Three communities of the Shuswap worked together to recruit family practice physicians and promote Shuswap lifestyle at a Rural Emergency Continuum of Care Conference in Penticton, May 30 and 31. They were Scotch Creek, Blind Bay and Sicamous.
Hosting the recruitment booth were Carol Hoffman, representing North Shuswap Health Centre Society, George Landry, from the South Shuswap Health Services Society, Pam Beech on behalf of the Sicamous Medical Clinic and Michelle Wolff from the Sicamous and District Chamber of Commerce. Sorrento wanted to attend, but was unable to participate at this time.
The North Shuswap Health Centre Society (NSHCS) has been working since 2011 on recruiting a part-time or full-time physician for the health centre in Scotch Creek.
In 2011, a physician was wanted to work alongside two family practice physicians already in Scotch Creek, but now in 2014, they need full-time replacement for the retiring physicians. The community is once again in danger of having no family practice care at the health centre and having to once again travel to Chase, Salmon Arm or Kamloops for their routine health needs.
With technical support from the Sicamous and District Chamber of Commerce and the CSRD’s Shuswap Tourism materials, the booth attracted significant attention and many inquiries while showcasing the Shuswap’s attributes.