Last month, Prairie Mountain Health showed off Ste. Rose to a new doctor slated to start working there soon: Dr. Saleema Arif.
New doctors expected to start working in several Parkland communities this fall are the result of expanded recruitment efforts by PMH, said Tamara Kemp-Boulet, Physician Recruitment and Retention Coordinator for PMH.
"The whole day was a collaboration between the community and the medical facility for certain, we were able to have lunch with all of the doctors and some of the staff which was lovely. Everbody made [Dr. Arif] feel so welcome, we toured the primary care bulding, we toured the clinic, we toured the hopsital as far as the medical side of it, and she was able to meet many people that she will be working with, and get a good idea of where she's going to be located...we're so excited to have quite a few [new doctors] coming to PMH through the different programs," said Kemp-Boulet.
Prairie Mountain Health has a few programs designed to boost their recruitment, with some specifically designed for international doctors to be put in rural communities.
"We have 2 different programs that are a little more focused to rural family practice. They are both for physicans that are internationally trained, and then they come to Canada, there's a whole process for them to get accepted into either one of these programs. They have to go through assessments, and residency training, and then they have return of services to rural sites in Manitoba," said Kemp-Boulet.
Kemp-Boulet also said not only Ste. Rose will be getting a new doctor. There will be a number of Parkland communities that will see new doctors from their recruitment programs.
"We're really fortunate this year, we have 7 coming out of the MLPIMG program and they'll be starting in the fall, with Dr. Arif being one of them, and then through the PRAFP program we have probably about another 6 or 7 throughout the year being placed into the rural communities in PMH...2 in Minnedosa, 2 in Killarney, 1 in Rossburn Shoal Lake split, and then you'll have your one in Ste. Rose, and 1 in Russell," said Kemp-Boulet.
Kemp-Boulet said most of the new doctors to start this Fall have already visited the communities they'll be working in.
