Officials at Sun Country Health Region (SCHR) are applauding the new recruitment initiatives announced by the Saskatchewan government Oct. 20.

“This plan definitely will help to draw people to both Sun Country Health Region and this province, says Marga Cugnet, Vice President of Primary and Integrated Care for the Region.

“All of North America is suffering from the health care worker shortage so we need to do something to compete for them,” she said.

“We need to fill our vacancies both because we have these vacancies and to help retain the health care workers we already have,” says Marga.

“We are placing heavy demands on our rural nurses to cover overtime so we can keep our facilities operating. If we can hire the staff required to fill the vacant positions, the workplace will be greatly improved,” she says.

Health Minister Len Taylor unveiled a four-part plan on Friday that includes a new provincial recruitment agency; a relocation program; a special plan for rural, northern and hard-to-recruit professionals; and an expansion of clinical placement capacity.

The four provincial initiatives are part of the province’s $25 million plan announced in early September to retain and recruit health care professionals over the next three years. The government created two committees to find new ways to recruit 600 new health employees, including 400 nurses, over the next two years.