Emergency Medicine Recruitment and Retention Incentive

Experience the Rewards

Program Overview

The Emergency Medicine Recruitment and Retention Incentive is available to emergency medicine physicians providing full-time (minimum 0.8FTE) services in qualifying Saskatchewan communities.

This program applies to physicians who:

• have initiated practice on or after June 1, 2024,
• are new to emergency medicine practice in Saskatchewan, and
• meet all other eligibility requirements.

Payment of the incentive may be made to qualifying physicians at the end of each year of practice according to the following breakdown:

Physicians practicing in the communities of Regina, Saskatoon, North Battleford, Yorkton, Swift Current, Moose Jaw, Prince Albert, or Lloydminster may qualify for up to $200,000:

Year 1 – $40,000 after 12 months of practice
Year 2 – $40,000 after 24 months of practice
Year 3 – $20,000 after 36 months of practice
Year 4 – $50,000 after 48 months of practice
Year 5 – $50,000 after 60 months of practice

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility will be determined on an annual basis. Eligible physicians will receive their incentive once they have completed the given year of service. To be eligible for the incentive, physicians must meet all the following criteria:

• Physicians must be new to practice in Saskatchewan. The program applies to Specialist Emergency Medicine physicians and Family Medicine Emergency Medicine physicians. New R3 Emergency Medicine training for existing family physicians will qualify.
• Establish full-time emergency medicine practice (minimum 0.8FTE) on or after June 1, 2024 in an eligible community (or communities) in Saskatchewan. Eligible communities include:
  • Regina, Saskatoon, North Battleford, Yorkton, Swift Current, Moose Jaw, Prince Albert, and Lloydminster
• Must be a Member of Practitioner Staff with the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) in good standing and hold an active license with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan.
• Physicians must provide service during at least 10 of the previous 12 months of each year.
• To remain eligible, physicians must remain in practice in eligible communities in Saskatchewan for each of the five years consecutively.
• Both FRCP Emergency Medicine and GP Emergency Medicine physicians are eligible.
• Physicians providing locum service do not qualify.
• Physicians can only receive the incentive once in a lifetime.

Please note physicians must meet the above eligibility criteria in a given year to be considered. Eligibility in a given year does not guarantee eligibility in any other year, nor does it guarantee that the program will not be subject to change at any time.

Application

Each emergency medicine physician practicing in Saskatchewan who meets the eligibility criteria will be considered at the end of each year of their practice. No application will be required.

Adjudication

Adjudication of the program will be made by the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) under the following considerations:

• The start date for the calculation of the incentive will be the date that the physician commenced their year of full time practice in an eligible community. Applications are adjudicated after 12 months of service are complete (adjusted for any approved leaves).
• The eligibility date for each year of the incentive may be adjusted if the physician takes an approved leave from practice during the year (e.g. parental/health/training leaves). Other leaves resulting in a gap in practice would be adjudicated on an individual basis by SHA and the Ministry of Health.
• The incentive will not be pro-rated for service less than full-time over the 12 month period.
• The full 12 months of each year of service must be completed to receive the incentive. No payments will be made if fewer than ten (10) of the twelve (12) months are considered complete.
• Payments are made at the end of each completed year of service if all eligibly criteria is met.