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A new housing complex specifically built for health-care professionals on north Vancouver Island is now accepting applications for rentals beginning in September.
Strathcona Regional District CAO Dave Leitch says the Health Professionals Housing complex in Campbell River, B.C., offers an exciting opportunity for the region.
“We have challenges recruiting health-care professionals, as many rural and remote communities do,” Leitch said. “Housing is an issue in relation to trying to attract these folks.”
The complex offers 20 units of housing, from studio to two-bedroom suites, at what Leitch says are below-market rates.
The building is located on the grounds of the Campbell River Hospital, offering a short commute for hospital employees.
WATCH | The Health Professionals Housing Project:
Leitch says the project has been in the works for several years and is a partnership between the regional district, the Campbell River Foundation, a local developer and Island Health.
Given the unique nature of the complex, Leitch says the stakeholders aren’t sure yet how many people the project will attract. He says a few local locums have already expressed interest.
“If it brings folks here, that’s amazing,” Leitch said. “And if it helps keep folks here, that’s amazing too.”
Hospital conditions also a factor: MLA
Anna Kindy, B.C. Health Care Critic and MLA for Vancouver Island North, says the project is a great start to help recruitment but a lot more is needed to address the region’s shortage of health-care professionals.
“You want to make sure you address the issues within the hospital itself. I think that’s paramount,” Kindy said.
Kindy says the hospital in Campbell River, like many in B.C., serves a growing community and it’s not unusual to have patients in hallways and patients unattached to a primary health-care provider.
“[This project is] part of what’s needed for retaining and attracting healthcare workers,” she said. “But you also want to make sure that the work environment is addressed as well.”
She added that the hospital currently also has contract issues with the hospitalists who work there.
A similar project, the Columbia Court complex, was unveiled further up island in Port Hardy in January. It consists of 10 two-bedroom townhomes developed for Island Health doctors and nurses.