In September 2003, Manitoba’s Minister of Health Dave Chomiak requested the Office of Rural & Northern Health (ORNH) to oversee the Rural Physician and Health Services Review – Assiniboine Region. The review was held in the Assiniboine Regional Health Authority because of concerns about attracting and keeping physicians and other health care professionals in the region. The review was intended to help learn why this is happening and how it might be corrected, in both the ARHA and rural areas around the province.

The review had two parts. One part asked physicians in the ARHA for their opinions and ideas on recruitment and retention. This part also included a review of the recruitment and retention literature in medical and scientific publications. The second part of the review focused on communities in the ARHA, asking community members for their ideas to solve problems related to physician and health professional recruitment and retention, and around access to required health services. The review team also met with the ARHA to gather information on these same topics.

Both the physicians and community members offered a number of ideas that have helped in developing recommendations. The intent of the recommendations is to find ways to improve health care services in the ARHA. In general, the recommendations talk about sharing resources among communities to keep a variety of services available in the region, making practice conditions attractive to potential health professionals to keep health professionals in the ARHA and continuing to improve community communications within the region.

Download the Report   [Size:  204 KB | 24 pages | Released April 2004]

Appendices (all unless otherwise stated):

1. Terms of Reference
2. Physician Review – Questionnaire
3. Community Participation Process – Newspaper Advertisement
4. Community Participation Process – Letter of Invitation to Municipal Councils & First Nations Communities
5. Community Participation Process – Meeting Site/Area Information Handouts & Discussion Questions and General Information Brochure - Killarney, Hartney, Minnedosa, Russell, Glenboro, Virden
6. Community Participation Process – Larger Group Presentation [Powerpoint file]
7. Community Participation Process – Small Group Discussion Questions
8. Community Participation Process – Letters of Acknowledgement for Written Submissions
9. Community Participation Process – Letter to Municipal Councils and First Nations Communities, End of Community Process