'We aren’t nearly as competitive as Newfoundland': How the Sask. $200K doctor incentive compares
Hours after Saskatchewan announced it would give doctors a financial bonus for working in rural areas, Newfoundland upped the ante.
The government of Saskatchewan will give physicians willing to work in rural areas $200,000. The bonus will be spread out over five years to fill positions where recruitment has been a challenge.
Meanwhile, Newfoundland and Labrador’s health minister, Tom Osborne, announced an incentive “no province can match.”
Newfoundland and Labrador is offering $200,000 for physicians to work in its community of Bonavista over two years — plus $100,000 over five years, under the Come Home incentive, meant to entice doctors who have ties to the province.
“It means we aren't nearly as competitive as Newfoundland, but on the other hand, we're a long way away from Newfoundland, so we'd probably be attracting a different population of candidates,” said Dennis Kendel, a health policy expert and retired physician.
In an effort to keep physicians once they're hired, Saskatchewan increased its incentive duration from four years to five years.
Kendal applauded that move but said financial incentives are only part of the equation.
“The much more important thing is how well the community environment meets the needs of the physician and her or his family,” Kendal told CTV News, adding the importance of also having employment for a physician’s spouse.
Kendal said doctors who practice in smaller communities usually end up always being on-call because patients know where they live.
“They call you whether you're on-call or not,” he explained.
To improve rural doctors’ quality of life, and patient care, Kendal suggests a “team-based primary care model.”
In this model, health professionals work together. For example, a physician would work closely with a social worker, dietitian or physiotherapist.
Kendel encouraged Saskatchewan’s health minister to “actually sit down with health professionals” to come to solutions.
HOW INCENTIVES IN OTHER PROVINCE RANK
- New Brunswick $100,000 over four years
- Nova Scotia: $25,000 when a physician signs-on, then $20,000 per year for five years
- Prince Edward Island $50,000-115,000 over three years, depending on the community.
- Ontario $7,413 per year to practice full-time in northern Ontario
- Alberta: $60,000 tuition fee reimbursement, along with bonuses ranging from $20,000 to $40,000 — depending on the remoteness of the community
- British Columbia $5,000-$20,000 for physicians recruited to fill rural vacancies
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW Life got in the way of one woman's reunion with her father, but a DNA test gained her a family
Anne Marie Cavner was the closest she'd ever been to meeting her biological father, but then life dealt her a blow. From an unexpected loss to a host of new relationships, a DNA test changed her life, and she doesn't regret a thing.
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
opinion I've been a criminal attorney for decades. Here's what I think about the case against Trump
Joey Jackson, a criminal defence attorney and a legal analyst for CNN, outlines what he thinks about the criminal case against Donald Trump in the 'hush money trial.'
$3.8M home in B.C.'s Okanagan has steel shell for extra wildfire protection
A home in B.C.'s Okanagan that features a weathering steel shell designed to provide some protection against wildfires has been listed for sale at $3.8 million.
Diver pinned under water by an alligator figured he had choice. Lose his arm or lose his life
An alligator attacked a diver on April 15 as he surfaced from his dive, nearly out of air. His tank emptied with the gator's jaws crushing the arm he put up in defence.
Psychologist becomes first person in Peru to die by euthanasia after fighting in court for years
A Peruvian psychologist who suffered from an incurable disease that weakened her muscles and had her confined to her bed for several years, died by euthanasia, her lawyer said Monday, becoming the first person in the country to obtain the right to die with medical assistance.
Mystery surrounds giant custom Canucks jerseys worn by Lions Gate Bridge statues
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
Celebrity designer sentenced to 18 months in prison for smuggling crocodile handbags
A leading fashion designer whose accessories were used by celebrities from Britney Spears to the cast of the 'Sex and the City' TV series was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty in Miami federal court on charges of smuggling crocodile handbags from her native Colombia.