Media Contacts

Ministry of Health

Communications
250 952-1887 (media line)

Backgrounders

Initiatives to support staffing at Royal Inland Hospital

12.7 full-time equivalent (FTEs) of net new physician service contract funding

  • funding to support a transition to a contracted intensive care program providing 24/7 on-site physician coverage and an expanded scope of critical care services.
  • expanded emergency department coverage; increased availability to the existing RIH hospitalist program, and a contracted physician to support patient flow.

Emergency health provider registry refresh

  • an enhanced emergency health provider registration portal to support new health professionals is being established to improve user experience for registrants, health authorities and the Ministry of Health to expedite hiring and placement.

Increased travel funding

  • additional funding to nurses from neighbouring health authorities interested in filling vacant shifts at the Royal Inland Hospital and nearby Interior Health sites.

Health Career Access Program trial for acute care

  • Interior Health will pilot an expansion of the Health Career Access Program into acute care by funding 20 additional FTE health-care aides to support medical/surgical units.

Re-entry to practice bursary for nurses

  • call out for nurses who are willing to return to practice, offering bursary to cover financial costs required to become licensed.

Internationally educated health professionals

  • Bursaries and supports for internationally educated nurses to move through assessment pathway.

Career laddering and bursaries

  • improved access to bursaries supporting Health Care Aides bridge to become Licenced Practical Nurses, train more magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technicians, and medical lab assistants.