Each issue of HCIS' quarterly newsletter contains photographs, stories and information about the work we do, the people we meet and success stories from the health workforce and students.
We are always looking for stories so if you have one to share or if you would like to receive a paper copy of our newsletter, send us an email at news@saskdocs.ca. In the meantime, enjoy the current issue.
October 2017
Inside This Issue:
Registered Nurse is Proud That Nametags Don’t Matter in Oxbow
Alison Duncan – a nursing supervisor at the Galloway Health Centre in Oxbow – was drawn to Saskatchewan thanks to family connections. A relative of hers who has lived in the Oxbow area for 40 years contacted Alison in her home province of New Brunswick to “gently hint” that Oxbow needed registered nurses.
Nine years later, Alison is still pleased with her decision to settle in Oxbow. “Here you really get to know your patients, see them through their care, explore their medical history and get to know them not just as patients, but as people,” says Alison.
The Galloway Health Centre is an integrated health care facility that includes 12 long-term care beds, 10 assessment and observation beds, and 24-hour emergency services.
“The Health Centre is a busy place mostly because it’s a long way from a larger hospital or city so it offers a lot of services. Professionally, I think this is one of the strongest attractions to the job here: knowing how to use and assess a lot of stuff allows me to keep on top of many skills. This is different from a larger tertiary centre where nurses often specialize in the same type of care day after day,” says Alison.
Alison is especially proud of her status as a health care professional in Oxbow. “The community really takes you under its wing and it just astounds me that nametags don’t matter! It’s huge for the patients when they know your first name, when I establish that trust and the confidence they place in me as a care provider.”
Outside of work, Alison sees plenty of advantages to her lifestyle in Oxbow: “My husband really loves the outdoors, and he finds that southeast Saskatchewan has some of the best fishing and hunting spots in the country so he really enjoys the region as well. We both love to camp so we have a number of different camping spots we can visit at any time.”
At the end of her day, it’s relationships that matter most to Alison. “Since I’ve been in Oxbow I’ve developed more of a trusting relationship with patients. It’s these types of relationships that make me feel great. I love this small town – it has a real sense of community and I love being a part of it.”
Hear Alison Duncan's story in her own words by watching this video. While you're there, subscribe to our Vimeo channel to learn more about the many great health professionals currently working in Saskatchewan.
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Southern Physician Enjoys Being Close to His Patients and Family
Dr. Brad McIntyre, a family physician in the southeast Saskatchewan town of Redvers, clearly remembers the 
two South African physicians who practised in his nearby hometown of Alida while he was growing up.
“They were really friendly guys and they made family medicine really appealing for me. They set a good example of what I think a family physician in rural Saskatchewan should be doing.”
Dr. McIntyre completed his own residency in family medicine in Swift Current and was well-prepared for his career ahead in rural health care. He feels his current role as a family physician in Redvers is a perfect opportunity on multiple levels. With two young daughters, being geographically close to his extended family and a tight-knit group of friends definitely has its benefits (his wife is from nearby Minot, North Dakota). Another highlight is that Dr. McIntyre still farms with his family when he has time.
“One of the advantages of practising medicine in a place like Redvers is that you are close to family. I know I can walk down the street to my house to look after my kids, or I can drive a short distance to ‘de-stress’ and do farm work, and then I can be back here at the health centre in only a few minutes if need be,” says Dr. McIntyre.
“When you practise rural family medicine, you use a wide range of skills and you’re with a small professional group in a small community. While resources may be limited, the scope of practice is broad. You could be monitoring a patient with chest pains and referring them to a cardiologist, dealing with a trauma and working with a STARS team, and then setting a broken bone. It all depends on the day.”
Dr. McIntyre loves the diversity of his practice as one of two doctors in the town – treating patients with anything from a cough or a cold, all the way to mild cognitive impairment or a stroke. Redvers also has a 40-bed long-term care facility where he does rounds. Being in a smaller community means practising beginning-to-end patient care and working consistently with colleagues to ensure a team-based approach to care.
“Living in rural Saskatchewan was always in my plan. There is lots of room, lots of places to explore, affordable living and a lifestyle with something different each season.”
Hear Dr. McIntyre's story in his own words by watching this video. While you're there, subscribe to our Vimeo channel to learn more about the many great physicians currently practising in Saskatchewan.
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Cruising Through Southern Saskatchewan
Originally Published on July 24, 2017 by Bruin Alexander
I remember my first time through Saskatchewan, on a bus bound for Swift Current, watching the fields flash by. That was about a dozen years ago now, and it seems like a totally different time, a totally different life. That kid was on the first eastern road swing of his Western Hockey League career, and Saskatchewan wasn’t much more than a pit stop: five rinks, five hotels, and not much else.
Looking back, the funny thing was how excited all my teammates were about their province. Kids from BC or Alberta were excited by their hometowns, the odd ski resort, and maybe a lake they spent a summer at. The boys from Saskatchewan were excited about everything: how what’s-his-name’s little brother once played puck in that town, or how such-and-such an NHLer grew up plowing that field and skating on that pond, or about the one time they snuck out on the dirt bikes to fish out the back of so-and-so’s property.
As the bus drifted across the countryside, you’d hear a constant murmur of stories about here. There is a whole lot of folklore in the “Land of the Living Skies”. For a lot of my life, that folklore was tied up in hockey, and for good reason: they don’t do it as well anywhere else. But by my second swing through, I realized the pride was tied up in so much more than just the game.
As Nathaniel and I recently screamed through the fields of southern Saskatchewan, he began pointing out places he remembered from growing up: visits to his Grandpa’s farm, the stories his Pops would tell about another time. He had a lot of those stories and places to point out. Even though he didn’t live for long in Saskatchewan, he stayed long enough to get a taste of what that meant.
On our week or so cruising through the southern reaches and small towns, we met lots of people. They all had things in common - this attitude, this friendliness, and an earnest interest in a couple outsiders – all of which was steeped in a sense of pride regarding home. Everyone had a favourite place to point out, and with every place came a favourite memory. We could sit down in a diner and sink into conversations about wherever we found ourselves, learning local secrets about where to eat, where to fish, where to crash.
All of it had this charm. Everyone you met either never left, or if they had, they figured out enough reasons to come back. Everyone holds the door. Helping someone with groceries isn’t questioned. You hear “sorry” even – especially - when it isn’t warranted. Most of the folks you see know each other, and most of them have a story or two about the other. It’s a simple place that loves it that way.
Saskatchewan always had something to it, something people talk about, something I never understood. Something that had old friends from Kindersley, Estevan, Tisdale, wherever, dreaming of nothing but a small slice of home. I thought about that as we slowly headed west. The longer you hang around, the more you see the sweat, the community, the dignity. From old women excited to share stories of a time past and not altogether different, to old men complaining with childhood friends about the rain or the Riders. Sons sowing the land of their fathers, and daughters dreaming about one day living up to their mothers. A whole lot of people who can see forever on the horizon and are happy that forever is here.
Many visitors to our country come to see the coasts or the big cities. If you’ve done that, you might've seen Canada, but until you've been to the middle, you'll probably never understand Canadiana; the grit, the patience, the courtesy, the pride. If you want to understand why people around the world smile when they see that red and white maple leaf, come to Saskatchewan. It’s a place where many folks choose to stay, because the grass - as they say - is never greener than it is here.
Author: Bruin Alexander - writer, adventure photographer & social media strategist from Vancouver
As a photographer his goal is to inspire people to challenge the status quo and live fulfilling, mutually beneficial and purposeful lives. Through his travels he intends to document the notion that there is no 'right' way to live and that progress is best seen within diverse populations who share information in such a way as to create a more holistic and empowered individual.
Website: http://www.bruinalexander.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bruinalexander
Tumblr: https://bruinalexander.tumblr.com
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April 26, 2017
Inside This Issue:
Caring for People Inspires this Nurse Practitioner to Work in Saskatchewan’s North
Wendy Quinn has always held a special connection with northern Saskatchewan. Quinn is originally from Alberta, but moved to Prince Albert in the 1990s with her husband and felt at the time it was a better environment to further their careers in health care and dentistry.
“My husband and I, before we started a family, actually worked in northern communities including the eastern Arctic. After moving from there to Saskatchewan we initially thought that being closer to our families in Alberta was the best choice, but we found it was a struggle to professionally get ahead there. There are just more people and more competition for career postings. In the end, we looked at Saskatchewan and thought that we should give this another try and are we ever glad we did.”
After moving back to Saskatchewan in the early 2000s Quinn’s husband continued to move ahead with his dentistry career, they started a family and she worked predominantly as a primary care nurse in the northern communities. Through this experience she was able to obtain her nurse practitioner (NP) license and eventually move back to Prince Albert and start work in the area of geriatrics. Geriatrics became a passion for her and she then got her Masters in Adult/Gerontological NP. Her career focus is now in geriatrics and remote northern clinic work. To this day she has the privilege of doing both.
“We love it here in Prince Albert. It is really a close knit community; you don’t have to spend hours driving anywhere; our kids love the school they are in and we’ve made important friends that we really cherish. On the professional side, the compensation is as good or better than anywhere else; the cost of living is lower and professionally there is lots of room to grow.”
Quinn is also excited to work with people who are focused on one common goal – to deliver the best care possible to each patient under their care. This team-based approach is important to Quinn. The team consists of nurse practitioners, doctors, pharmacists, therapists to name a few of the professionals involved in delivering care, but the need for certain types of professionals varies from patient to patient, as does the care.
“The collaborative team function is the most effective way of delivering health care services. We have a whole team that draws from the strengths of each other. If there’s a good collaborative team, multi-disciplinary, working together for a person, there is no other way that I would go. I think it is the only way to deliver care.”
Another gratifying part of being a nurse practitioner in Prince Albert for Quinn is the sense of satisfaction she feels when she meets with a patient, listens to what they want and need, tries to understand how she and the rest of the care team can help that patient in the best way possible.
“The people that I see every day, whether it is here in Prince Albert in long-term care or during my visits to a community in the far North, give me purpose. I’ve been at this for about 25 years now and what I’ve learned is that when I approach people about the care they may need, I picture myself as a servant to their care. They tell me exactly what they need, I listen and I deliver. Any preconceived ideas or notions I may have had prior to meeting them are left at the door; personal biases are secondary. I think if there is one learning experience I can share with anyone who wants to be a nurse practitioner in a community like Prince Albert or northern Saskatchewan or for that matter anywhere, it is to take your own agenda off the table, humble yourself and listen. It will make a world of difference in how you do your job and provide service.”
Hear Wendy's story in her own words by watching the full interview on Vimeo.
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Many Benefits to Practising Rural Medicine for this U of S Graduate
“I don’t have a long commute or do a lot of driving to get to and from work. I see many of the same patients regularly so I know their medical history and I really like the health care team where I work.” These are some of the reasons why Dr. Christine Ryan chose to practise medicine in Shellbrook, a rural community approximately 50 kilometres west of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan.
“When I was in med-school I did both a rural experience and PREP (Physician Recruitment Agency of Saskatchewan Rural Externship) experience in Shellbrook and they were great. My aunt and uncle had a farm close to town so I would stay there and drive in with them every morning. That’s when I got see what practising doctors actually did and how they did it. One of the big reasons I chose to go back to Shellbrook and practise medicine was because I got to know the nurses that worked there. The doctors that worked there were really good too, but by the time I was done med school none of them were still around, so it was really the nurses that I had an opportunity to train with and the whole Shellbrook team that helped me decide where to practise.”
Originally from Unity, Saskatchewan, Dr. Ryan has been practising medicine in Shellbrook for several years now. She spends most of her day at the community’s new hospital and clinic. She sees many of the same patients at both locations; it all depends on the type of need that the patient has at the time. Dr. Ryan knew at an early age that medicine was going to be part of her professional future. After graduating from high school she enrolled in the University of Saskatchewan (U of S) for her undergrad and then applied to medical school. It was after getting into med school that Dr. Ryan started to think about what type of medicine she wanted to practise. After thinking about paediatrics early on, Dr. Ryan eventually found the rural, family medicine more and more appealing.
“I’m really glad I picked that path [rural family medicine]. I did check some other things out, but after doing PREP and the community experience when I was a med student, both of which I took in Shellbrook, I was quite confident I knew I wanted to practise rural, family medicine.”
Dr. Ryan’s typical day starts around 8 a.m., but it all depends on when patients arrive and when the rest of the health care team can come together. The day usually starts at the clinic, which is a primary care clinic so different people arrive at different times throughout the day. These appointments usually take her to the noon hour depending on patient needs. While at the clinic Dr. Ryan says one of the things she looks forward to is all staff having lunch together. The break gives them time to have lunch, do charting and even go for a walk if there’s time. Clinic hours resume after lunch until closing. After that Dr. Ryan again has time for charting and catching up on paperwork. Dr. Ryan works at least a few times a week at the Shellbrook hospital doing different procedures and then at least once a week at the community’s long-term care facility to meet her patients and see how they are doing. Dr. Ryan is also on call at least once a week (12-hour shifts), which keeps her busy as Shellbrook is one of the busier emergency departments in the region.
“Even if you’re not sure you want to go into rural medicine, give it a try. It may not ultimately be something you want to do, but the scope of practice you’ll experience in these places will give you a leg up on doing all types of medical procedures. I found that my rural training was strengthened by the stuff you can’t learn in a classroom. You get to do a bit of everything and that is a great skill set to have.”
Hear Dr. Ryan's story in her own words by watching it on Vimeo. While you're there, subscribe to saskdocs' Vimeo channel to learn more about the many great physicians we have practising in Saskatchewan.
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Public Health is a Passion
Dr. Nnamdi Ndubuka is passionate about what he does. He lives and works in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, but his role as the Medical Health Officer for the Northern Inter Tribal Health Authority (NITHA) goes far beyond the borders of this thriving city. Dr. Ndubuka not only loves his work and the people he works with, he embraces the community where he lives, one that is situated on the banks of the North Saskatchewan River and is commonly referred to as the “Gateway to Saskatchewan’s North.”
Dr. Ndubuka came here from Nigeria looking for an opportunity to further his career. In 2012 he applied for a family physician opening in Melfort that a friend had referred to him. Soon Dr. Ndubuka found himself and his family moving to a new city and province. Since then the Ndubukas haven’t looked back.
“I just love it here,” said Dr. Ndubuka. “It is exciting to live and work in the North, there’s lots to do for both adults and kids; you have walking trails, biking trails, in-door sports facilities; my children play soccer and do ice skating; and I coach soccer as well. You can be anywhere in this city in about 10 minutes and the culture here is one we embrace.”
His employer, NITHA, is a one-of-a-kind, First Nations managed organization that delivers health programming to 33 northern on-reserve communities in six health regions across the province’s north. It is a region that is vast, sparsely populated and at times difficult to access. “A large proportion of the population served by NITHA is First Nation. My work in this area includes communicable disease surveillance such as monitoring HIV, tuberculosis, STI (Sexually Transmitted Infections) rates and mumps. These are all public health concerns that need to be monitored and controlled. They happen to be ones that I am very interested in learning more about so that is why I really love what I’m doing right now.”
NITHA is continually focusing on team-based primary health care. It delivers health care services to the people of the north through what is known as a third-level service. Third-level health services are provided by NITHA to bands and tribal councils. These services include disease monitoring, planning, education, training and technical support. The second level of service is provided by multi-community bands, tribal councils and in some cases, single bands in several communities. They deliver program design, implementation, administration and training of staff. The first level of services is provided in the community directly to community members. It is a unique way of delivering health care services and one that involves physicians like Dr. Ndubuka, nurses, pharmacists, dentists, dieticians, epidemiologists and more.
According to Dr. Ndubuka, another important aspect of delivering public health services is advocacy and education. “When you are trying to make an impact in a specific community on some public health issues, advocacy for better programming and disease awareness are key components of this job. It is this part of the job that I enjoy, although it is challenging because there are a variety of health issues to advocate for and educate people about and you’re doing all of these within a unique and dispersed population in Saskatchewan’s north.”
Dr. Ndubuka, his wife and four children are working, going to school and giving back to a community and province they now call home. NITHA, Prince Albert and Saskatchewan are happy to have them and glad they chose to live, work and play in a province where more physicians, health care workers and their families are welcome.
“Prince Albert is a great place to live and raise a family. I work in a profession I am passionate about, I can drive anywhere in the city within a few minutes and I have an opportunity give back through volunteering and being part of a larger community that has allowed me to do this all.”
Hear Dr. Ndubuka's story in his own words by watching it on Vimeo. While you're there, subscribe to saskdocs' Vimeo channel to learn more about the many great physicians we have practising in Saskatchewan.
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The Saskatchewan grand slam: 4 amazing north Saskatchewan canoe trips
Story and photos courtesy of Jimmy MacDonald
Jimmy MacDonald is a veteran whitewater canoe instructor and expedition guide with Churchill River Canoe Outfitters in northern Saskatchewan and around the planet.
As our guest writer/raconteur today, Jimmy shares his passion for Saskatchewan adventures, lakes, and rivers. Check out these four amazing canoe experiences in Jimmy’s absolute favourite place in the world—northern Saskatchewan.
We hear that Saskatchewan boasts over 100,000 lakes, but what about all our beautiful rivers? Virtually all our lakes are connected by rapids, waterfalls, and river systems. The name ‘Saskatchewan’ comes from the Cree word for ‘swift flowing river.’ So in my mind, rivers are our province’s greatest attribute.
Here are four of my absolute favourite rivers to canoe:
1. Churchill River
Ready for a great canoeing adventure?
Before you go: stop in at Montreal River Outpost in Air Ronge to rent canoes or pick up last minute items. Next, you’ll start the quintessential Saskatchewan weeklong canoe trip from the northern village of Missinipe on Otter Lake. After you load your canoe and camping gear at Osprey Wings docks into a 50-year-old de Havilland Beaver, you’ll take a short flight to one of numerous island-studded lakes on the Churchill River and be set to launch. My favourite is the gorgeous Black Bear Island Lake.
The Churchill River is likely the most family friendly and relaxing trip around. Paddlers are treated to warm water and fun, consequence-free rapids. There are top-notch campsites on rocky outcrops to bask in the summer sun (which barely drops below the horizon in the summer). History abounds along this route, too. If you pay attention, you’ll notice the once jagged rocks along the portage trails have been smoothed over by the footsteps of hundreds of years of moccasin footsteps.
Remember to kick back and relax in the wilderness. You might get a chance to see the osprey feed on walleye as they dive dramatically into the rapids for their prey. The biggest mistake people make is NOT taking longer to do this trip. Here’s a sample video of the fun you can have.
2. Clearwater River
This is an amazing whitewater adventure. The Clearwater River is accessed via highway 955 north of La Loche or else through the floatplanes in Buffalo Narrows flown by Barry O’Brien at Voyage Air. The Clearwater River is action packed, and for those trying to check off places in The Great Saskatchewan Bucket List, this river contains some spectacular must see spots!
With constantly flowing water, sometimes your problem on this river is trying to slow down and soak it all in. The skilled canoeist is rewarded with countless rapids that seem to go on forever bouncing between boulders and rock walls like a gigantic pinball machine.
This trip includes the infamous Methye Portage, which was the longest voyageur portage trail in Canada and the most important link during the fur trade. Pro tip: your trip just isn’t complete until you’ve seen the sunset on the foreboding cliffs of Skull Canyon. Watch the last rays of the sun light up the orange, lichen-covered rocks in an intense glow. Magic.
3. Cree River
If fishing whets your appetite more than the adrenaline rush of running rapids, then the Cree River is the Holy Grail of rivers to paddle in Saskatchewan. Flowing from 160 km due north from Cree Lake to Black Lake, you’re best to fly into this river from Points North Landing.
The headwaters boast a healthy population of monster lake trout, while the river is positively frothing in the upper stretches with Arctic grayling, all ready to launch out of the water for your fishing lures. As you float leisurely down the 150 km of easy rapids, there are massive northern pike lurking in the weedy bays waiting to attack anything cast their way. If you’re dedicated, you’ll be delighted by deep cold pools filled with walleye.
Six people is the secret number to keep costs down and maximize the load capacity of the Turbo Otters. Your only concern will be making sure you don’t run out of Fish Crisp as you float down the river, feet up and basking in the sun, looking for fish in Saskatchewan’s clearest water.
4. Fond du Lac River
I saved the best for last—the Fond du Lac River holds a special place in my heart. The endless white-sand beaches and crystal clear waters make me reminisce of leading sea kayak trips in the Caribbean Sea.
Flowing from the third-largest lake in Saskatchewan, it twists and turns its way down to Lake Athabasca through the sandstone canyons. It’s easily accessible by road—Cameco accommodates canoeists and allows escorted access through their Eagle Point Mine Complex to launch from their docks on Wollaston Lake. Part of the allure to paddling the Fond du Lac is the ability to have an exceptional wilderness experience but access the river directly from a road. This is a huge plus—it keeps this trip affordable for the budget minded paddler.
There’s something for everyone on this trip. You’ll see:
- countless challenging Class III rapids
- campsites that boast towering Jack Pine forests with the only undergrowth being a soft spongy layer of caribou lichen and blueberries
- a rich history involving the First Nations and more modern fur trade era, including Canada’s most famous explorer/cartographer, David Thompson
There you have it: my four favourite northern Saskatchewan canoe adventures. This is just a sampling of trips, though, as there are seemingly endless adventures that await you on the waterways of northern Saskatchewan. There are not enough days in summer, or years in your life, to explore all the amazing canoe trips in our province. So you’d best get out there and get your paddles in the water soon!
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December 16, 2016
We Have Much to Celebrate
Health Careers in Saskatchewan continues to work with its health system partners to find health care workers for the province. Saskatchewan needs a number of health care professionals, all of whom play a part in delivering quality care to the people of this province whether on the front line or behind the scenes. It’s important for our recruiters to work closely with provincial health regions from every corner of the province to ensure they recruit the employees they need.
In this issue of Health Careers in Saskatchewan’s e-newsletter you’ll find out how we’re working closely with provincial employers to address the recruitment needs in the areas I just mentioned. You’ll also learn more about the people we recruit. These people are deciding to move to Saskatchewan in addition to many more of their friends and colleagues.
These are people like Lorri Dennis, a nurse practitioner who was born and raised in this province. She’ll tell you all about the opportunities and challenges she faces on any given day, but also more about where she works (and lives) and why she wouldn’t have it any other way. In our last e-newsletter we told you all about Pam Rauscher, a combined lab X-ray technician who recently moved to Assiniboia from northern British Columbia. Pam loves where she lives, has settled into her role and has made gained the attention of a certain Saskatchewan celebrity over the past several months.
We’re recruiting these professionals due to the commitment, dedication and work of our recruiters, both in the office and in the regions. Recruiters attended many events in 2016 such as the Health Careers Interaction fairs that have been touring Canada for years. Recruiters also attended fairs throughout Saskatchewan at SaskPolytechnic locations and both the University of Saskatchewan and University of Regina campuses.
As much as we would like to meet each candidate personally, that is simply not always possible. We encourage everyone to go to the Health Careers in Saskatchewan website (healthcareersinsask.ca) to view our current openings. You will find more information about each opportunity and in which beautiful community it is located. If you want to take it one step further, you can create a profile and apply online. We would love to have you join our dynamic and growing health care work force.
Enjoy reading this issue of the Health Careers in Saskatchewan e-newsletter and all the best in 2017!
Erin Brady
Interim CEO
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Serenity Only 20 Minutes Away
Lorri Dennis loves the fact that her workplace is only a 20-minute drive from home down a quiet, rural highway in east-central Saskatchewan.
Dennis is a primary care nurse practitioner (NP), who is part of a dynamic and diverse health care team at the Canora Health and Wellness Centre, a community of approximately 2,500 people about a three-hour drive east of Saskatoon.
The Canora Health and Wellness Centre is one of the newer Saskatchewan facilities that has transformed into a Collaborative Emergency Centre (CEC). One of five in the province, the Canora CEC boasts many benefits. When it is added to Canora’s newly renovated clinic, which is now located in the hospital, you have better care and a better workplace. Just ask Dennis:
“I no longer play phone-tag with hospital staff all day. If I need to talk to the lab or medical records I just go down the hall. Most Fridays I step in to home care to discuss a shared client. I can pop in to collaborate on a chronic wound dressing. The possibilities are endless! The new set-up has made life much easier for physicians and nursing staff alike. More patients are getting their lab work done, because they go down the hall immediately after their appointment. I can’t say enough about how this has improved communication for the entire team.”
Every day is different for Dennis. She sees patients in a number of different areas, all with varying degrees and types of conditions:
“In my role as an NP, I diagnose, treat and manage a wide variety of conditions and collaborate with the physicians in the region on anything outside my scope of practice. I deal with a lot of women’s health issues, seeing that I am the only female practitioner at this time. I also manage much of the chronic disease management. I visit two nearby First Nations and the town of Invermay on a monthly basis. In addition, I conduct long-term care rounds in Invermay.”
For Dennis, there are a number of reasons why she loves what she does. She likes seeing a number of different people with varying types of conditions who live in different places, and she appreciates that all the challenges and problems associated with providing care are hers to handle.
“I have a fabulous set-up. I am extremely lucky to be this far in my career and able to work in such a challenging and fulfilling role. And at the end of each day I have a 20-minute drive to my peaceful home on the prettiest lake in Saskatchewan!”
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It Was Health Careers 2 in the Fall of 2016
There was no shortage of health career recruiters around the province and around Canada the past few months. 
That’s because staff from Health Careers in Saskatchewan (HCIS) and Health Careers Interaction teamed up to connect, engage and recruit health care professionals.
Health Careers Interaction’s Ken Marskell was happy with the turnout at each of the events that Saskatchewan recruiters attended. “I think all of the recruiters were extremely busy,” said Marskell. “Health care students and professionals expect these career fairs, and they become part of the recruitment calendar for many. As a result, many, regardless of where they go to school, know about the Interaction fairs and attend as many as they can in order to find a career after they graduate,” said Marskell.
HCIS recruiters participated in four Interaction events: two in the east (Halifax and Toronto) in September, and two in the west (Edmonton and Vancouver) in October. Each event saw hundreds of health care candidates visit the HCIS booth to find out more about the opportunities on our website and more about Saskatchewan in general. Staff members are now following up with the contacts they made at these events encouraging them to find out more about living and working in Saskatchewan.
HCIS recruiters will continue to attend recruitment events at select Interaction locations, Saskatchewan Polytechnic, University of Regina (U of R) and University of Saskatchewan (U of S) campuses over the coming months. Watch our online calendar to find out when and where we’ll be.
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A New Health Professional Profiled by the Saskatchewanderer
Neil Fisher, the 2016 Saskatchewanderer, is winding down his activities this month and closing the books on a busy and successful year. Before he called it quits on his adventures, he managed to connect with Pam 
Rauscher.
Pam was one of the health career professionals Health Careers in Saskatchewan highlighted in one of our recent e-newsletters. Pam is a combined lab X-ray technician (CLXT) who started working in Assiniboia (Five Hills Health Region) this past summer.
While Saskatchewan has hundreds of health professionals in many different corners of the province, Pam’s case was unique. She moved to Assiniboia from Mackenzie (a small community approximately 200 kilometres north of Prince George, British Columbia), to continue her career as a CLXT.
Rauscher’s story caught the eye of a few people who follow Neil Fisher and his wanderings. The Saskatchewanderer is always looking for a good story and an interesting person to talk to, especially someone who recently moved here from out of province.
You can watch Neil’s entire interview with Pam by following this link. It’s an excellent story and Pam has a lot to say about life in Saskatchewan.
P.S. if you or anyone you know is up for wandering around the province and telling others about it, then the Saskatchewanderer may be just the thing for you. Applications are currently being accepted for the 2017 Saskatchewanderer.
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Not Just a “Land of Living Skies”
It is true that Saskatchewan does have magnificent landscapes, stunning sunsets and breathtaking vistas that go on for miles. There are hundreds of perfect pictures being shared online every day to prove it. However, Tourism Saskatchewan may have forced the traditional thinker to go outside the box by announcing the winners of its annual ExploreSask Photo Contest. Each entry goes to show, there is so much more to this province than meets the eye.
Tourism Sask picked a winner in six categories this year, plus a grand prize winner that was deemed the best shot overall. The winning entries are shown below.
While these stunning photos probably grabbed your attention, what better way to experience all that Saskatchewan has to offer by living and working here.
Or, better yet, experience Saskatchewan first hand by checking out healthcareersinsask.ca, creating a profile and applying for any one of the hundreds of opportunities currently available in the province’s health care sector today.
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