Applications are open again for communities looking for financial help recruiting and retaining healthcare workers, with up to $100,000 available through The Office of Healthcare Professionals Recruitment (OHPR) Community Fund.
“We had tremendous success with the community fund in its first year and also have learned more about how we can support our community partners to reach their healthcare recruitment and retention goals,” said Michelle Thompson, Minister responsible for the Office of Healthcare Professionals Recruitment. “We have seen that we have more success keeping and recruiting healthcare workers when communities lead the way. This is why we established the community fund.”
The initiative launched last year and had 28 successful applicants, with initiatives such as healthcare worker recognition events, online support tools, marketing videos and even a community garden.
“The OHPR Community Fund shows the Nova Scotia government’s commitment to addressing health workforce issues and promoting an equitable health workforce. Through this fund, the Nova Scotia Internationally Educated Nurses Network was able to start building an ‘All Information in One Place’ resource hub that will provide internationally educated nurses with information to help them successfully integrate into the Nova Scotia healthcare system landscape,” Damilola Iduye, President, Nova Scotia Internationally Educated Nurses Network, and senior instructor, school of nursing, Dalhousie University.
Groups that qualify for funding include registered non-profit organizations and charity community groups, cultural organizations, member-based organizations and boards, municipalities and chambers of commerce. Priority will be given to geographic, social and cultural communities who have not yet received money.
Applications must be received by November 24.
