B.C. wants to recruit American doctors as trade war heats up
B.C. is looking to recruit more doctors and nurses from America as trade tensions continue to heat up between Canada and the U.S.
On Tuesday, Minister of Health Josie Osborne announced that the province will be fast-tracking credential recognition and launching a coordinated recruitment campaign.
Osborne noted that with the “uncertainty and chaos happening south of our border” the province has the opportunity to attract healthcare talent from the U.S.
“Our message to doctors and nurses working in the U.S. is that now is the time to come to British Columbia,” stated Osborne.
“We will welcome you to our beautiful province where together we can strengthen public health care, deliver services for people, and build healthy communities.”
Delta Hospital was subject to temporary emergency room closures last month. (Delta Hospital Foundation)
The province said its targeted recruitment efforts have already ramped up and will be followed by a marketing campaign this spring in Washington, Oregon, and California, highlighting the healthcare sectors that need additional staffing, such as emergency and cancer departments.
The Ministry of Health explained it is working alongside the College of Physicians and Surgeons of B.C. to establish a “direct process” that will allow doctors trained in the U.S. and who have American Board of Medical Specialties certification to obtain their full B.C. license without further assessment. The province says these changes will likely be implemented within the next few months.
The provincial government will also work with the B.C. College of Nurses and Midwives to allow U.S. nurses to apply to the college directly for licensing, speeding up the hiring and certification process.
“The college will then review their education, registration, exam completion, and regulatory history through the U.S.’s national nurse-licensure and disciplinary database,” said the ministry.
The recruitment plan comes as the province’s health care system faces increasing instability, with emergency rooms experiencing temporary closures and a family doctor shortage as a few examples of the current challenges.
What do you think of the province’s plan to recruit U.S. doctors and nurses? Let us know in the comments.