Health Minister Michael Miltenberger released the interim strategy Tuesday. It calls for hiring of 42 new doctors and nurses to boost the number of staff at Stanton Territorial Hospital and around the NWT.

New positions include: - 10 physicians, including four in Yellowknife, two in Dogrib and Sahtu regions, and one each in Deh Cho and Inuvik - Three specialists at Stanton in obstetrics, psychiatry and surgery; - 10 nurses at Stanton Territorial Hospital to work in OR, emergency, ICU and obstetrics; - 14 entry-level nursing positions for Northern nursing grads -- six at Stanton, two with Yellowknife Health and Social Services, two in Inuvik, and one each for the Dogrib, Fort Smith, Deh Cho and Hay River regions; - three nurse practitioner positions -- one each in Hay River and Yellowknife clinics and the third in a float pool for communities; - two midwife positions - one in Fort Smith and one in Hay River. In the plan: - $200,000 more for nurse mentorship program -- each nurse mentor will receive $10,000 a year; - $337,000 for additional training for ICU and OR nurses; and; - A reclassification study is also under way to rewrite job descriptions of health professionals. The plan is scheduled for February and would mean salary increases to specialty positions. - Studies of six core-service areas (Diagnostic/curative, rehabilitation, Protection, Prevention/Promotion, Mental Health/addictions and Continuing Care) will be complete by April 2003 and changes ready for implementation in 2004-2007 business plan.

"These new positions and resources will have a very real impact on front-line health-care professionals working in the NWT," said Miltenberger. "They will increase our capacity, not only to provide high-quality accessible services but, to address the serious concern of burn-out in frontline staff as well."

Miltenberger said the money is not one-time funding and will not take away from any other government programs.

"We're just running up the tab; it's added to the deficit," said Miltenberger.

Ending the argument

Dr. Ken Seethram, president of the NWT Medical Association, said the government has finally admitted more doctors are needed.

"We're no longer having the argument the NWT has enough doctors," said Seethram.

He said hiring so many new doctors could actually help to attract doctors because they will see the workload is being spread around.

"If you go out looking for one doctor it doesn't work as well as hiring four or more doctors," said Seethram.

The new funding brings the number of funded specialized positions up from 19 to 21 and there are currently 14 filled specialties.

The vacancies are currently in general surgery, internal medicine, orthopedics and diagnostic imaging.

Seethram said although the plan is a step in the right direction, there are still barriers to recruiting and retaining certain experienced staff.

"You could fund 10 more positions in the ICU but, if you don't have the experienced nurses or the package to attract them, it's not going to help. I don't think this plan solves any barriers to recruitment," he said.

Nursing association pleased

Sylvia Stard, president of the NWT nursing association said she expects the plan will go a long way to increasing the level of experience at the hospital.

"It is a significant investment in health care and certainly a recognition that we need additional nursing," she said.

Stard said that the strategy to hire nursing grads combined with the increased training resources will go a long way to retaining staff. It will also assist in filling the hospital with trained staff to fill specialty positions.

Another benefit the association is pleased with is the reclassification of nursing positions.

"Hopefully it will result in satisfactory salary levels for registered nurses," said Stard.

Union watching results

The Union of Northern Workers hopes the government will do even more, including extending a remission of student loans to existing staff. A recruitment and retention strategy released in November only covered new staff.

UNW president Todd Parsons said he was informed by the GNWT that they may be willing to extent that provision.

"The union will be meeting with the GNWT over the next few weeks to discuss, in detail, these other issues affecting our members," said Parsons.