City in Vancouver Island Seeks to Recruit Family Doctors Through Municipal Employment Opportunities

December 18, 2024 TruthUSA

The suburban city of Colwood, B.C., on Vancouver Island, has recently hired its first family doctor as part of a new initiative to address the community’s physician shortage.

According to Colwood Mayor Ken Kobayashi, the city has launched a pioneering pilot project where they recruit family doctors and bring them on as city employees, providing them with full medical benefits, vacation time, and a pension plan.

These doctors will be based at the upcoming Colwood Clinic, scheduled to open next year, in line with the city’s aim to hire a total of eight doctors within the next three years.

The initial participant in the Colwood program is Dr. Cassandra Stiller-Moldovan, a family and sports medicine practitioner relocating from London, Ont.

While the doctors will receive pay as Colwood employees, their funding will come from provincial revenues generated by the clinic’s billing through the Ministry of Health, similar to how doctors at other clinics bill for their services.

Kobayashi highlights the attractive proposition for doctors, emphasizing the supportive team environment and focus on well-being rather than the operational aspects of running a clinic.