According to a release on rural healthcare from the Alberta government, Albertans living in remote areas will soon have better access to doctors and care teams as 74 medical residents begin providing care and dozens of clinics expand their staff.
To strengthen rural health care, grants under two programs have been awarded. These grants support medical resident physicians training in rural and remote communities and help primary care clinics across rural Alberta grow their teams. The initiatives include a $16-million pilot bursary program that supports 74 family medicine residents expected to begin practicing in rural Alberta between now and July 2027. At the same time, the Rural Team Recruitment Grant will provide $6 million over two years to help clinics hire additional health professionals – such as nurses, pharmacists and physiotherapists – expand care teams and improve access.
In the first round of funding, 29 clinics across the province will receive support. This includes clinics in Consort, Drumheller, Stettler, Crowsnest Pass, Cold Lake, Grande Cache, Peace River, Delburne, Drayton Valley, Barrhead and Bashaw. Approximately 52 new full-time health professionals are expected to be hired, with a second intake for the grant program opening soon.
“The Rural Team Recruitment Grant is a meaningful step forward for health care in rural Alberta. When clinics can hire more team members, people get access to the care they need faster and closer to home.”
Ron Wiebe, parliamentary secretary for rural health (north)
The Rural and Remote Family Medicine Resident Physician Bursary Pilot Program is helping attract and retain doctors in Alberta’s rural and remote communities. It provides bursaries of $125,000 for rural placements and $200,000 for remote placements to residents who commit to working in eligible communities after completing their training.
Funding is through the Canada-Alberta agreement to improve health care, including in rural and remote areas.
