Whanganui's health sector has been boosted by almost three dozen junior professionals - encouraged to work in the area by a Government cash offer.
The Ministry of Health's Voluntary Bonding Scheme, which aimed to encourage graduates to work in hard-to-staff health specialties and communities, has registered 35 graduates in Whanganui since it began in 2009.
Fourteen participants were doctors, 13 were midwives and 13 were nurses.
Under the scheme, participants can apply for a payment after three years, and then after their fourth and fifth years. The terms and conditions, and amounts paid out vary between professions.
Eligible doctors can receive $10,000 a year, while midwives can receive $3500, and nurses can receive $2833. If participants have a student loan, the money will go towards paying it back.
The ministry's 2016 lists include Whanganui DHB as a hard-to-staff community for doctors and midwives.
Whanganui DHB's human resources manager Hentie Cilliers said there had been good pick-up of the scheme, with an increase from five new participants in 2009 to seven in 2015.
The health board didn't solely rely on the scheme to fill shortages, however.
"We support a 'grow our own' approach and work with schools and universities to promote health careers and [the health board] as a preferred employer," Mr Cilliers said.
"We also work regionally and nationally to recruit and develop our staff. Promoting New Zealand regions and encouraging employers to move to cities other than Auckland could contribute to regional growth and viability and therefore an increase in healthcare."
Psychologists, physiotherapists, social workers, sonographers and senior medical officers were among roles which were difficult to fill, he said.
"As a [health board] and community we compete locally, nationally and internationally for key staff. This requires focusing on all factors impacting of recruitment and retention."
Environmental aspects such as the global financial crisis; the number of new graduates; improved recruitment campaigns; staff experiences; word of mouth; local employment focus and the health board's brand all contributed to staff recruitment and retention, he said.
Nationwide, 2303 graduates have completed the three year minimum requirement of the scheme since 2009.
Labour's health spokeswoman Annette King supported the scheme but believed it should cover more shortage areas.
"What I think needs to happen now is to look at other shortage areas and the numbers being trained to support them," she said.
For example, there's a real shortage of dental therapists and there's a growing shortage of oncologists.
"Those areas could also benefit from voluntary bonding, particularly in terms of getting people to go to regions where there's some real shortages of professional skills."
Ms King believed all nursing graduates should receive additional financial support.
"All nurses should be funded into their first year positions. It's no good training them and then having them going off to work in McDonald's."
Nursing graduates can apply to enter the scheme next year to work in aged care, mental health or community care, or work at the West Coast DHB, South Canterbury DHB or in the Wairoa district.
A formal review of the scheme will be conducted in 2016 to update the Ministry's "knowledge and understanding of the impact of the scheme on workforce sustainability".