labour shortages, including through the largest expansion of post-secondary seats in Alberta’s history. Partnering with Alberta’s two medical schools and institutions in northern and southern Alberta to train doctors locally is the best path to ensuring we meet rural needs,” says Demetrios Nicolaides, Minister of Advanced Education.

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Provincial officials say the funds will be used by the University of Alberta, University of Calgary, University of Lethbridge and Northwestern Polytechnic to support collaborative planning. This is said to include detailed plans to support regional health professions training centres in Lethbridge and Grande Prairie.

“Expanding medical training in rural areas creates new opportunities for students who want to remain in their communities while making other students familiar with regions of the province and types of work they may not have considered before. Expanding training opportunities is just one way we’re addressing the shortage of rural doctors to ensure Albertans get the care they need when and where they need it,” adds Jason Copping, Minister of Health.

The government says plans for rural training opportunities include hands-on learning experiences in rural communities surrounding regional hubs. These opportunities are hoped to support the recruitment of physicians to teach and train medical students and residents, while increasing access to physician services.

Previously in Budget 2022, officials note Alberta’s government announced the targeted enrolment expansion initiative which invested more than $171 million into Alberta’s post-secondary system to create nearly 10,000 new seats over three years in high-demand programs. More than 2,400 of those new seats were in nursing, health care aide and paramedic programs, say government officials.

Alberta’s government says it has also signed a new agreement with the Alberta Medical Association. This is said to include $15 million annually to support physician recruitment and retention for physicians who practise full-time in underserved areas. Plus, an additional $12 million annually for the Rural Remote Northern Program, and a one-time investment of $2 million to increase funding for the existing RESIDE program that provides incentives for family physicians to practise in Alberta’s underserved rural and remote communities.

Alberta government quick facts

• There are two medical schools in Alberta, located at the University of Alberta and the University of Calgary.
• The Ministries of Health and Advanced Education are jointly responsible for the education of physicians in Alberta. Advanced Education is responsible for undergraduate medical education. Health is responsible for postgraduate medical education or residency training, including international medical graduates, rural medical programs, resident physician compensation, and the Academic Medicine and Health Services Program.

David Shepherd, NDP Critic for Health, made the following statement in response to Jason Copping and Demetrios Nicolaides’ remarks today:

“One million dollars and a news release will not build two regional training hubs. At best, graduates from these potential programs are many years away. We have a severe staffing crisis in Alberta right now.

“Healthcare workers born and raised in Alberta are leaving to practice in other places to escape the hostility of this UCP government. Tyler Shandro is currently sitting in a disciplinary hearing related to his unacceptable conduct toward doctors. Trained professionals around the world will hear the dangerous anti-science rhetoric of Danielle Smith, and they will look elsewhere to build their careers.

“An Alberta NDP government will end the UCP chaos in healthcare. We will launch the largest healthcare recruitment campaign Alberta has ever seen, and we will make sure Alberta families have access to the care they need, when they need it, close to home.”