Alberta announces new funding to attract doctors, paramedics to rural and remote locations
The province is giving medical students signing bonuses to woo them to work in rural Alberta.
Under the plan announced Thursday, the Alberta government is spending $16 million over two years on its rural and remote family medicine resident bursary pilot program.
Starting this year, medical students and family medicine residents are eligible for the bursaries, which range from $125,000 to $200,000, in return for working in rural communities for three years after graduation.
"This three year plan will guide governments efforts in improving rural and remote health care and close the gap between Albertans care in urban centres and surrounding areas," Adriana LaGrange, the province's health minister, said Thursday.
The bursary will provide up to $8 million annually for the next two years.
The bursaries will be available to medical students in their final year of an undergraduate medical program at any medical university who have been matched with a family medicine residency program at the University of Alberta or the University of Calgary.
Applications for the bursaries will be accepted starting in December.
The province also announced Thursday it will spend $1.4 million to recruit and train more medical first-responders for rural, remote and First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities across Alberta.
The injection of funding was welcomed by the likes of the Rural Municipalities of Alberta, but Kara Westerlund, vice-president for the RMA, said with 14 temporary service disruptions and emergency room closures across rural Alberta, she insists more workers are needed to fill empty hospitals -- workers for which the rest of Canada is competing.
"You've got rural hospitals dotted all over this province, but a complete under-utilization of those facilities," Westerlund told CTV News Edmonton on Thursday.
Dr. Parker Vandermeer, a rural emergency room doctor, said he would like to see more investments in supports for emergency medical services such as those provided by paramedics.
"What this government is actually doing is throwing pennies at a problem that should get thousands of dollars," Vandermeer told CTV News Edmonton, adding he would also like to see the province attract more emergency room doctors, something he says might not happen with bursaries.
The province says the rural health care action plan will be reviewed and updated every three years.
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Chelan Skulski and Karyn Mulcahy
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Auto theft probe leads to arrest of 59 suspects, recovery of more than 300 stolen vehicles: Toronto police
Toronto police say 59 suspects are facing a total of 300 charges in connection with an auto theft and re-vinning probe.
Ont. woman posed as registered nurse in Simcoe County for 4 years: OPP
An Ontario woman is facing serious charges after police allege she pretended to be a registered nurse at several Simcoe County facilities, despite being unqualified.
WATCH 'It's mind-boggling': Drought reveals U.S. town submerged in the 1940s
Hundreds of people are flocking to see a rare site in Pennsylvania: remnants of a historic town that is usually underwater.
Democrats Abroad Canada warns U.S. voters to take action ahead of possible Canada Post strike
Democrats Abroad Canada is warning Americans that a potential postal workers strike this weekend could affect the ability to vote in next week's election.
B.C. mayor's 'luxury' trip to Dubai climate conference was against ethics rules: commissioner
New Westminster Mayor Patrick Johnstone's all-expenses-paid trip to Dubai for a climate conference last December violated the city's Code of Conduct for Council Members and the Community Charter, the city's ethics commissioner has ruled.
Caught on camera: Edmonton police run over woman during welfare call
An Edmonton Police Service officer was caught on camera running over a woman with a marked cruiser last month.
Orphaned squirrel who became social media star was euthanized after being seized from New York home
An orphaned squirrel that became a social media star called Peanut was euthanized after state authorities seized the beloved pet during a raid on his caretaker's home, authorities said Friday.
B.C. landlord who evicted longtime tenant, hiked rent and re-listed unit ordered to pay $16K
A landlord from B.C.’s Lower Mainland who evicted a longtime tenant only to rent out the same unit months later for more money has been ordered to compensate him $16,480.
Secret Service report offers new details on failures during Trump assassination attempt
A new Secret Service report into the July assassination attempt against former U.S. president Donald Trump said multiple staffers knew about clear line-of-sight risks but found them 'acceptable' and that farm equipment intended to obstruct the view from the nearby building where the gunman opened fire was never used.