Southlake hospital looks to fill 450 staff positions
Southlake Regional Health Centre in Newmarket is looking to fill 450 positions.
On Wednesday, the hospital held a job fair to attract potential employees to help fill gaps brought on by the pandemic.
"We're looking for multiple positions; nursing, allied health, which includes physio, occupational therapy, etc.," said Barbara Steed, the executive vice-president of clinical services at Southlake.
Over 200 people arrived to meet hospital staff and apply for various positions.
According to Steed, the hospital hired 650 new employees over the last year but needs another 450, many of which are nurses.
"I've never seen it like this in all my years of health care," said Steed.
"This is a bit of a long-term problem. It will take four years or longer depending on the programs and disciplines that people are graduating from."
The Ontario Nurses' Association (ONA) reports the province's supply of registered nurses (RNs) is below the national average.
Numbers attributed to the Canadian Institute of Health Information reveal the Canadian average is 830.5 RNs per 100,000 people.
In Ontario, that number is 668 per 100,000.
"The staffing across the province is absolutely horrific," said Angela Preocanin, ONA's first vice president. "We would need 25,000 just to fill the gap."
Preocanin said an increased wage would attract more candidates and retain current staff.
Anyone interested in joining the Southlake team, who may have missed the job fair, can still apply on its website.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Tyre Nichols' brutal beating by police shown on video
Memphis authorities released video footage Friday showing Tyre Nichols being beaten by police officers who held the Black motorist down and repeatedly struck him with their fists, boots and batons as he screamed for his mother and pleaded, ''I'm just trying to go home.'

CRA head says it 'wouldn't be worth the effort' to review all ineligible pandemic payments
The head of the Canada Revenue Agency says it 'wouldn't be worth the effort' to fully review $15.5 billion in potentially ineligible pandemic wage benefit payments flagged by Canada's Auditor General.
Lifelong Toronto Maple Leafs fan fulfils dream of seeing first game, passes away next day
Mike Davy always dreamed of going to a Toronto Maple Leafs game, and once it finally happened, he passed away the night after.
'This is too much': B.C. mom records police handcuffing 12-year-old in hospital
A review has been launched after police officers were recorded restraining a handcuffed Indigenous child on the floor of a Vancouver hospital – an incident the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs has denounced as "horrendous."
WHO decision on COVID-19 emergency won't affect Canada's response: Tam
The World Health Organization will announce Monday whether it thinks COVID-19 still represents a global health emergency but Canada's top doctor says regardless of what the international body decides, Canada's response to the coronavirus will not change.
Canadian university faculty getting older, more female compared to 50 years ago: StatCan
Canadian university professors are mostly older and increasingly more female compared to 50 years ago, a new report from Statistics Canada has found.
Canadian Hyundai vehicles unaffected by theft issue in the U.S., company says
Hyundai cars in Canada don't have the same anti-theft issue compared to those in the United States, a company spokesperson says, following reports that two American auto insurers are refusing to write policies for older models.
Grizzlies, other NBA teams speak out on Tyre Nichols' death
The outrage, frustration, sadness and anger was evident around the NBA on Friday, the day that video was released showing how Nichols, a 29-year-old father, was killed by five Memphis police officers. Several teams released statements of support for the family, as did the National Basketball Players Association.
Video shows struggle for hammer during Pelosi attack
Video released publicly Friday shows the husband of former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi struggling with his assailant for control of a hammer moments before he was struck in the head during a brutal attack in the couple's San Francisco home last year.