Saskatchewan launching campaign to lure American doctors north

With the launch of a new digital ad campaign for doctors, the Saskatchewan Healthcare Recruitment Agency (SHRA) is looking to make an American loss into Saskatchewan’s gain.

The campaign – dubbed “Saskatchewan is Calling” – will be directed towards the top recruitment priorities in the province: anesthesiologists, family doctors and doctors in emergency medicine.

The recruitment campaign will promote career opportunities, what the SHRA calls competitive compensation, and a high quality of life in Saskatchewan.

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Erin Brady, vice-president of operations at the SHRA, said the impetus for the campaign is the current political climate in the U.S.

“It’s been really that political and economic instability that has caused us to think about increasing our reach into the United States. We have seen some increase in traffic on our website. We’ve seen about a 20 per cent increase between January to April this year, compared to last year,” explained Brady.

Brady wouldn’t say which states the campaign will target, but the ads will start on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and Google. The campaign will start with a budget of $60,000, but she said the money and the platforms can be adjusted if needed.

Doctors in the U.S. have been looking more for international opportunities lately. International recruiters have been adding hundreds of doctors to their networks in the last few months, and the Medical Council of Canada said more medical school graduates from the U.S. are opening up accounts, which is the first step in pursing a Canadian licence.

“We want to showcase to Americans why Saskatchewan offers them a new direction by being an excellent choice for physicians who want to practice in a secure, stable and supportive environment,” Jeremy Cockrill, Saskatchewan’s health minister, said in a news release.

Dr. Joss Reimer, the president of the Canadian Medical Association, told the Canadian Press there’s growing frustration from U.S. doctors with private insurers and discontent from obstetricians and family doctors who are worried about political interference in their practices.

Nova Scotia has recently said the province is in serious talks with 27 American doctors, and Manitoba said it’s talking to 12. Brady said it’s too early to put a number on how many American doctors the SHRA is talking to, but said it is actively engaging with some U.S. doctors.

Saskatchewan has struggled with health-care staffing and shortages of doctors and specialists since before the COVID-19 pandemic, and the provincial government has been working to expand its recruitment and retention efforts, while also expanding training opportunities for those aiming to enter the health-care field.

Terri Strunk, CEO of the SHRA, said in a news release that the province offers one of the quickest pathways for American-certified doctors to become licensed.

“We regularly showcase our opportunities in the United States, but this campaign is a bit different, designed to capture the attention of physicians who may be looking north for a new opportunity,” Strunk added.

Meanwhile, the provincial government said it is also developing a “more in-depth” physician recruitment campaign that will feature doctors working in Swift Current, Saskatoon and North Battleford.

“The profiled physicians explain in their own words why Saskatchewan is a great choice to build your practice and your life exploring advantages such as team-based care; a strong, supportive physician network, opportunities for career growth, and many other benefits including their connection to helping Saskatchewan patients,” the provincial government explained in a release.

That campaign is expected to launch in early spring.

–with files from The Canadian Press