Nakusp cures doctor shortage
By John Boivin Local Journalism Initiative
The Village of Nakusp is in an enviable position for a rural BC community- it has all the doctors it needs.
The community recently attracted a fourth medical professional to work there, giving the local hospital a complete medical team.
“We have complement of four, that’s really good,” says Mayor Karen Hamling. “Instead of doing on-call in Emergency one of every two nights, it’s one of every four.”
Nakusp, a village of about 1,500 residents and two hours north of Nelson, is a busy tourist destination in the summer, and Hamling said it was critical to get the medical staffing issue settled.
“It’s huge because we’re two hours from anything, to any other facility, so it is important we have a full medical staff,” she says.
“We’re also fortunate because our doctors are always keeping their training up-to-date, and that’s very important for our community.”
The situation was very different two years ago, says Hamling, when Nakusp only had one full-time and one part-time physician. Doctor burnout and retention were real issues. Convincing doctors Nakusp was a good place to live and practice medicine was difficult.
That changed when the hospital’s auxiliary foundation was bequeathed a large sum of cash, and its board decided to purchase a home for doctors to live in. The doctors can live there rent-free for the first year, allowing them to see if the community is a good fit without making the commitment of buying a home.
“It has been a huge advantage to us, to be able to provide first-year rent,” to doctors settling in the community, says Hamling.
Hamling credits Dr. Norm Lea, Nakusp’s long-time senior physician, for his work attracting the latest doctor, an International Medical Graduate. But having four doctors now doesn’t mean the community can savour its good fortune for long.
“I don’t think any community ever can, because the physician coming to town [has committed to] stay for three years,” she says.
“We would love him and his family to stay longer but that depends on how they feel about the community and their needs too.
“So you have to keep working at it, making people comfortable in your community, and make them feel welcome.”
The shortage of rural doctors remains a big issue for many communities. It’s estimated that 600,000 BC residents are without a family doctor, and emergency rooms have closed in several communities for lack of physicians to staff them.
Hamling says a strong hospital auxiliary is also key to Nakusp’s success, with activities that continue to raise funds for supporting doctors and the community’s 14-bed facility.
The Arrow Lakes Hospital is a Level 1 Community Hospital in the Kootenay Boundary health service area, which offers services including surgical, inpatient and emergency.
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