Yellowknife — June 3, 2022
Today, the Minister of Health and Social Services, Julie Green, released a long-range human resources plan to address challenges to the recruitment and retention of health and social services staff across the territory.
The Northwest Territories Health and Social Services System Human Resources Plan 2021-2024 outlines actions to further the 19th Assembly’s mandate priority to increase the number of resident health-care professionals in the NWT. It also includes strategies to address existing staff shortages throughout the system.
All initiatives in the plan were guided by a commitment to address systemic racism and promote cultural safety and anti-racism within the NWT health and social services system.
The plan’s six strategic goals include developing and supporting Indigenous and Northern residents to pursue careers in health and social services, by offering them opportunities to receive bursaries, mentorship, and access to employment programs.
To attract professionals and keep them engaged, the plan calls for transformation of the NWT Health and Social Services System into a learning organization that provides a variety of professional development, academic support, eLearning, and mentorship initiatives.
Other initiatives include:
- Entry surveys for new employees to better understand their recruitment experiences.
- Exit surveys and interviews with exiting employees, including physicians, to identify factors that contributed to avoidable, voluntary departures.
- The creation of a Talent Strategy that develops new leaders and staff who aspire to management positions.
- Targeted marketing campaigns to attract new graduates and physicians.
- Improved health, safety, and wellness support systems for employees.
Burnout caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, has led to the resignation, retirement, or reduced work hours of many health professionals across the country. This has exacerbated the national shortage of health professionals, which has led to service reductions in the NWT as well as in other parts of Canada.
The NWT Health and Social Services System represents a partnership between the Department of Health and Social Services, the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority, the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority and the Tłı̨cho Community Services Agency. Together, they have a workforce of about 2,200 employees, representing one third of the territorial government’s workforce.
Quotes
“The Health and Social Services System Human Resources plan supports the 19th Legislative Assembly’s mandate to increase the number of resident health-care professionals by at least twenty percent. We want to build a robust and representative workforce that better reflects the people it serves. This plan helps us take a big step toward achieving that goal.”
- Julie Green, Minister of Health and Social Services
Quick facts
- The Practice NWT website for Health and Social Services careers had 43,735 unique users in 2020/21, an increase of 190% from the previous year.
- Based on projections from the Canadian Institute of Health Information (CIHI), the 2021 total health spending (public and private) per NWT resident is $20,365 – 2.5 times higher than the National average cost per Canadian.
- As of Dec 31, 2020, 21.8% of employees in the Health and Social Services System identified as Indigenous, compared to 29.5% for the entire GNWT
Related links
For media requests, please contact:
Jeremy Bird
Manager, Communications
Health and Social Services
Government of the Northwest Territories