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A new website launched by the Municipality of Chester (MOC) to attract physicians to the community is now live.
The website’s goal is to show why Chester would be an ideal place for a doctor to practice medicine.
“The attraction and retention of professional staff to a community is critical if it is to remain vibrant and self-sufficient and to sustain itself into the future,” said Heather Hennigar, MOC’s Community Economic Development Officer.
The website boasts a wide range of reasons to live and work in Chester but the key points being stressed are the natural beauty of the area, the community, and the proximity to an urban centre (Halifax).
Another major factor being emphasized is the health of the community. In her dealings with doctors, Hennigar says that is one of the top concerns she hears, “Doctors want to work in communities that are physically healthy and we think our website will help highlight that we are a community that values healthy lifestyles.”
If the website succeeds in drawing attention the MOC hopes to receive multiple inquiries that will then allow them to proceed with the recruiting process.
While the need for physicians is urgent, the ultimate goal is to find candidates that want to live in Chester for the foreseeable future.
Allen Webber, Warden for the Municipality, said, “Recognizing that the recruitment and retention of physicians in rural Nova Scotia is an ongoing challenge affecting all residents, we are driven to have this program succeed.” He adds, “The proposal is well thought out, strategic, and sensitive to the needs of healthcare professionals and their families as well as focused on building relationships.”
The website is just one portion of the ongoing recruitment efforts that include other strategies like the development of pre-and post-visit promotional materials, training and support of volunteer Community Champions for recruitment tours, ongoing retention efforts, and success planning through relationship building.
Funding for the MOC’s recruitment strategy comes from a $25,000 contribution from the Communities, Culture and Heritage Fund, $5,000 from the MOC, and $10,000 in-kind donations from the Municipality and Our Health Centre.
