Healthcare in rural Alberta is quite the story
While Alberta is experiencing a workforce shortage of health professionals, we also are experiencing an opportunity.
Many health professionals want to practice medicine differently and be in a community of people who are doing it differently. For them, we say: There is a place within rural Alberta for you. Weâll point you in the right direction and give you the tools and resources to find your place in the community.Â
Building Up Communities and Professionals Across Rural Alberta
We strengthen rural healthcare in Alberta.Â
Through long-standing partnerships, innovative programs, and a people-first approach, we help attract, integrate, and retain health professionals who choose to live and work in rural settings.
Use this page to learn about our work as community builders in rural Alberta as part of our mission and strategic pillars. Click on the links to learn more about programs and events, and reach out with any questions or guidance.
Attraction, Integration, and Retention
RHPAPâs Attraction, Integration and Retention (AIR) work supports rural communities in building strong, sustainable health care teams. By focusing on the full journey of health professionals, from first interest to long-term practice, AIR helps communities create the conditions that encourage people to come, stay, and thrive.
Our new AIR toolkit is a free, practical, community-driven guide to help rural Alberta communities in their attraction, integration, and retention works.
Resources
Whether youâre looking for background information, data, or practical tools, these resources offer insight into how RHPAP supports rural communities and advances access to care across the province.
Our resources are divided into categories. Click on the file to open and download.
Letâs Go Rural: High School and Post-Secondary Programs
We introduce students to the opportunities, pathways, and people that make rural health care possible in Alberta. Through hands-on experiences and practical guidance, we help students explore health careers, understand training routes, and picture themselves living, learning, and working in rural communities.
High school program
We help high school students see what could be for them within a healthcare career. âLetâs Go Ruralâ introduces your students to real-world healthcare with an in-person day at a local health facility, school, or community space.Â
Our Knowledge Now Series brings whatâs possible in rural healthcare to your students. They learn about specialties and fields and how to best take the pathway toward a meaningful career.
Post-secondary programs
Our post-secondary programs support students as they move from education into rural health careers.
RHPAPâs post-secondary programming focuses on:
- Increasing awareness of rural health career opportunities
- Providing real-world exposure to rural practice
- Supporting informed career decision-making
- Encouraging long-term retention in rural communities
Post-secondary programs:
Continuing Medical & Professional Education
Rural healthcare is complex, fast-moving, and deeply community focused. To provide the best possible care, rural health professionals need access to ongoing, relevant education throughout their careers.
RHPAP supports continuing medical and professional education (CME/CPD) for rural healthcare providers across Alberta, helping reduce barriers to learning and ensuring education fits the realities of rural practice.