The hunt is on for a new family physician for Lumby, after the number of doctors working in the village dwindled from three down to one.
The local health services society, that is spearheading the search for a new physician, argues the way a provincial program is set up is putting the village at a disadvantage when it comes to attracting a new doctor.
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The provincial Rural Retention Program is meant to provide incentives for doctors to practice in rural BC. However, currently doctors working in Lumby aren’t eligible for the same financial incentives, under the program, as doctors working in other north Okanagan communities like Enderby and Salmon Arm.
The amount of extra money doctors are eligible for through the Rural Retention Program is determined by a point system. Because of the way the points are calculated, Enderby and Salmon Arm are considered more medically isolated than Lumby. That means that doctors in Enderby and Salmon Arm can be rewarded with two types of finical incentives that Lumby doctors aren’t eligible for.
“These are all quantifiable issues that a physician will certainly look at in making a decision in terms of where they want to practice,” said Lumby pharmacist Judy Phillips.
Part of the reason Lumby rates so low on the medical isolation scale is that it’s within 35 kilometers of Vernon. Because of the way the criteria for the point system is set up, the fact that Lumby is within 35 kilometers of Vernon means the number of general practitioners working in Vernon and Vernon’s larger population are factored into the calculation of how isolated Lumby is.
“We need them to change the point system so that we are the same as the neighbouring communities,” Lumby and District Health Services Society vice chair, Elinor Warner said.
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The health services society argues the point system doesn’t take into account the fact that many of the people who see doctors in Lumby are not from the village itself but from surrounding rural areas and have to travel significantly further than 35 kilometers to get to Vernon.
Earlier this month, the health services society raised the issue in a letter to a provincial committee. In response, the committee promised to consult with Interior Health on the issue of how Rural Retention Points are allocated in the Lumby area and “provide a further response upon completion of that consultation.”
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In a statement, the provincial health ministry pointed out the Rural Retention Program is not the only mechanism they use to help BC communities find and keep physicians.
“We work hard with our partners to focus resources where they are needed most and in communities that have the hardest time recruiting and retaining doctors,” said Ministry of Health spokesperson Lori Cascaden.
“Even when communities don’t qualify for funding through the Rural Retention Program, they still have access to recruitment support through our many other programs designed to support health in rural communities. For example, we work with HealthMatch BC to recruit doctors, nurses and allied health professionals nationally and internationally.”
Meanwhile, Lumby is still looking for a new doctor. The health services society said Lumby officials have spoken with four physicians about practicing in Lumby in recent weeks.
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