Submitted Story |
Swan Valley RISE (RISE) and Prairie Mountain Health (PMH) announced today that another future physician has been recruited to the Swan Valley.
David Cazakoff, a 2nd year medical student at the University of Saskatchewan, has signed a return of service agreement to establish a medical practice in the Swan Valley when he completes his training.
Raising awareness about practice opportunities in the Swan Valley has been a key part of recruiting efforts and various exploratory visits have been organized by RISE and PMH for this purpose.
“It was great to meet everyone and see the hospital and new clinic – things in the Valley are progressing faster than I had realized,” said David Cazakoff. “Returning home has been my goal for several years now, so I’m excited to see that everything will be ready for me to immediately start my practice when I come, and to know that I will have motivated local colleagues to work and share call with.”
“Our community has a long history of commitment to healthcare initiatives through many different organizations and individuals. RISE’s efforts continue in that spirit,” says Swan Valley RISE Economic Development Officer, Shauna Klekta. “Working together with PMH has given our community an advantage in our efforts to establish a solid primary care foundation and we need to continue to do everything we can to encourage young physicians to choose the Swan Valley as a practice location.”
Return of service incentives are offered by both PMH and The Swan Valley Health Facilities Foundation (SVHFF). The SVHFF Physician Recruiting and Retention Fund was established locally through contributions from participating municipalities.
Making the Swan Valley a more attractive practice location for new physicians has been another significant priority for PMH and RISE, and the Primary Care Centre is a great example of how their collaborative efforts have made a difference.
“The Primary Care Centre is the first step in our journey to establishing an integrated primary care team model for Swan River area residents,” says Penny Gilson, CEO, Prairie Mountain Health. “We are excited to see it is already attracting the physicians that will bring a renewed, collaborative approach to primary care in Swan River and surrounding area.”
Two other future physicians, Tyler Burnside and Savanna McKay, have previously made commitments to establish a medical practice in the Swan Valley upon completion of their training.