New Physician Recruitment Web Site Launched

A new Web site is now available to facilitate physician recruitment in the province. The Web site provides a listing of job opportunities across the province, and speaks to the benefits of living and working as a physician in Newfoundland and Labrador.

�We are committed to improving the recruitment and retention of physicians in Newfoundland and Labrador and we have invested $6 million this year to sustain current recruitment initiatives,� said the Honourable Tom Osborne, Minister of Health and Community Services. �The new physician recruitment Web site will help us to gain a competitive edge in the recruitment of physicians to our province by providing accessible, current and comprehensive information to potential candidates, nationally and internationally.�

The Web site, www.nlphysicianjobs.ca, contains a current inventory of job opportunities as well as a mechanism for physicians to apply on-line. Job opportunities range from locum positions to permanent general practitioner and specialist positions, with the range of opportunities in the four Regional Health Authorities and in private practice. The Web site also provides a summary of how the provincial health care system operates and promotes the province�s culture and lifestyle benefits. Additionally, physicians interested in learning more about practising in the province can submit their contact information and be connected with a physician colleague in Newfoundland and Labrador.

The Web site, operated by the Provincial Office of Recruitment, was funded by a grant from Health Canada in the amount of $41,900. This grant also includes funding for the development of a guidelines document to standardize best practices in recruitment in the four Regional Health Authorities.

�We currently have 980 physicians in active practice in the province - a seven per cent increase since March 2003,� said Minister Osborne. �This demonstrates that our recruitment strategies, and those of the Regional Health Authorities, are working. However, we recognize that to improve physician recruitment and retention significantly and to remain competitive, we must ensure that our strategies are progressive and sustainable over the long term.�

In addition to the Web site, government invests $6 million annually in several established recruitment and retention strategies including $150,000 for the Office of Provincial Recruitment; $4.6 million for retention bonuses for salaried physicians; $935,100 for an annual bursary program with return in service agreements; $300,000 for travelling fellowships for specialties not offered in the province; an enhanced clinical skills, assessment and training program for International Medical Graduates (IMGs); and the introduction of a five-year project to standardize the assessment, preceptorship, orientation and hospitality offered to IMGs, in conjunction with the federal government.

Minister Osborne added: �Through investments in information communication technology, our government is improving access to health care services in all areas of the province. At the same time, we are earning a reputation as a leader in health care innovation which will no doubt make our province an attractive one in which to practice medicine.�

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Media contact:
Tansy Mundon
Director of Communications
Department of Health and Community Services
709-729-1377, 685-1741
tansymundon@gov.nl.ca