How are we engaging for recruitment and retention?(R&R)

Identifying needs and overcoming barriers to attract new physicians

KELOWNA: Hiring associate physicians to increase the physician workforce and capacity.  

• Gaining provincial accreditation to hire physician associates at Kelowna General Hospital.
• Hiring four new associate physicians into the hospitalist service, with plans for other specialities to follow.
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ABBOTSFORD: Engaging medical students at the outset of their career for future career potential.  

• Hosting National Future Physicians’ Forum conference.
• Building relationships between medical students and Abbotsford Regional Hospital and Cancer Centre physicians. 
• Showcasing the site as a future practice choice. 
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GRAND FORKS: Defining the role of the rural physician to outline scope of work. 

• Clarifying physician responsibilities at Boundary District Hospital for existing physicians and potential new recruits.
• Setting guiding principles for medical staff around decision-making, leave/absences, shifts coverage, and communication. Learn more>
   

CHILLIWACK: Creating community partnerships to address lack of housing for physicians. 

• Collaborating with divisions of family practice, the health authority, community/economic development organizations, local businesses, and municipal partners to secure an apartment for new, visiting, and on call doctors.
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KOOTENAY BOUNDARY RECRUITMENT & RETENTION HUB: Promoting recruitment through multi-MSA and division collaboration. 

• Partnering to pool funds for a regional approach to recruitment and marketing.
• Creating a website and social media channels with physician input into promotional campaigns/recruitment tactics for the region.
• Dedicating administrator time to manage accommodation rental listing for locums, residents, potential recruits. 
   

BELLA BELLA: Recruiting doctors through an MSA, division, and health authority collaboration. 

• Combining efforts, leading to recent hiring of four new doctors to work in the hospital and community. 
• Holding personalized meetings with potential recruits and visiting locums.
• Creating a recruitment website, a physician ‘wiki’ online orientation, and Slack communication.
• Collaborating with the health authority to improve the clinical care environment.
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PRINCE GEORGE: Securing childcare seats for medical staff to overcome barriers to working in the community.  

• Creating an MSA and Northern Health collaboration with the YMCA. 
• Securing several priority childcare seats to support medical staff with young children working at the University Hospital of Northern BC.  
  
   

Orienting new doctors to ease transitions and increasing time for patient care 

FERNIE: Mentoring new and locum doctors through the Buddy Program. 

• Establishing “buddy shifts” for mentor physicians to welcome and orient new physicians and locums to Elk Valley Hospital. 
• Orienting staff to facility policies and procedures, referral pathways, and staff introductions.
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SAANICH: Creating a custom, local onboarding guide for easing physicians’ transition to the workplace. 

• Organizing comprehensive, relevant information all in one place. 
• Ensuring new medical staff at Saanich Peninsula Hospital are well-integrated into the workplace right when they start for both retention and team performance.  
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PRINCE GEORGE: Partnering to better support physician onboarding.

• Establishing a partnership of the MSA, Northern Health, and University Hospital of Northern BC for physician recruitment, onboarding, and orientation. 

• Creating a practical, useful orientation guide for newly hired physicians led by doctors with first-hand experiences as new medical staff.

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Creating a positive work environment to retain physicians 

CRESTON: Supporting the physician career continuum through the Triple “R” Committee.  

• Establishing a collaborative committee of physicians, the Chief of Staff, and a municipality-funded community recruiter.
• Identifying flexible, semi-retirement options to extend the length of time a physician works “happily” without fully stopping practice.
• Exploring alternative approaches to rural physician roles such as hiring ER physicians, permanent locums, and a hospitalist model trial. 
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BC CENTRE FOR DISEASE CONTROL: Improving the physician experience in the Tuberculosis Service Line.  

• Engaging physicians to identify changes to improve the workplace and reduce the departure of existing physicians.
• Developing recommendations to improve clinical flow, efficiency, and system level issues, for both health authority and MSA action. 
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QUESNEL: Forging provider connections for doctors to work together effectively.

• Holding social dinners for providers working at GR Baker Memorial Hospital and within the community. 
• Helping build relationships and connections across the medical community, creating a sense of belonging for new and existing physicians.
   

VERNON: Improving the health care workplace through Civility Matters.  

• Launching a Vernon Jubilee Hospital-wide initiative to develop awareness around the negative impacts of incivility on teamwork and patient care.
• Equipping physicians and staff with skills to reduce uncivil behaviour and boost work satisfaction.
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THE KOOTENAY BOUNDARY PHYSICIANS ASSOCIATION: Understanding retention and resilience to inform planning to prevent physician departures.  

• Conducting a literature review to identify core aspects of physician retention and resilience, with a physician survey to map local results against these broad themes. 
• Using this data to formulate a project to address the reasons why physicians leave.