Chatham-Kent Health Alliance job fair returns in-person

After a challenging three years for the sector, Chatham-Kent Health Alliance officials remain hopeful prospective employees continue to consider a career in health care.

The hospital group hosted an in-person job fair, the first since 2020, on Tuesday at the John D. Bradley convention center in Chatham to help promote clinical and support positions.

These include nursing and personal support workers, along with respiratory therapists, physiotherapists, laboratory and diagnostic imaging technologists/technicians.

Other departments such as housekeeping, medical device reprocessing, registration, patient appointment office and nutrition services also were in attendance.

“It’s just such a wonderful opportunity for us to showcase what is available at CKHA,” Lori Marshall, president and CEO, told The Daily News.

“(It’s) a one-stop-shopping model, where one can look at current opportunities and also maybe think about their futures.”

Representatives of CKHA’s leadership team and staff were on hand to offer information on the hospital’s programs, services and the application process. Interviews for clinical positions were offered on site.

There are 1,400 employees at the hospital’s Chatham and Wallaceburg locations. Marshall said there is an overall position vacancy rate of approximately eight per cent, adding it’s better than the provincial average, but that some services are higher, including nursing and lab positions.

She said the organization regularly plans for retirements, noting more employees have chosen that option since the pandemic.

Marshall added that, while burnout does happen, she believes health care is an “exciting, challenging and rewarding” field.

“The other message is, we do have a unique organization and culture (at CKHA),” she said.

Kaylynn List, a personal support worker, said she’s looking to get back into the profession after being off on maternity leave.

“I’ve always wanted to work at a hospital,” she said, adding she previously worked in long-term care since 2016.

List admitted the height of the pandemic was a “complicated” time to work in health care and is happy to see the situation has improved considerably.

Kyle Piggott, a new graduate from the registered nursing program at Western University, said there are “a lot of diverse opportunities” and he’s considering his options.

With a number of nurses in his family, he said he appreciates having options about where he can work, along with the chance to care for people.

Interested candidates are encouraged to visit www.ckha.on.ca/careers and submit an application online under future opportunities.