Image credit: Contributed

By Harwinder Sandhu, MLA for Vernon-Lumby

SOUND OFF

SOUND OFF: Attracting Doctors and Nurses to B.C.

Mar 19, 2025 | 10:30 AM

I KNOW HEALTH CARE is top of mind for many people in B.C.

As our province grows and ages, we, like many parts of Canada and the world, are facing challenges in our healthcare system.

B.C.’s health care workforce is expanding, and more people are being connected to family doctors, but there’s more to do. That’s why our government is taking action to ensure our health care system is prepared today and for years to come.

One way we’re doing this is by breaking down barriers for American doctors and nurses to start working in B.C.

Like Canadians in the face of tariffs, doctors in the U.S. are at the whims of one man in the White House. They are watching their federal government withdraw from the World Health Organization, attack reproductive rights and slash public services.

Sound Off

SOUND OFF: Time to stop hanging on Trump's every word

13h ago

SOUND OFF

SOUND OFF: Attracting Doctors and Nurses to B.C.

19h ago

Sound Off

SOUND OFF: Join us for a heartfelt Celebration of Life honouring Butler Urban Farm

Mar 18, 2025

In this turmoil, we’ve heard from Americans that they’re considering moving to Canada. It’s no surprise, considering our proud public healthcare system, diverse economy and breathtaking environment.

Last week, our Health Minister Josie Osborne announced that we’re working with B.C.’s medical licensing colleges to simplify applications for U.S.-trained doctors.

Under the new system, certified doctors in the U.S. won’t need to go through more training or exams once they get to B.C. — they’ll be able to start helping patients. The same will be true for registered nurses.

As an internationally trained registered nurse myself who had to go through so many hurdles 25 years ago, our government’s ongoing work to address these challenges and progress is so reassuring.

We’re also launching a recruitment campaign in the States to show them what we all know — that B.C. is a great place to live and work.

Recruitment will focus on areas where we’re seeing the most urgent need today, like emergency room care and cancer treatment.

In the long term, we know that most doctors trained in B.C. stay here, which is why our government is also expanding medical schools.

Students will start at Simon Fraser University’s new medical school in fall 2026, with a focus on training the next generation of family doctors. This will be the first new medical school in Western Canada in more than 50 years.

We’ve also expanded the Practice Ready Assessment program, providing a new pathway for internationally educated family doctors to be licensed to work in B.C. By last March, this expansion tripled the number of seats from 32 to 96.

As our government makes progress on healthcare, we’ve seen a promising increase in British Columbians with primary care physicians or nurse practitioners.

A record number nearly 250,000 British Columbians were connected last year, representing approximately 680 matches per day. Since we launched a new payment system for them in 2023, 1,001 more family doctors started working in B.C. The number of nurse practitioners has almost tripled in B.C. since 2018 to more than 1,200, including 178 new nurse practitioners registered in 2024. If you or someone you know is looking for a primary care provider, you can visit the B.C. Health Connect Registry website and sign up to be matched. Registration takes less than five minutes.

Whether by welcoming doctors to B.C. or training them right here, our focus is on making sure every British Columbian has access to care when they need it.

——

Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.