Doctors NS president praises changes made by new health care recruitment office

Earlier this month, the province said two family doctors practicing Halifax will now stay in the province after working with the Office of Health Care Professionals Recruitment

HALIFAXtoday\ Chris Halef

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The president of Doctors Nova Scotia is happy to see a new health care recruitment office already seeing some success.

The Office of Health Care Professionals Recruitment was set up to attract and keep health care professionals, and to work on eliminating recruitment and retention barriers.

Earlier this month, the province said two family doctors practicing Halifax will now stay in the province after working with the office to address concerns.

In addition, two anesthetists and a psychiatrist signed job offers to practice in Cape Breton.

Dr. Heather Johnson, president of Doctors Nova Scotia, told NEWS 95.7’s The Todd Veinotte Show she’s pleased to see the office already taking action.

“We are hopeful that the office is going to help us make things simpler for doctors to move here, take down barriers, move contracts quickly and help Nova Scotians who want to return to work,” she said.

Johnson says the province has had challenges with health care recruitment in the past.

“People have often expressed frustration trying to move contracts through the administrative health system in Nova Scotia,” she said. “This office has a mandate to make that better for all of the health professionals trying to move to Nova Scotia.”

Johnson adds it needs to ensure it improves retention of these health care professionals.

“We need to help those people fit into the community that they live and the medical community,” she said. “So we’re looking at appointing a mentorship program that will help people integrate in the medical community that they live in.”

The stand-alone office, led by former deputy minister of Health and Wellness Dr. Kevin Orrell, reports directly to the Minister of Health and Wellness.