Recruitment and retention incentives behind new NDHF campaign

Over 30 healthcare workers from the U.S. have moved to NAnaimo and are working at NRGH and other facilities in the last 15 months alone. (Image Credit: NDHF)

'once-in-a-generation opportunity'

56m ago

Overtime Road Block

Clippers come heartbreakingly close but lose third straight OT game in BCHL Finals

7h ago

most so far

Biggest Nanaimo Clippers crowd of the year fills Frank Crane Arena

17h ago

He noted an increasing trend of healthcare workers in the United States wanting to leave due to a misalignment with the current government, along with doctors in Quebec being unhappy regarding newly legislated pay scales.

Money collected through the spring campaign will go towards offering incentive programs to help make the region as attractive as it can be for prospective hires.

Temporary housing supports, grants, and bursaries are also included in the initiative.

“Recruitment incentives are the highest priority. Supporting people by giving them stipends and giving them support to pay for a hotel or meals or transportation is a high priority, but also part of this is medical training. Part of retaining the staff that we have is if they want to take the course to up their skills, we’re also wanting to support things like that.”

He added some of the bigger picture goals are also in the works and will be supported by new fundraising efforts.

“It also allows us to do some longer-term thinking around working with some key partners in our community to build a major medical housing development here in Nanaimo and also a large daycare facility that we hope to build close to campus.”

The 2026 Infusion event drew well over 1,000 people to Nanaimo. (Image Credit: File photo/NanaimoNewsNOW)

Ellis-Perry said a pair of Nanaimo Infusion events, spearheaded by Tod and Jocelyn Maffin, have “turbocharged” their efforts.

Dozens of American healthcare workers have already made the move to Nanaimo, with more on the way and thousands of applications for communities across B.C.

By month’s end, around 17 per cent of emergency room nurses will be American, a direct result of Maffin’s efforts coupled with Island Health’s recruiting.

“We were starting to get the systems in place, and then Tod and Jocelyn and all their volunteers worked their magic, and the phones start ringing, so it’s almost sort of allowed us to dream and dream bigger.”

As of the end of April, 34 healthcare workers had begun work in Nanaimo alone, with the province fielding another 3,000 applications for communities across B.C.

Recruitment and retention incentives behind new NDHF campaign

More Local News