The term health workforce generally refers to those individuals who provide health care to the public. Learn about who the health workforce in Alberta is, the different types of professionals working in rural areas, their scopes of practice, and how they can best collaborate for quality care. You can also find out how to attract and retain health providers to rural areas. Within Pillar V, Rural Health Workforce, you can explore the following topics:
Rural health workforce demographics – Alberta’s health workforce is made up of many different health professions. This section profiles the different health professions working in rural areas along with their numbers and growth trends over the past years.
Scope of practice – Scope of practice defines the type of care a specific health profession can provide. Understanding the roles of each health profession is essential to match a health workforce with community need. This section explains health professional scope of practice within the rural context and compares roles of different providers.
Interprofessional collaboration – Health-care providers across different professions work closely together to provide the best care for their patients. Interprofessional collaboration has many benefits for patients, providers, and the health-care system. This section highlights the challenges and benefits of interprofessional collaboration.
Attraction & retention of rural health providers – Enticing health-care providers to live and work in rural communities can be a challenge, especially in the remote north. In this topic, explore successful strategies that rural communities can use to attract and retain health-care providers.