Local healthcare needs more than doctors\u2014it needs community support to keep doctors here. That\u2019s the driving force behind the first-ever Menzies Medical Centre Community Board Golf Tournament, set for Wednesday, September 18th. The event will pair a fun nine-hole round of golf with dinner, prizes, and a bigger purpose: strengthening physician recruitment and retention in the Pembina Valley.<\/p>\n
A growing need for physician recruitment support<\/p>\n
Nicole Walske, executive director of Menzies Medical Centre, says the momentum of new doctors arriving in the region is something to celebrate\u2014but it also highlights the financial challenge of sustaining recruitment efforts.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith our success of adding doctors in the last six months, our recruitment dollars have run pretty dry,\u201d Walske explained. \u201cWe\u2019re working to build that pot back up so that we can continue to bring new physicians into our community.\u201d<\/p>\n
She notes that while physician salaries are funded through the provincial health system, communities across Canada are expected to contribute incentive dollars to attract doctors. \u201cThe strategy we use in our community is tied to a return of service,\u201d Walske said. \u201cIt\u2019s a way of guaranteeing that they stay with us for three years, and we hope that they fall in love with this area and become permanent members of our clinics and community.\u201d<\/p>\n
Related stories:<\/p>\n
Why a golf tournament?<\/p>\n
The idea for a golf tournament came from a desire to engage the community in a fresh way. \u201cWe\u2019re trying to be creative with the board in a way to engage our community and help them learn how the clinic and the Community Board are closely tied together,\u201d Walske shared.<\/p>\n
She emphasized that donations are not going directly into doctors\u2019 pockets. Instead, they are fueling recruitment and retention programs that benefit the entire region. \u201cThis is really a way that someone can tangibly help and be a part of the solution,\u201d Walske said. \u201cWe all want strong healthcare close to home, and this is one way people can step up and make a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nine holes, dinner, and more<\/p>\n
The September 18th event will take place over nine holes of golf, followed by a dinner program. The evening will include a silent auction, a 50\/50 draw, and entertainment. \u201cWe\u2019re very excited,\u201d Walske said. \u201cWe\u2019re working on some entertainment for the evening that\u2019s going to be very exciting when I can announce it, but I can\u2019t quite yet.\u201d<\/p>\n
The decision to host a nine-hole event instead of 18 was made to encourage more people to participate. \u201cNine holes and dinner feels like the right fit,\u201d Walske explained. \u201cWe want people to spend time together, enjoy the evening, and support healthcare in our community.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sponsorships and community support<\/p>\n
Businesses and individuals alike are being encouraged to get involved. Sponsorship opportunities are available at multiple levels, including hole sponsors, silver sponsors, and gold sponsors.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe really want to get the community involved,\u201d Walske said. \u201cWe\u2019ve already had some businesses step up with gift certificates for foursomes and silent auction prizes, and others have volunteered to spend the day helping us. But we still need golfers, we still need sponsors, and we\u2019re hoping to fill 144 spots.\u201d<\/p>\n
Walske added that the board is open to creative ideas from businesses. \u201cIf there\u2019s someone out there that says, hey, I want to be a cart sponsor or a beverage sponsor, come chat with me. We\u2019re willing to add it if that\u2019s something people are interested in.\u201d<\/p>\n
How to register<\/p>\n
Registration is open for individuals and teams, with options to sign up online or directly through the clinic. \u201cProbably the easiest way is to either call or email me at the clinic and I can direct you,\u201d Walske explained. \u201cWe also have a temporary online link shared on our social media where you can sign up as a golfer or sponsor.\u201d<\/p>\n
The 50\/50 raffle, running alongside the tournament, is available now at fundingchange.ca, with the winning ticket drawn at the close of the tournament.<\/p>\n
For more information or to register, you can call Nicole Walske directly at 204-822-2601.<\/p>\n
A Day of Golf with a Bigger Purpose<\/p>\n
At its heart, the tournament is about strengthening the future of local healthcare. \u201cWe just want to remind people that as a clinic and as a community, we are together in all of this,\u201d Walske said. \u201cSo we can spend some time together that evening golfing, having dinner, and helping to raise money to make things better overall.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Local healthcare needs more than doctors\u2014it needs community support to keep doctors here. That\u2019s the driving force behind…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":100545,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[49,48,84,392],"class_list":["post-100544","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-healthcare","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-health","tag-healthcare"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100544","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=100544"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100544\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/100545"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=100544"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=100544"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=100544"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}