Four organizations receive funding for health-care workers

Four Nova Scotia health groups are receiving provincial funding to offer programs aimed at recruiting diverse health-care providers.

The Health Association of African Canadians will receive $75,000 to identify barriers to attracting and retaining health-care providers, particularly in rural African

Nova Scotia communities, and work to encourage high school students to consider a career in health care.

The Nova Scotia Internationally Educated Nurses Network will get $25,000 to help internationally trained nurses overcome licensing challenges and integrate into the Nova Scotia workforce.

The group will launch a website with resources, including a secure web portal for mentorship and education.

The North End Community Health Centre provides primary health care for residents of Halifax’s north end, with a satellite office in Dartmouth.

It will receive $75,000 to initiate health-care recruitment visits, welcome and appreciation events, a new recruitment video and visits to junior highs and high schools across Halifax to foster an interest in health care among youth.

Additionally, the Association of Nigerians in Nova Scotia will receive $50,000 for members to use community networks to help recruit Nigerian health-care providers to the province and encourage Nigerians living in Nova Scotia to become health-care workers.

The funding is from the provincial government’s new health-care recruitment community fund, which aims to improve health-care recruitment and retention programs.

Organizations across the province could apply for up to $100,000. Community organizations had to be a registered society, association, non-profit or charity, to be eligible, while municipalities and chambers of commerce were also eligible.