By Sebastian Kanally, Times Chronicle

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Appointments are underway for the new committee supporting the recruitment and retention of healthcare professionals in Oliver. 

Councillor Aimee Grice has been appointed to serve on the committee, with Mayor Martin Johansen being appointed to the alternate position. 

Johansen noted he would like to sit on the committee as an alternate member as he already has his plate quite full with being involved in the Regional Hospital District, the Primary Care Networks (PNC) Committee among others.

“It looks like a really good working group and I am happy to be involved at that level,” he said.

Councillor Petra Veintimilla had expressed interest in sitting on the committee at previous meetings but was not present at the meeting. This was identified in the meeting and the guidelines for the group says “at least one member from the town of Oliver” and thus could join at a later date. 

The Oliver Local Physician and Retention Working Group was established on Feb. 20, 2024. 

The town has no jurisdiction to actually recruit physicians and healthcare professionals, but they can play a strong role in coordinating a community effort to recruit and most importantly retain healthcare professionals.

The kind of support a group like this could offer is still being worked out but could take the form of coordinating spaces and conversations about common opportunities in the town, having social planning services, and taking a comprehensive approach to showcasing why Oliver is a good place to work according to a report to council. 

These efforts come amidst ongoing staffing shortages at the South Okanagan General Hospital (SOGH), resulting in continual temporary closures of the emergency department. 

Besides at least one Oliver council member, the group will include the following:

  • One local childcare operator;
  • One member of the Interior Health Authority’s human resources team; 
  • At least one member of the Interior Health Authority’s clinical operations team; 
  • At least one member of the Division of Family Practices;
  • At least one individual that self-identifies as Indigenous;
  • At least three members of the public with direct knowledge of the group’s mandate.