B.C.'s $100K incentive program attracts nine rural doctors
Physicians get a $50,000 incentive to start, with the balance after a year of work
A $100,000 cash incentive has attracted nine new doctors to take on jobs in rural B.C.
It's part of a program developed by the provincial government and the British Columbia Medical Association to get physicians to work in remote areas in the province.
The doctors will be serving in Terrace, Chetwynd, Bella Coola, Hazelton, Clearwater, Princeton, Nakusp and Port Hardy for three years.
Regional health authorities, the provincial government and the BCMA chose communities based on a number of factors, including how hard it was for them to find doctors.
Eight of the physicians are general practitioners while the last one is a specialist in anesthesiology.
The physicians will get a $50,000 incentive when they begin working, with the last half paid once they have stayed a year, but the contract requires a three-year stay and the bonus must be refunded if they leave early.