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Small BC town recruits doctors, averts crisis

CHETWYND (NEWS 1130) – A small town in northeastern BC has managed to avert a health-care disaster.

This spring, the village of Chetwynd learned all four of its doctors were leaving as of July 1.

Chetwynd has a population of 2,000, but services a greater area of 7,000 people.

The next closest city is one hour away.

The town and the Northern Health authority had to act quickly, conducting a recruitment drive, while analyzing what was getting in the way of doctors staying longer.

Three full time doctors have now been hired, with two more coming in the new year.

Town councillor Ernest Pfanner, who sits on the town’s health committee, attributes their success to the adoption of a new pay model and the construction of a new clinic.

“They went from a fee-for-service to a contract model. It’s a new pay model that new medical grads coming out of school prefer. They like to come to work not having to worry about the business aspect of running a medical practice.”

Towns all over BC are desperate for doctors. At one point this year, Fort St. John, a city of 20,000 north of Chetwynd, was down to 12 doctors. The city of Quesnel announced in July it would cover the cost of rent and car rentals for visiting physicians.

Pfanner says it’s unfortunate that communities have to compete against each other to get physicians.

“I don’t think it’s right to poach doctors from other towns. But that being said, I don’t find anything wrong with getting prospective recruits up here to show them the area, giving them the grand tour with the welcoming committee and rolling out the carpet.”

Despite the town’s success, Pfanner says the crisis continues.

“We are not out of the woods yet. There is a huge shortage of doctors in BC and Canada as a whole, and we need to stay on top of it.”

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