— Photo supplied by Wainwright Economic Development
RhPAP and community members from across the province will journey to eastern Alberta this fall as the community of Wainwright, Alberta, opens its doors to host an event for sharing learnings and collaboration in rural healthcare.
Amidst the backdrop of the military town, Wainwright organizers look forward to rolling out the welcome mat for the Rural Community Health Provider Attraction and Retention (A&R) Conference from October 8 to 10, a biannual event developed and provided by RhPAP. This year’s theme is Reflect. Reimagine. Refocus: The Next Chapter in Rural Healthcare.
The community serves as the heart of a large trading centre and health hub for nearby communities including a hospital with acute and long-care beds, surgery/day surgery, obstetrics, and emergency, said Carley Herbert, Wainwright economic development officer. Wainwright is two hours east of Edmonton.
It is also an opportunity to highlight the community spirit that thrives in the town of 6,600 residents that serves as a home for the Canadian Armed Forces: Garrison Wainwright.
“Wainwright and the surrounding area have been working on a variety of healthcare initiatives for the last decade,” explained Herbert.
The region has hosted RhPAP-sponsored Let’s Go Rural! High School events, has partnered with Lakeland College and Medicine Hat College to deliver local Health Care Aide programs and has a doctor recruitment committee.
— Photo supplied by Wainwright Economic Development
Wainwright representatives will also share information on a pilot project that provides the opportunity for students to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing locally from the University of Calgary Rural Community Route.
Applying to host the conference seemed like a good next step for Wainwright to bring attention to the countless opportunities for rural healthcare careers to improve accessibility for all. The community was chosen, after meeting specific criteria, by an RhPAP conference selection committee.
Herbert emphasized that it is important for rural areas to advocate for their own healthcare needs to keep communities viable.
Keeping healthcare close to home resonates with Chelsey Eklund, another local member on the conference committee. She recalls the stress and inconvenience of losing her local doctor, forcing her to travel to another community to receive medical care.
“That was terrible, it was like a whole day commitment just for a 10-minute doctor appointment,” said Eklund, who has lived in Wainwright for 20 years.
Sarah Hissett could not agree more.
As a member of the Wainwright and District Community Health Foundation, an organization that helps fund additional equipment for local healthcare including the purchase of a CT scanner, laparoscopic tower, and home-care bladder scanner, she was able to attend RhPAP’s last conference in Drayton Valley in 2022.
Hissett soon realized her community lacked its own attraction and retention committee to support local health professionals and got to work.
One year ago, the Wainwright Health Professions Attraction, Recognition, Retention and Growth Committee was born. Since then, Hissett has welcomed three internationally educated nurses (IEN) and their families to Wainwright.
She has taken the IEN nurses, who have arrived from the United Kingdom, Jamaica, and Nigeria, under her wing and introduced them to small town living.
Hissett, who grew up in Calgary, experienced her own struggles when she moved to Wainwright seven years ago.
“I know the challenges of moving rurally,” said Hissett. “Obviously, I’ve fallen in love with my community, and I want others to do the same.”
Having local allies help integrate health professionals into the culture and community can make all the difference in whether they decide to commit long term. It’s similar to how the community has welcomed military personnel and their families from around the world for more than 55 years, she said.
Hissett hopes Albertans will now visit Wainwright for themselves and participate in the conference’s rural healthcare discussions that will be scheduled both in the community and nearby military base.
“We always think we’re in competition with one another, but it can only help everyone by having those connections and making those contacts and learning what we can do better.”
Registration for RhPAP’s fall conference begins May 1 and details will be available at RhPAP.ca/conference.