Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority (RHA) hosted the 2024 Family Medicine Resident Retreat in Gimli September 20 to 22 to showcase the region’s many practice and lifestyle opportunities.

In total, 110 first- and second-year family medicine physician residents attended the event planed by their colleagues to participate in education presentations, explore the area with their families and rekindle relationships with their classmates.

“The weekend would not be a success without the help of our local communities who understand the value of investing in this retreat to help with physician recruitment in our rural communities. Thank you for your sponsorship,” says Interlake-Eastern RHA chief medical officer Dr. Charles Penner. “A special thank you to the individuals who represented their communities, who handed out the welcome baskets and who extended a warm welcome to these young doctors to start their weekend off right.”

The weekend included a variety of tourist, social and educational events with a focus on rural practice and rural living. Among educational sessions offered were family practice, physician wellness, suturing, rural emergency medicine and Indigenous health. A special thank you to physicians practicing in Interlake-Eastern RHA who took time to speak to residents and attend the job fair. Hosting the resident retreat rotates among rural regional health authorities. The last time Interlake-Eastern RHA hosted the was in September 2019. As a result of the overwhelmingly warm welcome young physicians receive from communities as well as physicians practising in the health region who offer training opportunities combined with the work of the RHA, 14 former University of Manitoba family medicine residents have started practising in the region. That’s more than the region has been able to attract in the past. These doctors could have started their practices anywhere in Canada or abroad but they chose Interlake-Eastern RHA.

Thank you to the following communities who supported the event:

• Lake Manitoba First Nation
• Local Government District of Pinawa
• Rural Municipality of Alexander
• Rural Municipality of Arborg
• Rural Municipality of Coldwell
• Rural Municipality of Fisher
• Rural Municipality of Gimli
• Rural Municipality of Reynolds
• Rural Municipality of Rosser
• Rural Municipality of St. Clements
• Rural Municipality of St. Laurent
• Rural Municipality of Springfield
• Rural Municipality of West Interlake
• Rural Municipality of Whitemouth
• Town of Arborg
• Town of Lac du Bonnet
• Town of Powerview-Pine Falls
• Town of Stonewall
• Town of Teulon
• Town of Winnipeg Beach