Harper Government Announces Funding to Support New Family Medicine Positions and Training Opportunities across Canada

News Release
2011-32
February 23, 2011
For immediate release

Factsheet: Family Medicine Residency Initiative for Communities in Ontario

Ottawa – The Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health, and Royal Galipeau, Member of Parliament for Ottawa-Orléans, today announced federal funding that will support more than 100 family medicine residents to receive training and provide medical services in remote and rural communities across Canada.”Strengthening health care with more physicians for Canadians is a priority for the Harper Government,” said Minister Aglukkaq. “We are working with the provinces and territories to introduce additional residencies with a particular focus on doctors for rural areas and family medicines.”

Federal funding will support partnerships in Ontario, Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, Saskatchewan, Nunavut and British Columbia to provide training for family medicine residents, some with a focus on enhanced skills in emergency and acute care.

In Ontario, funding will be used to provide approximately 60 additional third-year training positions in emergency medicine or enhanced skills, such as obstetrics or mental health, over four years.

Today’s announcement will help ensure Canadians have greater access to the right supply, mix and distribution of health care providers. It complements initiatives undertaken by the provincial and territorial governments by supporting their efforts in health human resources planning to create and maintain a stable, adequate health workforce in select communities.

Federal funding of $39.5 million for these projects will be provided by the Pan-Canadian Health Human Resources Strategy, which supports and facilitates innovation in health human resources to help bring about an adequate supply of health care providers.

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Media Enquiries:
Health Canada
(613) 957-2983

Jenny Van Alstyne
Office of the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq
Federal Minister of Health
(613) 957-0200

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