The physician recruitment efforts in Estevan are beginning to pay off, sort of, it was learned during the Nov. 23 meeting of the Sun Country Health Region's board of directors in Weyburn.
Nine new physicians are identified as possible candidates to open a practice in the the Energy City, but they first have to complete requirements of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan as well as meet the credential requirements from the federal immigration department, said Dr. Alain Lenferna, vice-president of medical for the region.
In response to a question from Estevan area director Lori Carr, Lenferna said the physicians who are seeking to set up office in Saskatchewan first have to make an application with the college and that post-graduate work from seven approved countries plus an original evaluation makes them viable primary candidates. He said the intake for new physicians coming to Saskatchewan is conducted just three different times each year with the first one in 2012 being in January.
"Each applicant has to have their paperwork done, including the immigration papers, so a lot has to go into the process and often immigration has delayed the applications so if they don't get that done by the January deadline, then they have to fall back into the May slot," said Lenferna.
After the recruited doctor arrives, having passed the original scrutiny by both the College of Physicians and Surgeons and immigration officials, they begin a 12-week assessment period, which includes a first-round assessment that takes up two weeks, followed by 10 weeks of clinical adjudication followed by the written examinations.
"Last September we had one candidate who didn't pass the two-week assessment so he ended up going back," said Lenferna, referring to the doctor's original country of origin.
If all the obligations can be met and processed in a perfect stream, the newly recruited physicians could be in the region and setting up a practice in Estevan by April 2012, he said.
The region has just recently hired five new graduate nurses and one licensed practical nurse and two physical therapists, one for Weyburn and one for Estevan, said Marga Cugnet, interim president and chief executive officer for the region. Sun Country has also hired one more laboratory technologist.
Another physician recruitment effort indicates that one doctor is interested in setting up in Weyburn and two are scheduled for Arcola plus a total of three applicants are interested in providing locum (temporary replacement) services. There is also one psychiatrist position filled in Weyburn, which completes the three-person roster for that sector, she said.
While all these new hirings were underway, Cugnet noted that one registered nurse, two LPNs and two management personnel resigned, so there was a net gain in professional positions that were filled in the past couple of months.
SCHR awarded 39 bursaries to post-secondary students so far this year. The recipients included registered nursing students, physical therapy professionals, two medical laboratory technologists and two medical students who receive $25,000 per year for four years to complete their medical school training in return for a service agreement with Sun Country for a certain period of time, as do all the other bursary recipients.
"One nurse opted to refund the SCHR bursary because she wanted to stay in Regina," said Cugnet.
Don Ehman, vice-president of human resources, said that more bursaries could be granted prior to the end of this fiscal year. He noted that during the past year, 54 bursaries had been granted.
