SASKATOON HEALTH REGION AWARDED EMPLOYEE RETENTION GRANTS

Saskatoon Health Region's health employees can look forward to improved workplaces, reduced burnout and more professional development opportunities, thanks to retention grants introduced by the provincial government this past January.

Health Minister Len Taylor today announced approximately $1 million in funding for 15 innovative projects -- recommended by health professionals -- that will benefit a wide range of workers throughout the province. This funding is part of the $6 million Health Workforce Employee Retention Program, which supports creative, grassroots initiatives designed to help keep health employees working in Saskatchewan's health care system.

"Keeping and attracting key health providers in urban, rural and northern communities continues to be a top priority of this government," Taylor said. "I am pleased with the enthusiastic response to this first round of our retention grants. The best retention innovations often come from health providers themselves - they know what will work best in their workplaces - and this program capitalizes on that valuable knowledge."

Some of Saskatoon's projects include funding the University of Saskatchewan to collaborate with health employers and graduating health students to enhance opportunities for retaining new graduates; funding an Aboriginal peer support employee retention initiative; and providing cell phones to all palliative home-care nurses working in the community to co-ordinate care to their clients. A detailed list of all projects is attached.

"Keeping our talented staff and graduates in Saskatchewan and developing a workforce representative of our diverse population is critical in creating a caring community," Saskatoon Health Region president and CEO Maura Davies said. "All our partners in health including front-line staff and managers worked together and developed new and creative ways to keep people working in our region and our province. Together, we continue to build a quality workplace and ensure we have the right people with the right skills to do the right work."

In addition, funding goes to SIAST for an inter-professional mentorship project at Kelsey and Wascana campuses. Projects can be initiated by health employees and other providers, employers, and provincial health sector organizations. Details on the program are posted on the Saskatchewan Health website at www.health.gov.sk.ca.

Funding for the retention program flows from the $25 million retention and recruitment plan announced in September 2006. The program has been designed and recommended by committees that were established to provide advice on how the retention and recruitment plan money should be directed, working within the framework of the nationally recognized strategy, the Health Workforce Action Plan.

They build on other new programs aimed at recruiting valuable health providers, including the creation of a provincial recruitment agency - HealthCareersinSask.ca - the Saskatchewan Relocation Program and the Saskatchewan Rural, Northern and Hard-to-Recruit Program. Since these grant programs were introduced in October 2006, more than 180 health care workers have received recruitment grants and will be providing care to Saskatchewan residents.

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For more information, contact:

Joan Petrie
Health
Regina
Phone: 306-787-4083
Email: jpetrie@health.gov.sk.ca

Michele Bossaer
Saskatoon Health Region
Saskatoon
Phone: 306-655-3328