The Government of Saskatchewan announced that the Rural Physician Incentive Program (RPIP) is now in effect.

Rural and Remote Health Minister Everett Hindley said the program aims to attract more family physicians to rural and northern communities across the province.

“Family physicians play an essential role in rural and northern communities as they support emergency departments, acute care beds, and other important services provided by local health care facilities.”

First introduced in 2013/14, the new $200,000 incentive is more than four times the $47,000 incentive that was previously offered. To enhance retention, the length of the program has also increased from four years to five years.

Eligibility for the incentive has also been expanded beyond new graduates to include physicians who practice in rural and northern communities following the Saskatchewan International Physician Practice Assessment Program (SIPPA) completion.