News and event information for Williams Lake, BC - as it happens.

On behalf of Minister of Health Michael de Jong, Minister of Children and Family Development Mary McNeil, made an announcement in the lobby of Cariboo Memorial Hospital this afternoon which affects communities in the Cariboo and across BC. Minister of Children and Family Development Mary NcNeil on behalf of Minister of Health Michael de Jong, announced that Williams Lake is one of 52 eligible communities in line for funding to strengthen public access to emergency services.

Approximately $200,000 has been allocated for Williams Lake, to increase the number of doctors available for the emergency room and to increase support for recruitment and retention of doctors to the area.

Present at the announcement were Minister Pat Bell, Minister Ida Chong, MLA Donna Barnett, president of medical staff at Cariboo Memorial Hospital Dr. Glenn Fedor, Interior Health board member Rosanna McGregor and Minister Steve Thomson.

To date, families in 36 rural communities across British Columbia will benefit from increased funding to strengthen public access to emergency services. A total of 52 communities are eligible.

The Province announced $10 million in July 2011 to provide financial assistance of up to $200,000 a year for rural, fee-for-service physicians who commit to ensure reliable public access to emergency services is maintained at their local hospital.

The applications received to date have been reviewed by a joint Ministry of Health and BC Medical Association committee, and the money is now being distributed.

Examples of how the funding might be used include hiring additional physicians, incentives for working weekends, holidays or night shifts and health authority-approved equipment purchases. Physicians will work with their regional health authority to develop community-specific plans.

The assistance is part of a series of targeted investments, totalling $180 million, to enhance patient care as outlined in the 2009 Memorandum of Agreement between the Province and the BCMA. Approximately half of this assistance is directed toward improving patient access to services, while the remainder is for targeted labour market adjustments to improve recruitment and retention. This funding is within the existing fiscal plan.

The program was created by the Joint Standing Committee on Rural Issues, which includes the Province and the BC Medical Association (BCMA), set up to enhance rural health care delivery across B.C. Local physicians were encouraged to work together as a team and apply for funding.

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