All three municipalities in the Norwegian project is situated by deep fjords and scenic steep mountains
The municipalities Odda, Årdal and Meloy in Norway have received new energy through the project Recruit & Retain – Making it Work (R&R). Physician coverage is firmly on the agenda, both administration, politicians and professionals are committed, and they learn from other municipalities as well. Networking provides help to stay focused so that own small and large choices are optimal.
In our project, we emphasize that solutions must be adapted to local conditions and processes must be owned and anchored locally. The National centre of Rural Medicine offers support and research-based knowledge, network and experience from elsewhere in the country. But people in the municipalities are the ones doing the job.
The Senja model
During our R & R-workshop last September, the doctors and administrative staff in Odda, Årdal and Meloy meet representatives from the Senja Medical Cooperation. Since then a large delegation from Meloy have travelled to the Senja municipalities to learn more. Read more about Senja Physician model here (in Norwegian):http://www.nsdm.no/nyheter_cms/2015/desember/nsdm-har-evaluert-senjalegen/631
Training positions
In September, the municipalities also got to hear about an initiative aiming at creating a new sort of training positions for doctors in primary care. Recently the Ministry of Health allocated money for 12 such training positions in Hordaland and Sogn og Fjordane counties. Odda and Årdal will probably apply.
Read more about Training positions here (in Norwegian) : http://www.nsdm.no/nyheter_cms/2017/januar/pilotprosjekt-for-spesialisering-i-allmennmedisin/738
