New Financial Incentive Now Offered to Emergency Medicine Specialists

Released on December 11, 2024

Progress Continues on Health Human Resources Action Plan

A new incentive of up to $200,000 over five years will be offered to support recruitment of graduates in Emergency Medicine. The incentive includes both specialist Emergency Medicine physicians and Family Medicine physicians who pursue additional training in Emergency Medicine. 

"By attracting highly sought professionals with specialized skill sets who train here in our province, we are addressing current needs and supporting our physician workforce into the future," Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill said. "This investment reflects our commitment as part of our province's ambitious Health Human Resources Action Plan to recruit and retain the health professionals we need and enhance access to care for our residents." 

Physicians who have completed their final year of Emergency Medicine training since June 2024, and have established minimum practice requirements in the province, are eligible for this practice incentive. This incentive is also open to Emergency Medicine physicians who relocate to Saskatchewan to pursue practice.

Incentive packages of up to $200,000 over five years are offered to hard-to-recruit specialists in Anesthesia, Psychiatry, and Breast and Interventional Radiology, as well as targeted pediatric subspecialties: Pediatric Gastroenterology, Pediatric Immunology and Allergy, Pediatric Neurology, Pediatric Medical Genetics and Developmental Pediatrics. 

"Our health care teams are the foundation of Saskatchewan's health system," Saskatchewan Health Authority CEO Andrew Will said. "Their dedication and expertise are essential to delivering high-quality, patient-centred care across the province. Initiatives like this support our focus on recruiting and retaining skilled health professionals, ensuring access to care for residents throughout Saskatchewan. By working collaboratively with educational institutions, communities and health system partners, we are addressing immediate workforce needs while planning for a stronger health system for the future."

New Recruitment Incentive for Medical Residents

Medical residents in their fourth and fifth years of Emergency Medicine, Anesthesia and Diagnostic Radiology programs can now receive a financial incentive of up to $60,000 over two years. This incentive of $30,000 per year is designed to support residents as they complete their training, with a commitment to work in Saskatchewan immediately following program completion.

Interprovincial Agreement (IPA) Incentive 

This incentive was introduced in September 2024, to attract students in the final year of a health-related discipline in educational seats purchased in other provinces by Saskatchewan, to return and practice their profession within the health system here. 

Since the launch of this incentive, 20 applications have been approved in four occupational categories in high demand: occupational therapy, respiratory therapy, diagnostic medical sonography and nuclear medicine technology. 

Applicants have the option to apply for a one-year grant of $5,000 for a one-year return-in-service commitment, or a $15,000 grant for a two-year return-in-service commitment. All grant recipients to date have chosen the two-year commitment. 

Recruitment of Health Professionals in High Demand

Two new Respiratory Therapists are now practicing in the province, one in Moose Jaw at the Dr. F. H. Wigmore Regional Hospital and the other at the Cypress Regional Hospital in Swift Current. 

Respiratory Therapists (RTs) are registered health care professionals with specialized training. RTs work in hospital, clinical care and community care settings as part of a multidisciplinary health care teams to evaluate, treat and care for people with breathing problems.

Additional HHR Progress Updates  

• 426 internationally educated health professionals from the Philippines have arrived in Saskatchewan and 389 of these, the majority nurses, are now working in communities across the province.
• 378 hard-to-recruit positions have been filled as a result of the Rural and Remote Recruitment Incentive of up to $50,000 over three years. 
• 249 of 250 targeted new and enhanced permanent full-time positions in high-priority occupations to stabilize staffing in rural and northern areas have now been filled.
• 46 positions have been filled as part of the commitment to add 65 new or enhanced Registered Nurse positions to 30 rural and remote locations. 
• 11 Nurse Practitioners have been hired since June 2024, in rural communities throughout the province. 
• 181 applications were received for the Final Clinical Placement Bursary which supports students pursuing a career in health care with their final year of studies. 164 applications have been approved. Applications are still open for students who begin their final clinical placements between October 1, 2024 and March 31, 2025.
• 146 applications have been received for the Rural Physician Incentive of up to $200,000 over five years. Of those, 74 have been approved for payment and 72 are conditionally eligible pending completion of full year of eligible service.

Details on health care opportunities, how to access them and more information on the province's HHR Action Plan are available at saskatchewan.ca/HHR.

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