MAMAWETAN CHURCHILL RIVER HEALTH REGION AWARDED RETENTION GRANT

Health employees in northern Saskatchewan can look forward to improved workplaces, thanks to a project funded by workforce retention grants offered by the provincial government.

A grant has been awarded to Mamawetan Churchill River Health Region to hire an organizational development consultant to assist the region in developing strategies for enhancing employee engagement and collaboration. Project funding is $75,000.

Health Minister Don McMorris is announcing today approximately $1.9 million in funding for 37 innovative projects - recommended by health professionals - that will benefit a wide range of workers through out the province. This funding is part of the Health Workforce Employee Retention Program, which supports creative, grassroots initiatives designed to help keep health employees working in Saskatchewan's health care system.

"I realize that health care providers in northern Saskatchewan face additional pressures living in more remote areas and I am encouraged to see our government funding creative retention projects that come from the region themselves," First Nations and Métis Relations Minister June Draude said. "We depend on these employees to deliver health care that is crucial to the overall well-being of our northern residents."

"We are pleased that this grant will enable us to hire a consultant to work with us in some team building initiatives," Mamawetan Churchill River Health Region CEO Kathy Chisholm said. "Our employees are spread over a wide geographical area, and this project will strengthen the way we work together to provide quality care for our clients."

Projects were initiated by health employees and other providers, employers and provincial health sector organizations. Details on the workforce retention program are posted on the Saskatchewan Ministry of Health website at www.health.gov.sk.ca. This completes the $25 million funding for the retention and recruitment plan previously announced.

The government has identified retention and recruitment of health care workers as a priority. The Saskatchewan Union of Nurses (SUN) and the government of Saskatchewan signed a partnership agreement in 2008 committing to work together to solve Saskatchewan's shortage of registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses. Under the SUN/Government Partnership Agreement, any retention initiatives specific to nursing can be forwarded to the Joint SUN/Health Region Recruitment and Retention Committee for consideration. The government has committed $60 million to support this work.

The Mamawetan Churchill River Health Region serves a population of over 22,000 spread over a large northern geographical region and has facilities in La Ronge, Creighton, Pinehouse, Sandy Bay and Weyakwin.

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For more information, contact:

Karen Hill
Health
Regina
Phone: 306-787-4083

Linda Mikolayenko
Mamawetan Churchill River Health Region
La Ronge
Phone: 306-425-4812