A Research Project

Godfrey Baldacchino & Michelle Hood

With support from: Health Canada (via Atlantic Connection) PEI – ANC ; PEI – HRI; PEI - HSC

National Icon . . . And High Expectations Mistake Health for Health Care ‘Shortage’ of Physicians (+ retirement/burnout) Aging Population On PEI: A Family Doctor for All Islanders? Service Uncertainty; long travels or wait times…. Pressures of Rural Practice (stress, role

enlargement) 3rd most serious Challenge to Immigration

Immigrant Retention Rate in PEI = 51% (LSIC, 1991-2001)

2

3

Pressures of Rural PracticePressures of Rural Practice

“I am not going to come here and work myself to death ... The pace and workload have become unmanageable” – Dr Wade Kean, O’Leary, CBC, January 24, 2007.

“Situation is about the worst it’s ever been in my 19 years working at West Prince“–Dr Herb Dickieson, CBC News, January 19, 2007.

“He has been frustrated around the work level, in particular with locums that are coming and going”– Dr Paul Berrow, Souris, The Guardian, Nov. 30, 2007.

5

“My wife and I are immigrating to the Island as part of the Provincial Nominee Program in the coming year.  All the paperwork is complete. We just need to sell the house here …  However, we have fought a 3-year fight to get my credentials … recognized on the Island, so far unsuccessfully ….”

Each is a Personal Each is a Personal Story…Story…

Situation (Fall 2007)

PEI Total Of which IEHPs

Family Physicians

121 17

Specialists 74 12

Nurses 1377 30

Others 3300 16 ?

Total 4900 75 ?

Physicians, Nurses, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Pharmacists, Medical Lab Technicians, Medical Radiology Technicians

7

Working in their profession Working in another job Not working

Extensive Literature Review

Web-based Questionnaire(100 responses in Atlantic Canada)

39 responses from PEI

Face-to-face Interviews with Stakeholders

8

9

NB: David Bruce & Gwen Zwicker

(Mount Alison U)

NS: Pat Saunders (CAPP / Dal U)

NL: Scarlett Hamm & Karen Dickson

(MUN)

10

75 Known IEHPs on PEI (November 2007) 39 Responded to Survey. Of these:

21 are from Asia21 are female31 moved to Canada since the year 20007 are planning to leave PEI13 work in the area of their training13 are not working at all

54 are clients of the PEI-ANC

20 of the 33 respondents who answered this question (61%) –were either unemployed or underemployed at the time of the study:

Working in the health sector, mainly in the area for which IEHP had been trained and/or had experience: (13).

Working in the health sector, but not mainly in the area for which IEHP had been trained and/or had experience: (5).

Working, but not in the health sector: (2) (“working in a restaurant” and “working with a pizza restaurant”).

Not working at all – including those studying/ sitting for health-sector related exams: (12).

One respondent volunteers at local hospital.

11

12

Profession and Labour Market (22 responses) – 64%

Inability to keep up-to-date professionally Non-recognition of health credentials obtained elsewhere Too many challenges towards obtaining health credentials Too many challenges towards securing licensure Opportunities for professional practice, internships,

orientation & training are not available, or available enough

Unable to secure (suitable) employment Insufficient information about local employment

opportunities Lack of full time positions with full benefits Lower pay scale

13

Civic-Political (eight responses) General sense of isolation (incl. members of immigrant family) Lack of other Muslims Lack of opera, symphony, ballet and ethnic restaurants Conservative and dismissive reactions to ideas from elsewhere

Language (two responses) English language proficiency Education (two responses) Limited opportunities in higher education Insufficient financial assistance to IEHPs continuing their studies

Residence (one response) More expensive travel to and from the region

14

Lower Pay & Non/Under-Employment Foreign Credential Non-Recognition / PLAR Non-Familiarity misconstrued as

Incompetence Shortage of Re-Entry Training Positions Absence of Training Support, Induction,

Shadowing & Mentoring (soft skills) Linguistic, Factual or Procedural ‘Ignorance’ Non-Familiarity with Rural Practice Inability to Refresh (No Fac of Med/ Dentistry)

“It is unacceptable to promote the human capital model but fail to provide the flexibility of educational and training opportunities for international graduates to learn needed skills and become acculturated” (Dauphinee, 2006).

15

16