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By Victor Kaisar

Lillooet ER Woes

Four new physicians expected to arrive in Lillooet by the fall: Interior Health

Mar 23, 2025 | 2:02 PM

LILLOOET — Interior Health says the series of emergency room closures in Lillooet is expected to stabilize in the near future with four new physicians expected to arrive in the community before the end of this year.

In a March 14 news release shared to the District of Lillooet’s Facebook page, Interior Health said a new physician is “planning to arrive” in the community this month, with three more expected this fall.

It also said the new physicians were recruited through the Practice Ready Assessment Physician program.

“Interior Health recognizes the concerns felt by the community about recent service interruptions and is committed to bringing new physicians to Lillooet and supporting them to stay in the community,” the release, which does not appear to be visible on the Interior Health website, said.

It also noted there are “significant incentives” available for physicians who join the Lillooet Hospital and Health Centre permanently. That includes a recruitment incentive bonus of up to $15,000, depending on the physician’s full-time equivalent, and a recruitment relocation amount of up to $15,000, depending on where they’re moving from.

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“Additionally, we are continuing to provide support for the use of a Virtual Emergency Room Rural assistance (VERRa) program,” Interior Health said in the release. “This virtual model supports local physicians by providing an overnight consultation service to patients, and only calling in local physicians if truly needed for the most urgent of cases.”

It said that VEERa program “can improve work-life balance” for local physicians, and that it “has proven successful in other communities.”

The ER at the Lillooet Hospital and Health Centre is currently in the midst of its fourth 49-hour closure in the last two weeks, with the facility expected to reopen at 8:00 a.m. Monday (March 24).

The Lillooet ER was previously closed for 49 hours March 10 to 12, from March 16 to 18, and from March 19 to 21. There were also two separate 25 hour ER closures, one in January and one in March.

Add those hours up and it means that the Lillooet area will have been without emergency room coverage for 246 hours this year – assuming the facility reopens as scheduled.

While Interior Health has not publicly said what has caused the Lillooet ER to close at regular intervals this year, the March 14 news release appears to suggest that it was due to a lack of physicians.

During all of the ER closures, people in the Lillooet area are told to make the two hour drive to Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops if they need emergency care.

As has been the case during past closures across numerous communities, Interior Health also said people should call 9-1-1 if they need emergency care, or HealthLink BC at 8-1-1 if they aren’t sure if they need to head to the emergency room.