Kamloops, B.C., exploring city-owned and operated medical clinic

Courtney Dickson · CBC News

· Posted: May 18, 2025 8:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

After watching different B.C. assemblage motorboat a aesculapian session owned and operated by the municipality, the City of Kamloops is considering whether the aforesaid exemplary could lick a longstanding doc shortage astatine the confluence of the North and South Thompson rivers. 

In January, the City of Colwood, conscionable extracurricular Victoria connected Vancouver Island, opened the Colwood Medical Clinic. Rather than having doctors spot patients and besides grip paperwork, similar successful a backstage signifier setting, the metropolis deals with medication and concern issues truthful physicians tin absorption connected providing care. 

"The doctors of contiguous similar to enactment 8 to 10 hours a day," Kamloops metropolis councillor Kelly Hall told CBC's Daybreak Kamloops host Shelley Joyce. "They bash their shift, they privation to leap connected their upland bike, they privation to spell skiing astatine Sun Peaks. They privation to bask prime clip with their family."

Having the metropolis grip the concern broadside of moving a session would springiness doctors that opportunity, helium said. 

Hall pitched the thought to the city's politician and chap assembly members, who successful crook voted unanimously earlier this period to person metropolis unit enactment up a session proposal. 

The Colwood session came astir successful effect to information showing that much than fractional of Colwood residents did not person a household doctor. The metropolis plans to prosecute 8 physicians successful total, each capable to instrumentality connected astir 1,250 patients. 

Colwood Mayor Doug Kobayashi told The Canadian Press determination have been a batch of applications, but they're lone trying to enlistee from out-of-province to debar poaching physicians with progressive practices successful different B.C. communities. 

"You don't rob Peter to wage Paul," helium said. "This is what's making the process a small spot slower than we were hoping." 

WATCH | Colwood launches city-owned clinic:

Kobayashi said the city-owned session presently has 1 doctor, and employment contracts are soon to beryllium inked with 2 more. A 4th is expected to beryllium connected committee by September. 

He said respective municipalities, including Kamloops, person inquired astir the city-owned model, and though it has experienced "growing pains," the facility's archetypal unit doc has "become portion of the community." 

"She's been perfectly progressive successful our community, which is simply a large thing," helium said. "It's conscionable been phenomenal." 

While Kamloops does person respective household physicians, residents inactive conflict to find a GP. The metropolis of immoderate 100,000 is besides lacking erstwhile it comes to in-person walk-in clinics. 

"This is simply a crippled changer for the community, successful my opinion," Hall said.

He suggested the doctors would beryllium treated arsenic metropolis employees and person entree to each the aforesaid benefits arsenic metropolis unit — including aesculapian and dental benefits and entree to a pension. They would amusement up to work, dainty patients and spell home, Hall said, without having to interest astir pesky paperwork. 

The Kamloops exemplary would beryllium antithetic than the 1 successful Colwood, helium added, successful peculiar due to the fact that Kamloops is 5 times the size of the Island city. 

But first, helium said, they request to merchantability doctors connected the city. He envisions a video explaining the benefits of surviving successful the bosom of B.C.'s Interior. 

"Kamloops is simply a beauteous community. We person to outcry that from the hillsides of Mount Peter and Mount Paul."