IEHPs-CAN: An initiative of the CMF in partnership with PEGASUS Institute

Canada is experiencing an acute shortage of healthcare workers. Meanwhile, there are currently thousands of Internationally Educated Health Professionals (IEHPs) already in Canada who are underemployed or working outside their professions. Coming from diverse backgrounds, with a wealth of knowledge and experience, immigrants and refugees face many obstacles when attempting to integrate into the Canadian health workforce.

In addition to limited financial resources, language barriers and regulatory and licensure complexities, one of the less considered obstacles is actually the overabundance of online information, some of which is not timely and which varies from province to province. IEHPs often rely on scattered online resources, many of which are outdated or contradictory. Without reliable information, IEHPs waste months, even years, all the while families struggle financially, IEHPs take survival jobs, their skills atrophy and they lose the recency of practice requirement that stops them from further proceeding along licensure pathways.

Limited social and professional networks further compound IEHP confusion and delays along their pathways.

With over 20% of Canadians being first generation immigrants and a growing multicultural fabric, a diverse workforce fosters cultural competence, builds trust, and improves health outcomes for underserved communities. IEHPs have the potential to bring invaluable diversity to the health workforce – cultural insights, multilingual abilities, and global experiences that enhance patient care in Canada‘s increasingly diverse population. 

In 2022, CMF and the Pegasus Institute launched the IEHPs-CAN program to support IEHPs as they navigate the pathways available to them in order to enter the Canadian health workforce. The project started with a “first stop” digital platform centralizing information and resources to help IEHPs understand the various pathways to licensing and practice, and has evolved to a high-demand initiative for IEHPs from numerous professions seeking navigation, mentoring, and coordinated supports.

Please consider donating https://medicalfoundation.ca/support-cmf/

[1] Statistics Canada. Adults with a health education but not working in health occupations. 2020-04-29.

 

• IEHPs-CAN Digital Platform - The first stop resource for Internationally educated Healthcare Professionals in Canada.
• Webinars and Networking Events - See our past webinar and networking events as well as our upcoming events
• Focus Groups Results - Pre-Project Stakeholder Analysis