Peace Regional Healthcare A & R Committee is the 2020 Rhapsody Community Award recipient
Channel: RhPAP
Date: 2021-03-25

As far as health workforce attraction and retention committees go, Peace Regional Healthcare Attraction and Retention Committee (PRHARC) is just a youngster.

Now in its fourth year, PRHARC plays an important role in attracting and retaining physicians and other health professionals to Peace River.

Dr. Karen Lundgard is the Community Medical Director for Peace River and part of her role involves recruiting new physicians. 

While her team is able to show new recruits the “work” opportunities in Peace River, she counts on PRHARC to show prospective physicians and their families the opportunities to “live” and “play” in the community.

“Prior to having [PRHARC], recruitment was all done by physicians,” explained Dr. Lundgard. “[PRHARC] lessened the load on the physicians, and actually made the recruits feel more welcome from a community perspective.”

Elaine Manzer chairs the committee. 

“When we are told that there is a prospective physician coming to town, we try to host a lunch for them. ...," Manzer said.

“One of our real estate people in town has been very good about touring them around the area and providing that local commentary.”

Dr. Adam Mildenberger and his spouse, Dr. Kathryn Wood, are Canadian-trained physicians. They both came to Peace River to practice after previously completing their Rural Integrated Community Clerkship (ICC) and medical residency in Peace River. A Rural ICC provides third-year medical students with 42 weeks of continuous patient care, preceptor supervision, and learning experiences in a rural community.

“It’s a very welcoming community,” said Dr. Mildenberger. “I remember as an ICC student playing on the basketball team. My wife went to a book club.”

He says those opportunities made Peace River feel more like home than just a place to work.

“Deciding whether you want to live in a community means deciding what are you going to do when you are not working,” says Dr. Wood.

“Are there things to do outdoors? Do you feel like the community is welcoming? Are there extracurricular activities that you can get involved in? ...I know Peace River in particular, has always been a community that really works hard to include both the physician and their family in things around the community.”

The members of PRHARC know that it’s just as critical to show health professional’s spouse/partner and family what the community has to offer, as it is to show the health professional.  

PRHARC makes a point of welcoming new physicians when they first arrive. 

Lana deBoon is the clinic manager at Peace River Medical Clinic. She assists Dr. Lundgard in recruiting new physicians. 

“[New] physicians are often arriving. ... They’re busy, and they’re unpacking, and they get this lovely welcome basket that’s full of goodies and fruit,” deBoon explained. “Things like that just make life a little bit easier in those first couple of days. We find that’s something that the physicians coming to Peace River have really enjoyed.”

“They definitely helped us feel welcome,” adds Dr. Wood.

Health professional retention is also paramount. Pre-COVID, PRHARC hosted an annual appreciation barbecue for their local health-care providers.

PRHARC includes members from five different local governments: the MD of Peace, the Counties of Northern Lights and Northern Sunrise, the Village of Nampa, and the Town of Peace River. They meet four times a year, lately on Zoom, and they all get along well.

“We’re all neighbours,” says PRHARC member Dan Boisvert. “We know each other. We meet on other committees. It’s really a fun committee to be on.”

Congratulations to the Peace Regional Healthcare Attraction and Retention Committee, recipients of the 2020 RhPAP Rhapsody Community Award.