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Kelowna General Hospital’s pediatric ward closure has sparked a conversation about how Interior Health recruits doctors, and it turns out the job offers are competitive with other health authorities in the region and Washington state.

Since the pediatric ward closure began on May 26, there have been allegations of a toxic, dangerous work environment since the hospital is understaffed and people are overworked. Interior Health and Health Minister Josie Osborne have said that leadership is doing everything it can to recruit new doctors to fill the staffing gaps that led to the closure.

Interior Health advertises a higher salary than pediatric positions in neighbouring health authorities and pitches Kelowna as a great place to live and work. 

The salary range on Interior Health’s website for pediatricians at KGH is between $400,000 and $600,000. The average salary for pediatricians at Island Health is $325,000, and in Washington state the average salary is $314,000 in Canadian dollars, according to the job site Indeed.com.

Doctors, like anyone, take a lot of factors into consideration when looking at a job offer and it’s a matter of personal preference, Doctors of BC said in an email to iNFOnews.ca.

Some doctors look at a city’s proximity to nature, cost of living, and access to public services and amenities. When it comes to the actual hospital or practice where a doctor might work they look at whether the team already working there is exceptional and if the facilities are high quality.

When comparing job listings for pediatricians online, Interior Health and Kelowna General Hospital have competitive offers compared with nearby alternatives.

READ MORE: New pediatricians hired but not soon enough to reopen closed ward at Kelowna hospital

As far as selling Kelowna as an appealing place to live and work, Interior Health has some stiff competition with other health authorities in the province.

“Okanagan Lake is the perfect place to sail, kayak, or relax on the beach. Rolling greens offer world-class golfing just minutes from spectacular hiking and biking trails. In the winter, enjoy ski resorts and skating rinks right at your fingertips,” reads the job ad for KGH.

The job ad for a pediatrician in Nanaimo has a similar ring to it.

“Nanaimo is a growing, vibrant, and family-oriented community with proximity to Victoria and Vancouver. With one of the best climates in Canada, Nanaimo provides year round access to a wide array of recreational activities including kayaking, kite boarding, windsurfing, mountain biking, hiking, running and golfing,” the Island Health job ad reads.

Dr. Clara Wall, KGH Chief of Staff, previously told iNFOnews.ca that the hospital’s recruiters go to events like physician conferences to meet with doctors directly to try to get them to work at the hospital.

“Our Medical Staff recruitment team and KGH Medical Leadership work hand-in-hand to facilitate a seamless candidate experience by coordinating introductions, interviews, site visits, and medical license verification, while providing end-to-end support through job offers, sponsorship and supervision letters, and assistance with immigration processes whenever possible,” she said.

READ MORE: TOXIC CULTURE: Kelowna MLAs meet with Interior Health CEO to express leadership concerns

There simply aren't enough doctors to go around, according to a cross-country study by the federal government released back in January. So, Interior Health recruiters have their work cut out for them and, on paper, their job ads are competitive compared to neighbouring health authorities in B.C. and the U.S.

When it comes to attracting people to KGH, Kelowna-Mission Conservative MLA Gavin Dew said Kelowna itself isn’t the problem.

“Let's start with the reality that Kelowna is an amazing place to live and work. It's a fantastic community. People should want to work here. If people are not wanting to come practice medicine in Kelowna, then something is wrong,” Dew previously told iNFOnews.ca.

Dew said recruitment is important but there should be just as much emphasis on retaining doctors.

“What worries me is that most of the messaging that we're hearing from Interior Health and the Ministry is about recruitment. It's about how we're going to recruit American doctors. We're going to recruit new people in order to fill the gaps. So to hear that at the same time as I'm hearing from people who are doctors of working age who have worked in the hospital system and are currently declining to do so, that worries me,” he said.

Dew along with Kelowna Centre’s Kristina Loewen and West Kelowna-Peachland’s Macklin McCall are hosting a town hall on July 2 to address the ongoing pediatric ward closure at KGH and health care in the region.

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