(File photo: CFJC Today).

By Stephanie Swensrude

DOCTOR SHORTAGE

Community health centre model could attract sought-after family doctors to Kamloops

Jun 15, 2022 | 4:23 PM

KAMLOOPS — A group of clinics in Kamloops has an innovative way of supporting their family doctors and preventing burnout.

The Supporting Team Excellence with Patients Society (STEPS) clinics are a group of three family medicine clinics in Kamloops. The family doctors have at their disposal a number of other healthcare professionals who can take some of the workload off of their shoulders, like a social worker, occupational therapist and dietician.

“When they have the support of a team, […] other expertise to help them achieve the care plan, they’re able to know that that patient is going and getting the care and the help that they need from a trusted colleague,” said STEPS executive director Christine Matuschewski.

“They’re able to see more patients and they’re able to focus on the medicine and what they’re really great at doing.”

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They also prioritize giving vacation time and family leave.

“A lot of people coming out of medical school as family physicians are women, and in the first five years often there’s families and babies that come into the picture, and people need time off and they need to be away,” said Matuschewski.

“We have become quite good at finding locums… and our family physicians generally say to us that they’re feeling supported to be away when they need to be away.”

They also answer all the questions someone may have when moving to a new city.

“Where in Kamloops they should live, what schools are available, are there any specialty schools available for kids, are there any spousal employment opportunities,” she said.

They help the new doctors find housing, recreational activities, childcare and other things that will make Kamloops feel like home.

With 11,000 Kamloops residents on the waitlist for a family doctor, Matuschewski hopes the STEPS Clinic continues to attract and retain family doctors.

On the city level, Kamloops council agreed to look into financial incentives for doctors after hosting a delegation from the Royal Inland Hospital Foundation (RIHF) on Tuesday (June 14).

Tim Shoults, executive director of the Thompson Region Division of Family Practice spoke to council. He said that Fort Nelson, B.C., pays for the rent and utilities of new doctors for a year and that Belleville, Ontario, offers $150,000 towards student loans to new doctors who commit to working five years in the community.

“In some cases they’re offering accommodation or they’re offering support on property taxes either for the place of business or for their home address,” said Shoults.

The incentives the delegation requested were a revitalization tax exemption bylaw for new family practice clinics, or a permissive tax exemption that would involve forgiving the property tax portion for all existing family practices in Kamloops.

He said Kamloops might get left behind if they don’t consider these incentives.

“Family physicians can locate just about anywhere they want to in Canada. We know Kamloops is a wonderful place to live, but we have to make it at least equitable if not better than those other communities.”