TRAIL – BC NDP MLAs Brittny Anderson and Steve Morissette say that Interior Health will be able to connect more people to family doctors and get families the care they need thanks to the BC NDP government’s successful U.S. trained health-care worker recruitment.

“It’s no surprise that health professionals want to live in B.C.’s beautiful interior, and our effort to recruit more health care workers to the province is making a difference to people across B.C.,” said Steve Morissette, MLA for Kootenay-Monashee. “Interior Health serves so many rural communities, and we’re welcoming new teammates to our incredible health care teams with open arms.”

In Interior Health, 83 new health professionals have accepted offers, including 26 physicians, four nurse practitioners, 43 nurses and 10 allied health professionals.

“Across B.C. I hear about how health care is a huge priority for people, and how eager they are to welcome more health care workers to their communities,” said Brittny Anderson, MLA for Kootenay Central. “Welcoming over 80 new health care professionals, including 26 physicians, to Interior Health is amazing news for people across our region.”

This is a result of the B.C. government’s targeted campaign to recruit U.S.-trained health-care workers, which in just one year since it launched has recruited more than 400 professionals have signed on to work in B.C. communities.

Despite a Canada-wide shortage of healthcare workers, the BC Conservatives have been opposed to this recruitment program, which has shown huge success in just one year of implementation.