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Physician Recruitment Hot Topic for 11th Annual Foundation Dinner
AMHERST, NS (March 31, 2009) – Dr. David Gass, District Chief of Medical Staff for the Cumberland Health Authority will be one of the key note speakers at the 11th annual Cumberland Health Care Foundation dinner occurring at the Amherst Regional High School on Saturday April 25th.
Dr. Gass joined the Cumberland Health Authority team in 2008, replacing Dr. Ian Sutherland who retired after several years in the role. “Basically I’m going to talk about the need to grow healthcare in Cumberland and how communities can assist in physician recruitment,” said Gass. “We’ve all seen the ongoing shortages of medical professionals in different healthcare settings and communities across the province – it’s not a new issue. It’s an existing one we battle every year as those professionals retire or relocate. Healthcare impacts everyone – and communities can help in the recruitment process. ”
“We’re extremely pleased and looking forward to hearing what Dr. Gass will say,” said David Wood, Chair of the Cumberland Health Care Foundation, “and I’m sure others are as well. It’s a hot topic of discussion in many communities.”
Proceeds from this year’s Foundation dinner will go to support the Cumberland Health Care Careers Bursary Program. Designed to help fight shortages of skilled medical professionals in Cumberland County, the bursary program helps students financially achieve their dreams of a career in health care. To date 23 students have been accepted into the program of which 10 are now employed in the Cumberland Health Authority district.
The Cumberland Health Care Careers Bursary Program Fund provides an annual $5000 bursary to Cumberland County students attending post-secondary training for one of the identified critical areas such as nursing, laboratory, diagnostic imaging, physiotherapy and many others. Candidates then undergo screening for eligibility requirements and participate in an interview process as part of the application process. For each year the student is awarded the bursary the student then agrees to work an equivalent year within Cumberland County. Bursary participants are also guaranteed summer employment while in school to further assist with their career goals in healthcare.
Volunteers and artists have been gearing up for the past couple of months to support the Foundation dinner by donating works of art while the business community has also been pitching in with donations of gift certificates, products and services for the live and silent auctions that will occur.
“We’ve received some amazing pieces of work,” said Development Assistant, Nini MacDonald, “I’m always surprised at what comes in the door but I must say that the blue heron carved out of black walnut by Bruce Hebert is my favorite.”
Guests of the event will also be hearing from a bursary recipient and how donations to the Bursary Program have enabled her to fulfill her dream of helping others by training to be a Licensed Practical Nurse. In addition the Foundation will be awarding its annual Distinguished Service Award and Volunteer of the Year Award and are pleased to have Jost Vineyards as its lead sponsor for the evening.
“We’re pleased that everyone is coming together to help bring medical professionals to our community,” continued Wood, “unfortunately the reality is that it’s a competitive environment out there for skilled medical professionals. We need to do everything we can to continue growing healthcare in this County and bringing those people to live and work in our communities.”
Tickets to the 11th Annual Foundation Dinner are now available from the Foundation Office at the Cumberland Regional Health Care Centre or by calling (667-5400 ext 6210).
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David A. Gass, MD, CCFP, FCFP
Dr. Gass graduated from Mount Allison University in 1967 and then Dalhousie University with his MD cum laude in 1973. He initially practiced in Fredericton, NB until 1978 when he joined the Medical Faculty at Dalhousie University. He obtained his Certification in the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) as a practice eligible candidate in 1978 and was named a Fellow of the College in 1986. He received the CFPC Donald I. Rice Merit Award in 1998.
He has taken academic and hospital leadership roles in Continuing Medical Education, Health Care of the Elderly, Inpatient Care and was Professor and Head of the Dalhousie University Department of Family Medicine from 1988-1995.
Professional Association leadership has included chairing the Canadian Medical Association Council on Medical Education, the CFPC Committee on Assessment and Evaluation (Accreditation) and the CFPC Committee on Ethics. He is the CFPC member of the Steering Group for the Future of Medical Education in Canada Project and a member of the CFPC Undergraduate Medical Education Committee.
He completed a three-year secondment to the Nova Scotia Department of Health as Director of Primary Health Care and then Senior Advisor to the Primary and Continuing Health Branch of Health Canada in 2006.
He retired this summer, 2008, from the Camp Hill Family Medicine Center where he was a Professor in Family Medicine at Dalhousie University and is currently the District Chief of Medical Staff of the Cumberland Heath Authority in Nova Scotia.
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