COWICHAN – BC NDP MLAs Stephanie Higginson and Debra Toporowski say that Island 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.

“B.C. has once again proven to be a great place to live and work, and our recruitment efforts will ensure greater access to health care for all British Columbians,” said Stephanie Higginson, MLA for Ladysmith–Oceanside. “People in Ladysmith Oceanside will have improved access to reliable primary health, specialists and wrap‑around supports.”

In Island Health, new health professionals have been hired, including 32 physicians, 8 nurse practitioners and 57 nurses.

“It’s great to see these health professionals choose to call beautiful Vancouver Island home and we welcome them with open arms,” says Debra Toporowski, MLA for Cowichan Valley. “Island Health values their skills and contributions to strengthening our health care system and improving patient outcome.”

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.