It takes a community to attract a physician

Team effort in Sylvan Lake ensures a ‘soft landing’ for newcomer

Story by Jonathan Koch | Photo by Megan Hanson

SYLVAN LAKE — Alberta felt like home to Dr. Fungai Ndoro long before he left South Africa.

“I did a bit of homework, and I spoke to a couple of friends who were based in Alberta, and they said that they are enjoying it in Canada because it was giving them the stability and opportunities that they wanted,” says Ndoro. “So that's what made me say, ‘OK, let’s give it a shot’.”

Dr. Ndoro began searching for opportunities on the AHS Doctor Jobs website and was contacted by Janel Cadrain, one of three AHS Physician Resource Planners (PRPs) in Central Zone.

PRPs work closely with physicians and community medical leaders to identify service needs and facilitate the physician-recruitment process.

“Part of our job is to facilitate the steps to get physicians to their community once they’re offered a position says Cadrain. “We try to make this easier for them in any way possible — whether it be providing information, or always being available to answer any questions.”

After verifying his eligibility, experience and training, Cadrain worked with Dr. Ndoro and AHS Central Zone medical leaders to find the perfect fit, connecting him with an opportunity in Sylvan Lake.

“From the first time that we were connected by AHS, Janel was setting up the interviews and making the effort to assist me in every way possible,” adds Ndoro. “As soon as I got the job, Janel helped me with the relevant documentation and guided me through the visa process. Even a few weeks later after getting there, if I needed certain stuff, she would assist me.”

When the time came for Dr. Ndoro to visit the community, Cadrain connected him with the Sylvan Lake Health Professionals Attraction and Retention Committee, a group of volunteers supported by AHS and the Rural Health Professions Actions Plan (RhPAP) who welcome and help integrate new physicians and their families into the community.

“We received the call from AHS saying, ‘Hey, we've got a physician coming to town, any chance you'd have some highlights for the tour?” says Megan Hanson, committee member and Mayor of Sylvan Lake. “I took that back to our team and the town and said, ‘Well, I think we can do better than that’.”

Hanson arranged for committee members to join Dr. Ndoro, his spouse and his eight-year-old son on a community bus tour of Sylvan Lake schools and playground facilities, working with Cadrain to tailor the trip towards their specific interests. Hanson’s young nephew also joined in the fun, striking up a friendship with the youngest Ndoro.

“It’s so neat to see your community through someone else's eyes when you get to tour them for the first time,” adds Hanson. “Every one of us who's been involved in these tours has left being like ‘I think I just fell a little bit more in love with home’.”

While the Ndoros now call Sylvan Lake home, Hanson says there’s no “mission accomplished” moment when it comes to recruiting a physician.

“We recognize that we don't want to just welcome them in and be involved for the first two months and then ‘see you later’,” she says. “How do we continue to incorporate them so they are settled, so they find the community that's right for them, so they find the right connections, the right church, all of those kinds of things?”

Cadrain believes the warm welcome provided by the local attraction and retention committee makes a big difference for physicians and their families.

“Physicians have already gone through so many steps to be able to practise in Alberta,” she says. “They have a lot of questions, so being able to connect them with the Sylvan Lake Committee is amazing, because they know their community the best,” adds Cadrain.

Ndoro says the continued support from both Cadrain and the committee has helped his family feel right at home in Sylvan Lake.

“It’s been a soft landing for us because, you can imagine, if there was no welcoming committee, I would not have known where to start.”