IEHPs and Employer Site Visits

Over the past few months, N4 has met with many organizations and individuals across Canada who are working to support the integration of internationally educated health professionals (IEHPs), in order to inform our efforts to address the barriers for IEHPs in being optimally employed. We’re grateful to them for taking the time to speak with us and look forward to collaborating in the future.

Here’s a look at some of our recent conversations. You can also stay up-to-date about the other organizations and individuals we’re connecting with through N4’s social media channels – find us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

Windmill Microlending

Thank you to Abhinav Bhalla, Partnership Development Lead, BC; Rob Hindley, National Director of Marketing and Communications; and Jon Lam, National Director of Finance and Risk, Windmill Microlending for taking the time to meet with the N4 team. We learned a lot about how Windmill provides microloans to skilled newcomers, including internationally educated health professionals (IEHPs), to support their career goals.

 

New Brunswick Community College (NBCC)

It was a pleasure to sit down with Ray Hubble, Provincial Dean, School of Health & Wellness, New Brunswick Community College to discuss the College’s bridging program for internationally educated nurses (IENs) seeking to work as nurses in Canada. We look forward to brainstorming together further on how to support IENs.

Binny Law Professional Corporation

Thank you to Binny Joseph, Barrister & Solicitor, Binny Law Professional Corporation for taking the time to share his professional experience as both a lawyer and registered social worker supporting internationally educated health professionals through the immigration and licensure process.

Kids Help Phone

We’re grateful to Ravina Anthony, Manager, Newcomer Initiatives and Prerna Sharma, Engagement Coordinator, Newcomer Initiatives, Kids Help Phone for a great conversation about Kids Help Phone’s efforts to support the mental health and well-being of newcomer youth, including their support services and resources in multiple languages.

School of Nursing, York University

Thank you to Dr. Pat Bradley, Associate Professor, School of Nursing, York University for speaking with the N4 team and sharing her extensive experience supporting IENs, in Canada and internationally. We look forward to working together further.

Integrated Filipino Canadian Nurses Association (IFCNA)

Here’s a look at a great conversation that we had with Jennifer Lopez, President, Integrated Filipino Canadian Nurses Association (IFCNA) about IFCNA’s work supporting IENs and helping them integrate into Canadian workplace culture. Thank you to Jennifer for her continued support and involvement in N4’s work.

The Ottawa Hospital

Thank you to Ndolo Njie-Mokonya, Supervised Practice Experience Program Coordinator, The Ottawa Hospital for taking the time to share details about how this program provides individualized support and training that focuses on clinical practice, communication skills, and integration into the nursing and unit culture within the hospital. We look forward to staying in touch as the program continues to grow.

Kingston Community Health Centres

Here’s a look at our conversation with Wendy Vuyk, Director, Community Health, Kingston Community Health Centres (KCHC), where we spoke about KCHC's current efforts to recruit IENs and learned of Wendy's wealth of experience on workplace innovation. We are looking forward to collaborating further.

London Health Sciences Centre

We’re grateful to Sarah Smith, Manager, Clinical Educators SWOT Nurse Interns, London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) for speaking with the N4 team about how LHSC is currently experiencing the health human resource crisis, and how they’re recruiting and retaining IENs and ITPs to combat this.

Government of Prince Edward Island

Thank you to Rebecca Gill, Director of Recruitment and Retention Secretariat and Nadine MacLean, Health HR Advisor, Government of Prince Edward Island for sitting down with the N4 team to share what PEI is doing to integrate IEHPs upon arrival, specifically through programs and other supports. We look forward to connecting further about innovative solutions to support the recruitment and retention of IEHPs.

Hamilton Health Services

It was a pleasure to speak with Kellie Crnic, Project Manager for IENs at Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS) about HHS’ two programs to support IEN integration – the Internationally Educated Nurse (IEN) Integration Program, and the Supervised Practice Experience Partnership (SPEP).

Alberta Network of Immigrant Women (ANIW)

We’re grateful to Kamal Sehgal, Executive Director, Gurpreet Sahi, Program Manager, and Ciza Zoya, Project Coordinator, Alberta Network of Immigrant Women (ANIW) for taking the time to meet with us and share details about ANIW’s work supporting IEHPs.

Association of Regulated Nurses of Manitoba (ARNM)

Thank you to Joyce Kristjansson, Acting Executive Director, Association of Regulated Nurses of Manitoba, for speaking with the N4 team. We look forward to working together on supporting internationally educated nurses.

The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada

It was a pleasure to sit down with Andre St-Pierre, Director of Assessment and Certification, and Chantal Benoit, Manager, Credentials Unit, The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. We look forward to collaborating further to support internationally educated physicians.

Dr. Emmanuel Ajuwon

Thank you to Dr. Emmanuel Ajuwon for sharing details about his own lived experience as an internationally trained physician (ITP), mentoring of other ITPs, and role as an assessor with the Nova Scotia Practice Ready Assessment Program (NSPRAP) with the N4 team.

SEED Winnipeg

Thank you to Jeff Patteson, Recognition Counts Loan Coordinator, SEED Winnipeg, for meeting with the N4 team to share details on SEED’s financial support system for internationally educated health professionals (IEHPs) as they navigate the credential recognition process.

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

It was great to sit down with Kristen Winter, Vice President, Human Resources, Workforce Organizational and Leadership at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre to learn about Sunnybrook’s proactive approach to recruiting and retaining internationally educated nurses (IENs).

Dr. Sepideh Behroozan

We’re grateful to Dr. Sepideh Behroozan for taking the time to share details of her work supporting internationally trained physicians (ITPs) in Nova Scotia, in her role as a physician working with newcomer patients, and her own lived experience as an ITP.

 

Canadian Council for Practical Nurse Regulators (CCPNR)

Thank you to Christine Da Prat, Executive Director, Canadian Council for Practical Nurse Regulators (CCPNR) for meeting with N4. We had a great conversation about the barriers preventing internationally educated nurses (IENs) from working as nurses in Canada.

Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS)

We appreciated the opportunity to sit down with John Gallinger, CEO, Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS). We’re proud to have CaRMS represented on our Community of Practice Internationally Trained Physician (ITP) Working Group and look forward to working together further.

Health Profession Regulators of Ontario (HRPO)

Thank you to Beth Ann Kenny, Executive Director, and Elinor Larney, Vice President, Health Profession Regulators of Ontario (HRPO) for taking the time to speak with us about HRPO’s work. We look forward to continuing the conversation on how internationally educated health professionals (IEHPs) from various health professions can be successfully integrated into the Canadian healthcare system.

Collège communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick (CCNB)

Thank you to Julie Cyr, Dean for the École santé et services communautaires and Director for the Campbellton campus of Collège communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick (CCNB) for discussing CCNB’s programs to support internationally trained physicians (ITPs) and internationally trained nurses (IENs).

Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia (ISANS)

Here’s a glimpse of our recent conversation with Mohja Alia, Manager, Employment & Bridging, Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia (ISANS) - we had a great conversation about all the collaborative work that ISANS is doing to support internationally educated health professionals (IEHPs).

Catholic Centre for Immigrants (CCI)

Thank you to Ana Gabriela Lopez, Program Coordinator, Career Transitions for International Health Professionals, Lucila Cabrera, Manager, and Paul Soubliere, Manager, the Catholic Centre for Immigrants (CCI) for taking the time to speak to the N4 team about CCI’s work supporting internationally educated health professionals (IEHPs) in Ottawa.