Medical Recruitment

February 27, 2023

• 63 acute care inpatient beds, an increase from 38 at the current site;
• an expanded emergency department designed to best practice standards that includes assessment and treatment rooms, a trauma room, stretcher bay and ambulance bay; and
• enhanced space for a number of programs such as surgery, diagnostics and palliative care, as well as various outpatient services including chemotherapy, ambulatory care and an eight-station dialysis unit.

This investment aligns with the Health Human Resource Action Plan, which launched in November 2022 with a commitment to add 2,000 health-care providers, invest $200 million to retain, train and recruit health-care staff across the province, and eliminate mandated overtime.

December 10, 2021

Neepawa and area residents will soon see a new hospital constructed as part of the province’s commitment to provide better health care for all Manitobans by focusing on reducing wait times, improving access to care and providing more services closer to home. Premier Heather Stefanson and Health and Seniors Care Minister Audrey Gordon made the announcement December 10, 2021.

“By investing in the new Neepawa Hospital, our government is building a strong foundation for the future of health care in this region of our province, a future that will offer reliable, consistent and high-quality health services,” Premier Stefanson stated.

The new facility represents an investment of at least $127 million. A site for the new facility is being finalized and will be announced at a later date. While located in Neepawa, the facility will serve patients from the broader geographic area in need of more specialized services, reducing their need to travel to larger centres like Brandon or Winnipeg, the premier noted.

Features of the new facility, which will replace the existing Neepawa Health Centre, include:

• at least 60 acute care inpatient beds, up from 35 at the current Neepawa site;
• an expanded emergency department designed to best practice standards that includes treatment and assessment rooms, a trauma room, stretcher bay and an ambulance bay; and
• enhanced space for a number of programs, such as surgery, diagnostics and palliative care as well as various outpatient services including dialysis and chemotherapy.

The new facility is expected to be at least twice the size of the current site. Construction is tentatively slated for completion in 2025.

First announced in Budget 2021, Manitoba is investing a historic $812-million capital investment in building, expanding and renovating health-care facilities across the province in support of Manitoba’s Clinical and Preventive Services Plan led and developed by clinicians.

“The Neepawa Health Centre provides essential services for a growing population in Neepawa and the surrounding area. The area is supported by a group of physicians whose skills support the delivery of many important specialized services locally,” said Brian Schoonbaert, CEO, Prairie Mountain Health. “This investment and expanded physical space will allow for our services to grow alongside our population, continuing our region’s focus on providing high-quality, coordinated care in this part of the province.”

September 2022

Physician recruitment efforts continue within Prairie Mountain Health (PMH) region. One of the initiatives the region utilizes as part of overall recruitment strategies includes the provincial Medical Licensure Program for International Medical Graduates (MLPIMG). The “IMG Program” assists foreign-trained doctors in obtaining their medical license to be able to practice as a primary care (family) physician in Manitoba.

“During the past year, the region sponsored five physicians to participate in the ‘IMG’ Program,” said Brian Schoonbaert, PMH CEO. “After much consideration, doctors that successfully graduated from the program were strategically placed at various sites within PMH communities (or nearby areas) that require additional sufficient physician resources.”

This year, these communities included Neepawa, Roblin, Russell, Virden and Swan River. Physicians and  their start date in each community are listed below:

• Shady Attalla              Virden  (started Sept. 19)
• Dalia Bushara             Roblin  (started Oct. 3)
• Samin Izadi                 Swan River (started Sept. 19)
• Sidra Jawed                Neepawa (started Sept. 19, 2022)  
• Dina Koreen                Russell (started Sept. 19)

In return for regional sponsorship, IMG doctors agree to practice in their respective communities for four years. The Program is supported by the University of Manitoba —Max Rady College of Medicine, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba and Manitoba Health.

Last year, five PMH-sponsored IMG physicians were placed in the communities of Killarney (2), Minnedosa, Roblin and Swan River.

“The International Medical Graduates program is an excellent example of partners coming together to provide Manitobans the care they need where and when they need it,” said Minister of Health Audrey Gordon. “The program supports physician placement in much needed rural communities throughout the province by matching them with internationally trained physicians. The province is proud to strengthen healthcare by supporting this program and delivering quality care to all Manitobans.”

During the next rotation, which is already underway, PMH is sponsoring five more IMG physicians who commenced their training program this past June. If successful, they will be able to commence practice within the health region sometime next fall (2023).

The Neepawa Health Centre opened in 1952, serving Manitobans in the Neepawa area as well as the broader Prairie Mountain Health region. The nearly 39,000 square-foot facility has 35 acute care beds and offers a number of health-care services, including an emergency department, surgery, obstetrics, chemotherapy and diagnostic services.

Manitoba’s Clinical and Preventive Services Plan will guide improvements to access, quality and patient outcomes for all Manitobans. Developed with the extensive input of health-care professionals, communities and members of the public, the plan represents the first time that clinical providers have contributed to a provincial plan that will meet the unique needs of all Manitoba communities. An important component of this work is collaborative and meaningful engagement with Indigenous leaders, communities and health experts across Manitoba to ensure the province builds an equitable and culturally safe health system that is accessible and responds to the needs and priorities of all Manitobans.

The plan uses resources in a more cohesive, coordinated way, using a network of hubs that are staffed and equipped to meet the needs of Manitoba patients. As a result of these investments, Manitobans will:

• wait less, with improved access to specialized services, mental health supports and care for chronic illnesses;
• travel less, with virtual appointments to many health care providers;
• know where to go for care, with reliable access to high-quality care closer to home; and
• have quick and reliable access to life-saving care in an emergency.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, several initiatives included in the plan were accelerated in order to support better care for Manitobans through expanded virtual care, secure online portals for test results and immunization information, and a provincial approach to increasing surgical and critical-care capacity.

Other initiatives already announced as part of this commitment, the largest capital health investment in the province’s history, include:

• the expansion and renovation of the Brandon Regional Health Centre and Western Manitoba Cancer Centre, which is expected to cost nearly $70 million;
• the construction of a new hospital in Portage la Prairie, which represents a commitment of approximately $283 million;
• a $32-million expansion of Bethesda Regional Health Centre in Steinbach that will include additional acute care inpatient beds and expanded medical capacity including a new renal dialysis unit;
• a $64.4-million expansion of Boundary Trails Health Centre in the Morden and Winkler area that adds new acute care inpatient beds and provides larger, more modern spaces for patient care programs;
• $31.6 million expansion of the Selkirk Regional Health Centre that adds 30 acute care inpatient beds and positions the facility to play an increased role in the provincial surgery program; and
• renovations totaling $5 million at Dauphin Regional Health Centre that will create additional inpatient capacity and allow for more endoscopies and surgeries to be performed at the site.