Tag Archives: Ministry of Health

Health

Does Cancer Care in Washington Work for BC Residents?

By Brishti Basu, The Tyee,  Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The first few breast cancer and prostate cancer patients started travelling from their homes in British Columbia to  receive radiation therapy at two clinics in Bellingham, Washinton, this  spring. They are part of a provincial government response to a growing  backlog of cancer treatment. The province announced its plan to send  patients to Washington state for cancer care last month.

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Health

‘I’ve only got one set of hands’: Last remaining ER doctor in Port Hardy wants to hire physician assistant out of his own pocket

National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Port Hardy Hospital’s emergency room is headed for life support, says the only ER doctor expected to be available as of July 1.

Of the four local doctors on the roster at the largest hospital in northern Vancouver Island, one tendered a resignation in March and two others recently announced their departure at the end of June, said Dr. Alex Nataros.

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Health

B.C. moves to bring more foreign-trained doctors

By Fabian Dawson, New Canadian Media, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Facing a critical shortage of doctors, British Columbia has announced a series of initiatives to get more internationally educated physicians to practise in the province.

Key among the plans include the creation of a new class of ‘associate physicians’ which will allow for international medical graduates (IMGs) to care for patients under the supervision of an attending physician within a health authority acute-care setting.

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Health

B.C. needs to invest in primary care to stem the bleeding of family doctors from rural areas

National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Rural communities in B.C. will continue to suffer critical doctor shortages and the knock-on effect of repeated emergency room closures until B.C.’s primary care system is modernized, an expert says.

New physicians are shunning family practice, while established doctors are abandoning it because of the way primary health care is delivered, said Dr. Rita McCracken, a family physician and researcher with the University of British Columbia’s Department of Family Practice.

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Health

North Coast leaders met with the province to voice ambulance concerns

By Kaitlyn Bailey,  Prince Rupert Northern View, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Spurred by growing concern about paramedic shortages and gaps in service, three leaders from Haida Gwaii and Nuxalk Nation lobbied for solutions during a meeting with Adrian Dix, Minister of Health, and Leanne Heppell, executive vice president and chief ambulance officer at BC Emergency Health Services (BCEHS), on Aug. 3.

The province introduced a new paramedic staffing model for rural and remote communities in the fall of 2021, which they refer to as Scheduled on Call (SOC).

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