Team-Based Learning Initiative (TBLI)

Financial Incentive for Rural Staff Training (FIRST) Program

Learning about leadership, conflict resolution, or practice management? Acquiring medical skills to better serve your community?
There’s support for that.

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Continuing Professional Development
Apply for FIRST

Ready to apply? Fill out our online FIRST Program application form

Is there training that would benefit your rural health-care team, but no other program provides funding for it? 

With RhPAP’s Financial Incentive for Rural Staff Training (FIRST) Program there’s support for that. 

Rural Teams of two or more, from at least two of Alberta’s regulated health professions, are eligible to apply for up to $5,000 to host a training event in their rural community. 

What types of training events are eligible? Here are some ideas: 

  • Training that leads to a better understanding of cross-cultural differences 
  • Coaching on mental health strategies for treating children and youth with anxiety 
  • Bringing in an expert who will analyze the workflow of your health-care team and then teach your team how to improve efficiencies 
  • A workshop on the ever-changing world of administering meds for chemotherapy and pain management. 
  • Training support for palliative care in the home 
  • Perhaps your team needs practice doing a particular skill: for example, casting or CPR for babies 


These are just a few ideas. Have something else in mind?  

As a medical manager for rural areas one of my greatest challenges is providing my staff with hands-on team building sessions and education workshops. While there are many online options, I feel that my staff living and working in remote areas can benefit further with in–person connections and learning. I am very grateful to RhPAP for their assistance in my being able to provide my staff with an event that has helped them gain healthy coping tools. Angela De Varennes, Bigstone Medical Manager

Eligibility 

This program is intended for health-care teams living and working within rural Alberta. To be eligible, the following conditions must be met: 

  • The hosting community must be located outside the defined Census Metropolitan Area boundaries of Calgary or Edmonton with a population of fewer than 15,000 people
  • The team must include at least two people from at least two different health professions
  • The community has not received FIRST Program funding in the previous three years 
  • The application must be made on behalf of the team by a hospital/clinic/health centre team lead
  • The course or training is not already supported through another RhPAP or other program

Find out more 

For more information about the FIRST Program, please contact Tana Findlay. 

© Rural Health Professions Action Plan