Growth Plans Raise Healthcare Questions

Prince George City Councillor Cori Ramsay says planning for future growth means ensuring healthcare services can support both existing residents and newcomers.

“Prince George is working to attract new investment and growth. But what happens if the population grows faster than our health care system can keep up?” Ramsay asked.

While Ramsay noted provincial population trends do not currently point to a dramatic increase in residents across northern B.C., she believes healthcare recruitment must remain a top priority regardless of growth projections.

“It’s really important to note, I think currently, the population of British Columbia has actually declined over the last couple quarters,” Ramsay said. “So we’re not necessarily expecting to see an increase. And I think in our region it’s expected to remain steady. That being said, recruitment of health care professionals does remain a priority.”

One of the biggest concerns, according to Ramsay, is ensuring enough staff are available to operate new healthcare infrastructure as it comes online.

“There is concern, especially with the new acute care tower project underway. How are we going to staff that facility?” she said.

Ramsay said discussions between the Regional Hospital District and Northern Health are already underway to ensure long-term operational plans can meet the needs of a growing community.

Despite those efforts, the councillor says the current shortage of healthcare providers remains a challenge.

“I’m not confident that we currently have enough doctors. Let’s be clear. I’m one of the thousands of people in Prince George that doesn’t have a doctor,” Ramsay said.

However, she believes the city has an important role to play in advocating for more healthcare resources from the province.

“What I am confident in is the city’s ability to advocate to the province,” she said. “Seeing a significant number of major projects emerge in northern B.C. means that we’re going to be a hub for the province for some medical services, and that needs to be followed through with adequate service delivery.”

Prince George Mayor Simon Yu agrees healthcare capacity will be one of the defining issues facing the city if growth accelerates.

Yu said Prince George already faces physician shortages and believes the community must become more proactive in attracting medical professionals and helping them put down roots.

“We already have a shortage of physicians to meet the needs of our current population,” Yu said.

Rather than viewing recruitment as solely a healthcare issue, Yu believes it requires a community-wide approach that focuses on making Prince George an attractive place to live and work.

“We first of all want to make sure doctors feel this is their home as well,” he said.

The mayor pointed to Prince George’s parks, recreation opportunities, arts community, and family-oriented lifestyle as key advantages when competing with larger urban centres for healthcare workers.

Yu also believes educational institutions will play an increasingly important role in building the future healthcare workforce. He says local leaders should continue working with the provincial government to expand opportunities for students who train in Prince George.

“We need to get to work together with the provincial government to expand the UNBC medical program and all the nursing programs,” he said. “And make sure when we recruit a student when they first come here, we want to make them feel at home from the very beginning.”

Ramsey also sees recruitment as a long-term strategy built around quality of life.

“I think Prince George has a lot of really great attributes,” she said. “Quality of life, not spending hours in rush hour, getting to spend time after work with your kids, having your family participate and your kids enrolled in multiple sports or after-school activities.”

She says getting that message in front of healthcare professionals could help the city compete for workers in a highly competitive environment.

While there are no guarantees how quickly Prince George’s population may grow, both city leaders agree healthcare planning must happen now rather than after pressures begin to emerge.

For Ramsey, that means continued advocacy with Northern Health and the province. For Yu, it means making Prince George a community where healthcare professionals want to build careers and raise families.

As major projects continue to move forward across northern B.C., the question may no longer be whether Prince George can attract growth, but whether its healthcare system can grow alongside it.

by Nick Dube

Growth Plans Raise Healthcare Questions

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