By Lexi McFarlane, Times Chronicle
A new path forward will have to be charted for Oliver’s physician recruitment following a difficult decision to institute an interim pause for the group.
The Supporting Local Physician Recruitment Working Group, formed in 2024, faced logistical challenges going forward with nearly all of its members’ terms ending.
Members would currently be required to re-apply to be a part of the group for another term, with only two so far responding with their intention to continue to be members. Four members separately confirmed they would not return for another term.
Pausing the group, however, wasn’t a very appealing option for some on Council, notably Mayor Martin Johansen, who referenced the “good headway” made by the working group. He also noted the challenges the South Okanagan General Hospital (SOGH) faces. Currently the hospital is the subject of a $2 million fundraising campaign kicked off in Sept. 2025 to bring critical upgrades including temporary housing for medical staff.
“We’ve had some closures at the hospital recently; we’re not anywhere out of the woods as far as health care in our community,” Johansen said. “Even a smaller group could still get together, and have discussions.”
Councillor Aimee Grice agreed that there are probably ways for the members of the group who do want to return to continue the work they do, but that alternative options to the working group may prove to offer the best path forward.
“My thoughts were… going to be to propose a Health and Social Development Committee that would look at some broader issues, which this (group) could live within,” Grice said. “This work does need to continue, although Staff has carried most of the load, and the (group) has been, in the later stages, more of an advisory committee.”
The working group has met 13 times since it was formed in 2024. Rochelle Lougheed, the Town’s Corporate Officer, said that “feedback was positive” from members who indicated they would not return, who indicated they felt many of the goals that were set out back in 2024 have been accomplished.
In the interim, staff has been taking on many of the working group’s duties, including maintaining outreach with new and visiting physicians in Osoyoos and Oliver, providing housing accommodations, offering resources indicated in the welcome booklet given to physicians, and maintaining social media accounts.
Councillor David Mattes suggested that Johansen’s idea of continuing the working group would be a perfectly good idea, if “changing the terms of reference to match” could take place.
“As long as you have the right people on the committee, it doesn’t matter what the size is,” Mattes said. “It’s about the quality and the representation, that you have within a committee.
“In terms of joining it with other things, I would caution against that for fear it would get lost. It’s an important initiative, and it’s important that it stands alone.”
Getting to an exact motion took some time, but Councillor Terry Schafer ultimately advocated for the option to pause the group. Schafer suggested there’s no harm since it wouldn’t be shutting down the working group altogether, and Council could unpause it at a future date.
“A pause allows staff to just work on this, while we perhaps recruit some more people,” Schafer said.
Council voted in favour of the pause to the working group. Town staff will continue their efforts to recruit more local physicians, and look into new terms of reference for the group, should it be revived.
