RhPAP has launched a rural community capacity building program for rural leaders and community champions who want to make a difference in their communities.
These webinars offer rural communities an opportunity to learn about the work of other organizations and networks focused on rural health and well-being.
Visit RhPAP’s Events Calendar to see (and register for) upcoming webinars and workshops.
Explore some of RhPAP’s previous webinars below:
Physician Assistants (PA) are a group of healthcare professionals who, in their provision of patient care, can extend both the reach and patient panel size of the practicing physician.
PAs are supervised in their practice by physicians and have been employed for decades by armed forces in both Canada and the United States.
Regulated by CPSA since 2001, Alberta’s PAs are practicing in the acute care (Alberta Health Services) environment and in certain rural locations whether with AHS or independent physician clinics.
The Rural Development Network (RDN)’ s Sustainable Housing Initiative (SHI) plays a pivotal role in helping rural communities tackle this challenge.
Through a comprehensive approach, RDN assists with housing assessments to understand specific local needs, while also working closely with communities to develop tailored housing strategies. RDN supports effective community engagement, ensuring that all voices are heard and that solutions are locally driven.
Additionally, RDN helps to reduce development barriers, supports policy development, and provides access to various funding opportunities, ensuring that rural communities have the necessary tools to address their housing shortages and foster long-term growth and resilience.
Locum physicians are an integral part of the healthcare teams working in rural communities. A robust locum program means that rural Alberta communities are able to continue receiving high quality healthcare, while balancing the time off needs of local physicians.
In this session, learn more about the scope of the Alberta Medical Association (AMA) Physician Locum Services®, RhPAP’s role in providing funding for locum service for family physicians in rural areas, and hear first hand experience from a locum physician who works in rural Alberta communities.
The Rural Mental Health Project and Network (RMH Network) was created to build the capacity of rural communities through education, promotion, and prevention activities related to mental health and community mental wellness.
The RMH Network provides free training to passionate community changemakers in rural and remote Alberta around asset-based community development and facilitation techniques, as well as access to a network of Community Animators across Alberta.
Their trained Community Animators can access our Community Grants, which are designed to provide accessible and equitable funding to help bring their citizen-led action plans to life, to help improve wellbeing in their community!
Join RhPAP and Torri Odell, Network Specialist with the RMH Network to learn more about training, current community projects, and how you can get involved!
Tracy Sopkow, RhPAP’s CEO, presents a high-level overview of RhPAP’s new strategic plan for 2024-2027. The presentation outlines our vision, goals, and actions for the upcoming years. Your feedback and insights are crucial as we move forward to achieve our shared goals and drive success in our efforts to keep healthcare close to home.
On April 30, 2024, Rural Health Professions Action Plan (RhPAP) hosted a virtual information session on the Bursary for Internationally Educated Nurses (BIEN) Program.
Administered by RhPAP, BIEN provides funding to internationally educated nurses (IENs) as they complete bridging training required to practise as a licensed practical nurse (LPN) or a registered nurse (RN), in exchange for a period of time spent working in rural Alberta following graduation.
Students currently enrolled in an approved IEN bridging program at Mount Royal University, Bow Valley College, NorQuest College, or MacEwan University can apply to receive up to $30,000 to support their studies. Tune into the recording to learn more about BIEN, including program details, eligibility criteria, and the application process!
On April 30, 2024, Rural Health Professions Action Plan (RhPAP) hosted a virtual information session on the Bursary for Internationally Educated Nurses (BIEN) Program. Administered by RhPAP, BIEN provides funding to internationally educated nurses (IENs) as they complete bridging training required to practise as a licensed practical nurse (LPN) or a registered nurse (RN), in exchange for a period of time spent working in rural Alberta following graduation.
Students currently enrolled in an approved IEN bridging program at Mount Royal University, Bow Valley College, NorQuest College, or MacEwan University can apply to receive up to $30,000 to support their studies. Tune into the recording to learn more about BIEN, including program details, eligibility criteria, and the application process.
CPSA’s Registration Assessment team will provide information on changes to the physician sponsorship/recruitment process.
Learn about Wellspring Alberta’s free cancer support resources for adults diagnosed with cancer, and their caregivers and family.
Rebecca Perkins serves as the Outreach Manager for Wellspring Alberta, bringing with her over a decade of experience in cancer care. With service availability varying across the province, Rebecca collaborates with communities throughout Alberta to establish sustainable cancer support programs, bridging the gap in accessibility.
Wellspring Alberta is a not for profit cancer support organization dedicated to ensuring that no one has to face cancer alone. Wellspring Alberta provides free professionally-led programs and services for anyone living with cancer, including caregivers and family members. Programs are available online, in-person, or over the phone and are available without referral to all Alberta residents. Wellspring Alberta is committed to building stronger cancer support communities in regional and remote areas outside the cities of Calgary and Edmonton.
RhPAP collaborates with rural communities and schools to organize various high school and post-secondary events across rural Alberta. Our rural community consultants work with communities to support the retention, attraction, and integration of healthcare providers through partnerships with key stakeholders and A&R committees. The Strategy and Stakeholders team provides support for post-secondary medical and healthcare students considering rural practice. The RhPAP Student Supports session highlight some of these initiatives including:
and more!
Join Tim Ford, registrar for the Alberta College of Paramedics as he dives into the quickly evolving landscape of the EMS system.
During this webinar, Tim talks about the paramedic profession in Alberta and how paramedics fit into the healthcare system as a whole. He covers the topics of education, designations, scope of practice and the complexities of working in rural vs urban areas.
As registrar, Tim is responsible for the overall regulation of paramedics in Alberta. He provides insights into the regulatory structure, unprofessional conduct complaints and the value of the complaints process.
There is currently a nursing shortage provincially, nationally and internationally, prompting provinces to explore various strategies to bolster their nursing workforce.
These strategies encompass expediting credentialing procedures and implementing incentives for Internationally Educated Registered Nurses (IENs).
Alberta Health Services (AHS) has set ambitious goals for the recruitment of experienced IENs, with plans to bring in up to 1000 such professionals over the next two years.
A significant emphasis is placed on deploying these IENs in rural areas where their skills and expertise are in high demand.
To achieve this, AHS has developed innovative recruitment, transition, and integration strategies that prioritize community engagement and support.
Crucially, forming strong partnerships with rural communities will be pivotal, not only in the recruitment but also in the long-term retention of these valuable IENs.
Did you know? A Nurse Practitioner is a completely independent health professional who can perform a wide range of services, very similar to the care that a family doctor provides?
Join Jennifer Mador, Director of Rural Primary Care for the Nurse Practitioner Association of Alberta (NPAA) to learn more about the role nurse practitioners can play in the primary healthcare continuum.
The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA) regulates the practice of medicine in Alberta. Specifically, they regulate physicians, surgeons, osteopaths and physician assistants.
Much like a provincial registry’s role to make sure anyone with a driver’s licence is safe to be on the road, CPSA issues practice permits to regulated members, confirming they are professional, ethical and competent, and have the right qualifications, education and experience to provide the highest quality care for patients in our province.
CPSA also manages complaints involving regulated members; supports continuing competency in practice; sets the minimum standards for professional and ethical behaviour for regulated members; and accredits healthcare facilities.
In this recorded session, Members of CPSA’s Executive team shared more about their role in physician recruitment and they discussed how they’re working to accelerate registration for eligible internationally-trained physicians.
Did you know? Alberta has 40 primary care networks, most of which are serving rural areas.
Primary Care Networks (PCNs) bring local physicians and other health care professionals together to provide comprehensive patient care to Albertans. PCNs develop solutions to meet the needs of the local community and their health issues.
In November Roger Osborne, : Senior Consultant & Zone Lead ACTT, Alberta Medical Association, joined us to help us understand more about the role of PCNs in Alberta. He spoke about why they were created , how they are funded, and what services they can provide to Albertans.
Did you know? The Office of the Alberta Health Advocates strives to empower Albertans to be effective advocates in their own health and health care. It provides support and advocates for a health care system that is responsive and accountable to the people being served.
In October we learned more about the Alberta Health Advocates and how rural Albertans can connect with them and/or access their services.
One of Alberta Health Services (AHS) best channels to connect with Albertans is through Advisory Councils. Councils help patients and families contribute to health-care solutions and the betterment of our system, and Albertans can benefit by having their needs reflected in planning and decisions.
There are twelve Health Advisory Councils (HAC’s), four Provincial Advisory Councils (PAC’s) as well as a Wisdom Council to help guide and inform the work that AHS does across the province. Members on these councils represent many different experiences, cultures and ages, and provide critical feedback that informs decisions that affect how Alberta Health Services (AHS) delivers health services and cares for Albertans. The councils help to provide a grassroots perspective and an understanding of the health needs within the communities that they encompass.
In this March 17, 2021 session, Andrea Jackson and Nicole Merrifield from the AHS Community Engagement and External Relations Team explore Health Advisory Councils, the great work that they are doing across rural Alberta, and how you can get involved.
There are currently 29 health regulatory colleges in Alberta, including the colleges that govern the practice of doctors and nurses, laboratory and x-ray technologists, physiotherapists, pharmacists, opticians, and paramedics – to name just a few. Each college is authorized by legislation to regulate their respective health professions and sets standards to ensure that Albertans receive safe, competent, and ethical health services. Colleges have the power to investigate complaints. During this recorded session from February 2022, Dale Cooney, Executive Director of the Alberta Federation of Regulated Health Professions joined us to discuss the regulation of health professionals in Alberta including why colleges exist, how they are run and how they work to protect the public.
In May 2022, Vanessa Weatherbee, a senior consultant with Alberta Health Services (AHS) Medical Affairs and Susan Smith and Alecia Kerber, physician resource planners in the North and South Zone respectively, joined RhPAP to share their experiences recruiting rural physicians. Explore what rural physician recruitment involves, how AHS determines physician vacancies, how communities are engaged in the hiring process, and what hiring an international medical graduate entails.
Did you know that, in Alberta, human trafficking charges have been laid in rural communities as well as major urban centres? Amanda Warnock, an Anti-Trafficking Education for ACT in Rural and Northern Alberta explores the new programming and initiatives available as of January 2022 to help rural and northern communities learn about, identify, and address human trafficking in rural Alberta.
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