Physician Recruitment Successes Noted

By 250 News

PRINCE GEORGE - Northern Health's recruitment efforts are paying off.  It has attracted 45 physicians to Prince George and other northern communities over the past year, ranging from family doctors to specialists in a variety of fields.

Northern Health has taken an aggressive approach to attracting physicians and specialty professionals. The region boasts a diversity of lifestyles that is second to none in Canada, a view that forms the basis
for Northern Health's "Love where you live" recruitment campaign. While the approach is clearly working, there is still much to be done to ensure future demand for physicians is met. New programs and
partnerships are being developed to build on the successes to date, and to meet the challenges of recruitment to smaller communities.

"We have been deliberate in our efforts to recruit new physicians to the North," said Cathy Ulrich, CEO of Northern Health. "We will continue to develop programs that will ensure we meet the primary health care needs
of the people of northern B.C. now and in the future."

Over the past few years, the northern medical program has helped to attract doctors to the region, primarily to assist with teaching and research. For the first time this year, graduates of the program are working in the region. There are currently eight program graduates completing their residencies in Northern Health hospitals.

"It has been very gratifying to see the positive effect the northern medical program has had on Northern Health, both as a source of new doctors and as a magnet for attracting physicians to the region," said
Dr. David Snadden, head of the program. "The effects of UNBC, however, go beyond the medical program and include research, the expansion of nursing, and the addition of a new family nurse practitioner program.
None of it could be done without the partnership with Northern Health."

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