Community Navigator
January 2024: The Community Navigation and Physician Retention Services Association (a partnership of the Town of Antigonish Municipality of the County of Antigonish and the St. Martha’s Regional Hospital Foundation) would like to introduce Susie Doucet as the new Community Navigator!
Welcome Susie!
Susie Doucet holds a Master of Social Work from York University and a Master of Arts in Immigration and Settlement Studies from Toronto Metropolitan University. She has over 10 years experience welcoming newcomers to Canada, working primarily with refugee families. Susie is excited to be back home in Nova Scotia continuing her welcoming work in a new context.
We are excited to have Susie join us and know that her experience and local expertise will help create a welcoming and supportive environment for healthcare professionals and their families, so that we can ensure our community has quality health and medical care now, and for years to come!
As Susie begins her role, she will be reaching out to our local physician network, and members of the community, as well as the local Nova Scotia Health Recruiter to make introductions and hear about their ideas and experiences.
Susie can be contacted by emailing navigator@antigonishliving.com or by calling 902-338-2139
As a reminder
The St. Martha’s Regional Hospital Foundation, in partnership with the Municipality of the County of Antigonish and the Town of Antigonish, is a joint partnership in creating the Community Navigation and Physician Retention Services Association (CNPRSA). The Association works with the community, local physicians and businesses to engage, support and encourage physician integration and retention in our community.
It all started when…
the Foundation, Town and County of Antigonish were approached by a group of local physicians and community members who felt a community navigator position could support recruitment, integration and retention efforts in our community.
Wayne Ezekiel, Board Chair, Mayor Laurie Boucher and Warden Owen McCarron at the October 8th signing ceremony.
After several conversations and planning sessions between the Town, County and the Foundation, as well as community partners such as the local physicians, Nova Scotia Health, community members and other community navigators across the province, it was agreed that a necessary next step to support physician recruitment and retention would be to hire a community navigator to support physician integration and retention at St. Martha’s.
On September 8, 2020, the Foundation Board of Directors approved the funding to support one-third of a community navigator position. The same approvals took place at both Town and County council meetings.
Chair, Wayne Ezekiel signing MOU with Town and County of Antigonish to support Navigator position.
On October 8th, a formalized agreement was signed by the Foundation, Town of Antigonish and Municipality of the County of Antigonish to create the Community Navigation and Physician Retention Services Association, which would be responsible for hiring a community navigator. To support the work of the navigator and the position itself, each partner has allocated $30,000/year for the next three years for this initiative.