Royal Inland Hospital (Image Credit: File photo)

By Michael Reeve

DOCTOR RECRUITMENT

RIH Foundation helping to put Kamloops in view of international healthcare professionals

Mar 17, 2026 | 4:54 PM

KAMLOOPS — British Columbia has been working to attract United States trained healthcare professionals to come to the province to practice medicine. That includes pulling out all the stops like airing commercials south of the border. 

As of the start of the year, more than 400 have accepted offers with 83 destined for positions across the Interior. Locally, the Royal Inland Hospital Foundation works with Interior Health recruiters to ensure Kamloops, a place many have perhaps never heard of, becomes their preferred destination.

“One in particular, Dr. Olga Decker, she was actually not going to come to Kamloops at all. She was only going to go to Kelowna and Vernon, and she was really pushed to come here,” explained RIH Foundation CEO Heidi Coleman. “One of our staff members met her at the airport and we took her out and got to know her kids and it was an incredible day. She was saying I didn’t even have Kamloops on [her] mind. She came from South Carolina and has now moved here with her family.”

Coleman noted the foundation has helped bring upwards of 15 doctors from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Quebec into the region.

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“We are taking them out, giving them a tour of the city, dinner, whatever they need, ski tickets. We are working with the regional hospital district,” added Coleman. “It’s really one big happy family. I know we have an oncologist coming from Arizona and we are going to be putting him and his family in one of the houses that got donated. We are working hard.”

Coleman added the foundation also works with the Division of Family Practice to bring GPs into the community.

“Many people will say to me the same thing. Doctors will say to me the work could be the same, it’s community that I’m looking for – and we nail it with community,” said Coleman.

In addition to recruitment, the province has also made efforts to remove barriers for internationals by expediting the credential recognition process and eliminating the need for further examinations upon arrival in B.C.