 Partnerships  Volunteering  Professional Mentoring  Community Mentoring  Orientation  Welcoming Communities  Integration and Settlement Important Concepts to be Discussed

Leadership is community specific  Town Council  Community Development Officers  RED Board  Hospital Auxiliary  Hospital Volunteer Program  Medical Services Committee & Recruiter Chair  Self Appointed Local Interest Group  Individual Volunteers  Service Club  Church Group

The number of doctors in the country has increased 7.1% and NL has more physicians now than ever before. Fewer move once they have established a practice (<1% moved to another jurisdiction in 2007)- the lowest rate in 5 years. More doctors want to practice where they train. Doctors as one health professional example

 Canadian population grew only 4.2%, so the ratio of doctors to people is up since 2003  More female doctors, reducing work hours  Canadian doctors are getting older, average age 49.6  4 th year in a row, the number of doctors returning to Canada to practice has been greater than the number leaving Demand is up

Newfoundland & Labrador

 NL is one of 5 jurisdictions that experienced a net physician loss  85% of the decision to stay or go rests with the spouse  NL recruits 100 new physicians every year  Our doctors:  45% MUN graduates  14% Canadian schools  36-41% International (decreasing over time) The EXPERIENCE

 Facilitator for SWAT Analysis  Provincial and Regional support  Press kit: How PracticeNL can help  Tool kit of retention ideas  Awareness campaign about retention:  Website video clips, print materials  Presentations to interested groups  Petty cash for retention initiatives  Training for volunteer mentors Provincial Resource to Communities

 A committee structure  Community volunteer mentorship program  Linking to an existing agency  Adapting the “Welcoming Communities” immigration program  Community “resource greeters”  Paid community developer positions There are many ways to organize

 MUN grads stay longer  Provincial and regional RIS bursary programs work  A tendency to stay close to where you train  Rural students tend to enter rural practice  First impressions and word of mouth recruiting is powerful  Rural training provides a community opportunity Our NL EXPERIENCE tells us

Retention Toolkit

 How communities can connect with new recruits  Program promotional material  Selection criteria “who makes a good mentor”  Training support and resources for new mentors  Tips for using your community website as a retention tool  Ways to fund your retention initiatives  Community resources:  Association for New Canadians  Provincial Nominee Program  Citizen and Immigration Regional Settlement Coordinators  “Welcoming Communities” Program What’s in a “Retention Toolkit”

MENTOR CaRMS

Who can be a MENTOR?  Mayors  Extra-curricular leaders (coaches, instructors)  Teachers  Educators  Realtors  Immigration attorneys  Stay-at-home parents  Local grocers  Fellow immigrant members of the community  Retirees

Making a “great” first impression

 Pay attention to:  visiting students from MUN  electives for MUN and Canadian students  locum doctors who are visiting for short periods  Offer summer employment to medical students in your community (funded by PracticeNL)  Use site visit to profile your community  Remind MUN Med Alumni of their hometown Building an “attitude” about retention

 Promote the MedQuest Program in your high schools  Promote health care volunteer opportunities for youth  Promote medical student visits to your high schools  Advocate to make sure health professions are represented at high school career days GROW YOUR OWN

RETENTION is everyone’s business