Health and Community Services
June 6, 2014
Building Health Resources a Benefit to Children, Families and Communities
New Signing Bonus Agreement to Help Attract Physicians to Rural Communities
A new $2.5 million signing bonus agreement has been reached between the Provincial Government and the Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association. The agreement will help regional health authorities recruit and retain physicians to rural and remote communities throughout the province.
“Ensuring that residents have regular access to physicians in all regions is a key priority for our government. This $2.5 million signing bonus agreement will help recruit and retain highly trained physicians to rural and remote communities in our province. I am very pleased that we were able to work collaboratively with our partner, the Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association, to reach a mutual agreement to address this important issue.”
- The Honourable Paul Davis, Minister of Health and Community Services
The new signing bonus program provides a one-time signing bonus to eligible general practitioners and specialists who establish a full-time practice for three years in specified communities in Newfoundland and Labrador. Signing bonuses will be available to physicians who have met the standard for a full licence and who choose to practice in local communities.
“We are extremely pleased that we are able to commit these resources today to help attract new doctors to our province and keep them here. Medical students and residents from Newfoundland and Labrador are in high demand across North America. This means we have to offer better incentives that we know will influence their decision to stay and practice in the province. Both the NLMA and the Provincial Government want them to stay right here and incentives like the Provincial Physician Signing Bonus Program will make that option more attractive. Having a stable supply of physicians ensures that the people of the province have access to care that is timely, safe and of the highest quality.”- Dr. Wendy Graham, Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association, President-Elect
Emphasis will be placed on recruiting physicians from Newfoundland and Labrador completing their post-graduate medical education (residency) in this province or in other Canadian programs, and physicians from other Canadian jurisdictions completing their post-graduate medical education (residency) at Memorial University.
“This program is good for Memorial University medical students and, more importantly, it’s good for the people of Newfoundland and Labrador. When medical school graduates enter the workforce, many of us have large debts and, naturally, we are concerned about paying off our student loans. Other jurisdictions have attractive incentives and their recruiters are very good at persuading new graduates to practice in their communities. We’re happy to see that this province is offering recruitment incentives like the new Physician Signing Bonus Program to entice Memorial Medical School graduates to stay here in Newfoundland and Labrador.”
- Elizabeth Faour, Memorial University Medical Students’ Society President
The Provincial Government has placed significant emphasis on recruiting and retaining physicians through bursaries, retention bonuses and contract negotiations which ensure that physicians are compensated at or above Atlantic parity. As a result of these efforts, Newfoundland and Labrador currently has 1,183 physicians, the highest number ever working in this province.
QUICK FACTS
- A $2.5 million signing bonus agreement has been reached between the Provincial Government and the Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association.
- The agreement will help recruit and retain physicians to rural and remote communities throughout the province.
- Signing bonuses will be available to general practitioners and specialists who establish a full-time practice for three years in specified communities in Newfoundland and Labrador.
- Emphasis will be placed on recruiting physicians from Newfoundland and Labrador, or physicians from other Canadian jurisdictions trained at Memorial University.
- Newfoundland and Labrador currently has 1,183 physicians, the highest number ever working in this province.
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Media contacts:
| Heather MacLean Director of Communications Department of Health and Community Services 709-729-1377, 697-4137 heathermaclean@gov.nl.ca | Jonathan Carpenter Director, Communications and Public Affairs Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association 709-726-7424 (ext 303), 691-0928 jcarpenter@nlma.nl.ca |
2014 06 06 2:00 p.m.