Prairie Mountain Health continues to aggressively recruit new staff for all of its facilities, particularly here in the Parkland.
CEO Brian Schoonbaert says they are currently facing a sizeable vacancy rate for nurses and health care aides.
"We are approaching forty per cent, but we are continuing on with our recruitment. Our healthcare aide vacancy rate is actually higher than our nursing vacancies. It is probably sitting closer to sixty per cent for health care aides. So that is very substantial. "
Schoonbaert highlighted that a recent Filipino recruitment program through the province has resulted in one nurse coming tio Dauphin, with several more staff expected in the near future, with most of them being health care aides.
He adds they have been relying on private agency staff to help fill the voids on an interim basis.
But he says the development of a provincial float pool will help them move forward.
"Instead of relying on agencies, which are private, they are looking more to help out the regions access staff through a provincial float pool where they are actually going to be like other staff. They will be required to sign up for a minimum number of hours per year, and they will be identified within your region to work in your region."
Schoonbaert says they are already seeing success with the float pool in the Dauphin area.
