Williams Lake needs seven doctors.
That’s one of the messages representatives from the Central Interior Rural Division of Family Practice (CIRDFP) shared with the Cariboo Regional District board Friday.
“Atwood Clinic is advertising for four, Yorston Clinic two, Cameron Clinic one and Comer Clinic one,” said Lynne Roberts, the division’s Williams Lake recruitment co-ordinator.
One physician in the Atwood Clinic who is approaching retirement is still practicing but has dropped his hospital privileges, and one doctor will retire from the Yorston Clinic in December, Roberts said.
“On the upside, there’s a doctor from Ireland returned to work here at the Borland Clinic,” she added.
And an internist arrived in June for his first site visit, and returned last week to visit with a realtor.
“I would like to say we have successfully recruited this internist and he will begin working in four to six months at our hospital,” Roberts said.
A second internist from Saskatchewan “enjoyed the colours of the Cariboo and a personal horseback ride” during his first site visit, and is interested in doing locums for now to see how it goes, she added.
MJ Cousins, CIRDFP division co-ordinator, said there is a full-time physiotherapist position available in 100 Mile House and a part-time residential care position available in Deni House.
The CIRDFP is the only division in the province that receives funding from its regional district’s hospital district.
“When I meet with the other divisions they ask how we did that and I tell them they just came to us,” Cousins told the board.
While a full-time ultrasound technician has not been hired for Williams Lake yet, Roberts said there is a person in Williams Lake interested in pursuing a career as an ultrasound technician.
In November, Roberts and Cousins will attend an event at St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver to promote Williams Lake and 100 Mile House.
A draft recruitment and retention strategic plan has been developed and will be released soon, Cousins said.