lem even sooner. The median age <strong>of</strong> <strong>Muskoka</strong>’s population is 45 compared to 39 for the rest <strong>of</strong> the province, and 20 per cent <strong>of</strong> <strong>Muskoka</strong>’s population is 65 and over compared to the rest <strong>of</strong> Ontario at 14 per cent. “Within five years, we are looking at losing a large number <strong>of</strong> staff. The same thing as throughout Ontario, but we just see it a little sooner here,” Broere says. The survey also found that 48 per cent <strong>of</strong> <strong>Muskoka</strong>’s healthcare staff could retire within 10 years. According to the report, over half <strong>of</strong> <strong>Muskoka</strong>’s workforce was 45 or older, and 27 per cent would likely be retired or semi-retired within five years. Originally the steering committee thought there would be a shortage <strong>of</strong> personal support workers but the study found the vacancy rate for personal support workers was just three per cent. “Georgian College <strong>of</strong>fered the personal support worker program at the local <strong>Muskoka</strong> campus” Broere says. “It worked and filled the gap.” The <strong>Muskoka</strong> Cares survey found most <strong>of</strong> <strong>Muskoka</strong>’s health care organizations have had the most success recruiting locally, but had little success recruiting from outside <strong>Muskoka</strong>. <strong>Muskoka</strong> Algonquin Healthcare management wants to structure things at the hospital so staff members are able to work past their first retirement opportunity. They’ve also brought in a lot <strong>of</strong> training opportunities and help nurses to gain experience and training in their chosen area. Through the Ministry <strong>of</strong> Health and Long-Term Care’s Nursing Secretariat, there is a program in place to fund new graduate nurses working in the hospitals. “We like to place them with senior experienced nurses,” McFarlane says. 6 February 2010 www.whatsupmuskoka.com “We take full advantage <strong>of</strong> it every year.” About 80 per cent <strong>of</strong> the students that start here through the introductory program end up staying in <strong>Muskoka</strong>. “It is our most successful recruitment tool,” says McFarlane. Hughes notes that <strong>Muskoka</strong> has some seasonal staff who work here only in the summer. “We have nurses who take <strong>of</strong>f for the winter and fill in for sumer. We have that in <strong>Muskoka</strong> and we are able to capitalize on it,” he says. The fact that the hospitals are in <strong>Muskoka</strong> is a recruitment tool, he says. “We want that branding.” Many new staff decide to move to Nurse loves living in <strong>Muskoka</strong> Myles Sutherland was happy to leave the city and move to <strong>Huntsville</strong> to work as a nurse. He joined <strong>Huntsville</strong> District Memorial Hospital about two years ago and says it was a great move for he and his family. “We had two young kids and we just wanted to move out <strong>of</strong> the city,” he says. They had always vacationed in <strong>Muskoka</strong> and thought about relocating to the area. Finding their dream home was the thing that convinced them to make the move. Sutherland had run his own business in central Ontario. He was conducting clinical trials, dealing with employees and with the stress <strong>of</strong> being selfemployed, was ready for a change. When the right home became available just north <strong>of</strong> <strong>Huntsville</strong>, Sutherland and his wife bought it and moved north. “I put in my resume (at <strong>Muskoka</strong> Algonquin Healthcare) at 3:30 p.m. and by 5:30 p.m. they called for an interview. Bev Lawson, a nurse at the South <strong>Muskoka</strong> Memorial Hospital Site, rolls an IV tower down the hall. “They had a position here as a float nurse, in ER, ICU and surgical,” he says, explaining that it sounded like an interesting job. He took the job and his wife, also in the medical field, got a job in the hospital in the ultrasound department. Sutherland really likes the variety that his job <strong>of</strong>fers. “You never know what comes through the door and I always get to be where I’m needed. I may sit beside a dying person and talk to them or an ambulance may bring someone in on a stretcher. You just start doing what you were trained to do.” He always knew he wanted to be a nurse. “My mom was a nurse and then I did a co-op in high school and it sold me,” he says. “Nursing opens doors to a lot <strong>of</strong> things. It is very broad. That is what I liked.” Sutherland is enjoying working in the hospital and living in <strong>Muskoka</strong>. “We love it,” he says. “I really enjoy the people and the small community.” <strong>Muskoka</strong> because they want to change their lifestyle to avoid the hustle and bustle <strong>of</strong> major cities. “A lot want the closeness to nature,” says McFarlane. “It’s the kids who went to summer camp here or went to Algonquin park. They made a conscious decision to choose this area.” To recruit and retain staff, the <strong>Muskoka</strong> Cares group has applied to the Ministry <strong>of</strong> Food, Agriculture and Rural Affairs through the Rural Economic Development Program, which is devoted to improving access to health care in rural communities. They hope to hear a response in the next few months. The <strong>Muskoka</strong> Cares group would like to make high school students more aware <strong>of</strong> health care opportunities by promoting those careers through the schools and to the public in general. They also found that accommodation was an issue and would like to be able <strong>of</strong>fer some sort <strong>of</strong> accommodation support to new health care recruits. Some financial education supports would also be put in place. To support employees who want to further their education, a peer mentoring program will be explored. A youth internship program is also proposed. Marketing and recruitment tools, such as a video, logo and website may be created to help encourage employees to come to work and live in <strong>Muskoka</strong>. Expanded training opportunities for students, partnership training proposals and workplace learning with improved access to technology are all part <strong>of</strong> the plan. The <strong>Muskoka</strong> Cares project will unite resources and employers in <strong>Muskoka</strong> and will support the retention and recruitment <strong>of</strong> all health care occupations, according to the report. Broere stresses that the competition is tough and <strong>Muskoka</strong> must work hard to recruit new health care pr<strong>of</strong>essionals and retain the ones who are already here. “There are recruiting campaigns in the areas that surround us,” she says. In the next two years the Royal Victoria Hospital in Barrie will be hiring 1,300 healthcare staff including 700 nurses. Simcoe County is opening 140 new long-term care beds, North Bay will be hiring 300 more nurses and Peterborough Regional Healthcare Centre will be hiring 652 staff including 458 nurses. “While waiting for the funding, work will still be going on behind the scenes,” she says. “A strong healthcare supply is part <strong>of</strong> the foundation <strong>of</strong> a health community.” Myles Sutherland moved to <strong>Muskoka</strong> and took a position as a nurse at the <strong>Huntsville</strong> District Memorial Hospital Photograph: Don MacTavish Photograph: Sandy Lockhart
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