The Nova Scotia government is supporting a partnership in southwestern Nova Scotia to welcome and keep doctors.
The Yarmouth and Area Chamber of Commerce is receiving $75,000 over three years under the Culture Innovation Fund for projects that use culture and community assets to help support the retention of family doctors and specialists.
“Communities across the province are stepping up and working hard to attract and keep doctors,” said Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development Zach Churchill, on behalf of Communities, Culture and Heritage Minister Leo Glavine. “Yarmouth has a lot to offer and this funding will help the community use culture and creativity to promote southwest Nova Scotia as a welcoming and rich place for doctors and their families.”
Among those welcoming the announcement is Dr. Brian Moses, medical site lead at the Yarmouth Regional Hospital.
“As a physician leader in Yarmouth, this is a fantastic opportunity for our community to take an active role in showcasing everything this area has to offer to a physician and their families,” says Dr. Moses said. “This will complement the work of Nova Scotia Health Authority’s recruitment and retention efforts.”
Funding can be used to support community efforts, including physician and student visits, supporting cultural integration, hosting community events, and welcoming and integrating new physicians and their families into communities.
“We all have a role to play in making our communities warm, welcoming places where people want to stay, build their careers and raise their families,” said Patti Durkee, councillor for the Municipality of Yarmouth. “Our community has a lot to offer and we are excited to work with physicians to help them make the connections and community linkages to feel at home in their new surroundings.”
Said Kerry Muise, vice-president of the Yarmouth and Area Chamber of Commerce, “Communities can take a lead role in physician retention and we are well-positioned to support the existing efforts. We have a lot to offer in southwestern Nova Scotia and we need to showcase our hospitality and quality of life to ensure doctors choose to stay.”
In the future, communities will be able to apply to a new funding stream of the Culture Innovation Fund, Healthy Communities, designed specifically to support communities using an innovative approach to keep doctors. This new stream will be launched in the coming weeks.
