Internationally Educated Health Professionals Initiative

This initiative is another component of the Health Care Policy Contribution Program. It stems from the First Minister's Meeting on the Future of Health Care 2004 and is an important part of Health Canada's Health Human Resources Strategy.

Beginning in 2005, the Government of Canada committed approximately $18 million annually to create the Internationally Educated Health Professionals Initiative. The Initiative, through both direct support of Canadian-wide activities and contributions to provinces and territories, is creating innovative programs and building on the progress that governments and stakeholders have already made to develop programs and supports, and is promoting a consistent approach to integrating internationally educated health professionals (IEHPs) into the Canadian health care workforce.

The overarching goals that guide the Initiative include:

  • providing IEHPs with access to clear, timely information about paths to licensure,
  • establishing fair and transparent mechanisms for assessing the credentials, knowledge and clinical skills of IEHPs,
  • creating programs that increase the capacity of faculty and clinical educators to work effectively with IEHPs,
  • increasing access to a range of training, bridging and remediation programs for IEHPs,
  • launching programs that promote the integration of IEHPs into the health care workplace, and
  • enhancing regional collaboration to maximize the impact of available resources for IEHPs.

Health Canada, together with other federal departments, is working with provinces, territories and stakeholders on projects that assist professions in medicine, nursing, pharmacy, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, medical laboratory technology and medical radiation technology.

Examples of funded projects can be found in Pan-Canadian HHR Strategy Annual Reports

Additional Information

HHR Connection (newsletter)

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