![\"Text](\"https:\/\/www.cbc.ca\/a\/assets\/texttospeech.svg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Listen to this article<\/p>\n
Estimated 3 minutes<\/p>\n
The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.<\/p>\n
A new housing complex specifically built for health-care professionals on north Vancouver Island is now accepting applications for rentals beginning in September. <\/p>\n
Strathcona Regional District CAO Dave Leitch says the Health Professionals Housing complex<\/a> in Campbell River, B.C., offers an exciting opportunity for the region.<\/p>\n “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.”<\/p>\n The complex offers 20 units of housing, from studio to two-bedroom suites, at what Leitch says are below-market rates. <\/p>\n The building is located on the grounds of the Campbell River Hospital, offering a short commute for hospital employees. <\/p>\n WATCH | The Health Professionals Housing Project:<\/p>\n 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. <\/p>\n 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. <\/p>\n “If it brings folks here, that’s amazing,” Leitch said. “And if it helps keep folks here, that’s amazing too.” <\/p>\n Hospital conditions also a factor: MLA<\/p>\n 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. <\/p>\n “You want to make sure you address the issues within the hospital itself. I think that’s paramount,” Kindy said.<\/p>\n 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. <\/p>\n “[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.” <\/p>\n She added that the hospital currently also has contract issues with the hospitalists who work there. <\/p>\n A similar project<\/a>, the Columbia Court complex<\/a>, was unveiled further up island in Port Hardy in January. It consists of 10 two-bedroom townhomes developed for Island Health doctors and nurses. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Listen to this article Estimated 3 minutes The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":753874,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[49,48,84,392],"class_list":["post-753873","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-healthcare","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-health","tag-healthcare"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/753873","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=753873"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/753873\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/753874"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=753873"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=753873"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=753873"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}