b'HEALTH CARE SPOTLIGHTStephen W. Green is managing partner "In most circumstances, foreign-trained at the immigration law firm Green &Spiegel, LLP. After 40 years in the field, he has seen firsthand how this jurisdictionaldoctors need to do a residency again in mismatch presents barriers to foreign health-care workers, especially doctors. In most circumstances, foreign-trained doctors needCanada, but only a very small percentage to do a residency again in Canada, but only a very small percentage (as low as two per(as low as two per cent of these seats) are cent of these seats) are available to foreign residents, Green explains. Another issue is licensing. Not only is healthavailable to foreign residents"care provincially regulated, but the rulesand regulations can differ significantly- Stephen W. Green, Green & Spiegel LLPbetween provinces. So even Canadian health-care professionals face challenges when moving from one provinceto another.physicians. Ireland was chosen for strategicexploring how training programs in both ACTIVE RECRUITING reasons. First, the standards of training forcountries can be aligned, and strategies to What are the provinces doing to make itphysicians in the country are similar to thosefast-track Filipino health scienceseasier for foreign-trained health-care workersin Newfoundland and Labrador. While thisgraduates into the Saskatchewan labour to work in Canada? There are a number ofisnt the case with nurses, the province ismarket. The Filipino community in interesting initiatives in play, and there willexploring how to best recruit nurses who Saskatchewan, meanwhile, is growing, probably be more in the pipeline, whichdo meet the equivalent of its own helping support burgeoning relationships bodes well for the countrys health-carelicence requirements.with Filipino authorities. system and for foreign-trained professionalsSecond, Ireland is home to a large concen- This mission will allow us to engage interested in moving to Canada.tration of high-quality medical and nursingdirectly with Filipino health-care workers Nova Scotia, for instance, is bringing inschools. Far from just visiting one stop, theand attract them to the province. This continuing care assistants from Kenya asJanuary 2023 mission involved a multi-cityinitiative is one of the ways our government part of a program it initiated with the helptour to raise awareness of the opportunitiesis delivering on our commitment to attract of Talent Beyond Borders (TBB), an organ- in Newfoundland and Labrador for Irishhundreds of additional health-care workers ization helping refugees to gain access tonurses. We are taking the necessary actionto our friendly Saskatchewan communities economic immigration. For years, TBB hasto address the staffing issues facing thewhich are eager to welcome them," stated partnered with RefugePoint, an internationalhealth-care system in our province as wethe provinces Minister of Healthorganization working with an employer incompete with other jurisdictions to attractPaul Merriman. Nova Scotia. RefugePoint held a recruitmentand retain physicians and nurses at this mission in Kenyan refugee camps and hiredcritical time, stated the Honourable The Saskatchewan HHR website outlines an initial cohort to work in a long-term careDr. Andrew Furey, Premier of Newfoundlandemployment opportunities in the sector, home in Nova Scotia. In October 2022,and Labrador.lists incentives, and shares information on some of those partners returned to KenyaThe province has invested $30 millionwhat it is like to live and work in Saskatch-with a different employer and made condi- to recruit and retain foreign health-careewan. Part of the site is geared specifically tional offers to 65 continuing care assistants,workers, and earlier this year it held ato health-care workers from the Philippines, says Lara Dyer, the Canada director of TBB.number of recruitment events in the U.K. Toand there are stories of Filipino health-The continuing care assistants will startdirectly engage professionals from abroad,care workers who have successfully gained arriving in Canada later this year to work intheyve set up a dedicated Work in Health NLemployment in the province as well as communities across the province.website where foreigners can browse job list- interviews with the Saskatchewanings and learn about incentives and benefitsHealth Minister. On this recent trip to Kenya, we had thefor health-care professions in the region. When it comes to economic immigration, opportunity to support continuing careone province that stands out is Quebec. recruitment while also offering the chanceSaskatchewan is also setting its sights farTo date, Quebec is the only province that for a new beginning to those who have beenafield. In late 2022, the Saskatchewanhas an agreement with another country living at refugee camps their whole lives.government announced a recruitment Franceto recognize the European Thats a win-win for everyone, explainsmission to the Philippines with the goalcountrys nursing education and training. Mary Lee, president and CEO of Healthof promoting provincial health-sector jobIn Quebec were lucky, because we have Association Nova Scotia and its subsidiaryopportunities. In November and Decembera special agreement with France that gives Igility. We know our efforts to attract new2022, the province held five days of work- nurses easier access to the profession, employees to the sector must expand beyondshops in Manila while Minister of Healthexplains Julie Lessard, partner and head of our own borders.Paul Merriman met with key officials the Business Immigration Group at BCF Another example of a Canadian jurisdic- there to strengthen ties and explore Business Lawyers. If they can get here,tion actively bringing in foreign health-carepartnership opportunities.it\'s relatively easy. They get a temporary professionals is Newfoundland and Labrador,Saskatchewan hopes to recruit registeredwork permit and can then get a licencewhich in early 2023 announced it would leadnurses, continuing care assistants and otherto continue working here asa mission to Ireland to recruit nurses andhigh-priority health-care workers. It isa nurse. Summer 2023PERSPECTIVES25'