Successful recruitment of community physicians to rural Alberta is a team effort. In communities across rural Alberta, it is the cumulative efforts of several local and provincial organizations that leads to the successful attraction of physicians to rural Alberta communities.
No where is this more evident than in Fairview, one hour north of Grande Prairie, where the community is celebrating the arrival of Dr. Robert Dikeukwu, his wife and four children.
As profield in the Fairview Post, ongoing recruitment efforts of Alberta Health Services (AHS) and its community partners are credited with the recruitment of a a family physician to practise in Fairview:
“The local physician recruitment and retention committee is very engaged and we are fortunate to be able to work so closely with them,” says Susan Smith, North Zone physician resource planner.
Smith is one of the three AHS physician resource planners who are dedicated to identifying and pursuing international and domestic physician recruitment opportunities for AHS North Zone.
They work closely with various community partners and organizations, such as local Health Advisory Councils, the Rural Physician Action Plan, and independent community physician recruitment and retention committees.
“Physician recruitment is not a one-person job,” says Dr. Karen Lundgard, Associate Zone Medical Director for the area. “The arrival of Dr. Dikeukwu would not have been possible without support from our partners and the community.”
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