2 hours ago
Swift News
The provincial government is continuing to see U.S health-care workers head north – and south – for work in B.C
Health Minister Josie Osborne said that in four months, nearly 1,400 applications have been received from American health-care practitioners looking to work in B.C The province says that number has doubled since May.
She added that more than 2,950 U.S health-care workers have also "expressed strong interest" in relocating to B.C
Osborne said 140 health-care workers have accepted jobs in B.C That included eight allied health professionals, 80 nurses, 16 nurse practitioners and 38 doctors.
"Here we are in September, and we've seen 140 jobs accepted is good, so it bodes well," Osborne said, providing the update in Victoria on Monday (Sept. 22), alongside a doctor who moved to work in Kamloops from North Carolina and a nurse who moved her family to Nakusp from Alaska..
The province's campaign to attract doctors, nurses and other health professionals started in March. There was an advertising blitz in June and July, targeting workers in Washington, Oregon and select cities in California.
The Health Ministry said the campaign continues through advertisements placed in academic publications in the U.S through September.
One of those health-care workers is Dr. Olga Decker. She moved to Kamloops from the Charlotte, N.C area with her husband, three kids, two dogs and a cat after first considering the move in September 2024 and ultimately applying in February 2025.
Decker said the decision "was not made lightly." The family first looked to Ontario, but decided B.C was a better fit.
"Now, only a few months later, I'm proud to practice in medicine in Kamloops. My colleagues at Royal Inland Hospital have welcomed me with open arms. I've seen how much the community values and relies on the care we provide."
Decker added that she knows there is a lot of interest in U.S medical societies about moving to Canada, and she's hopeful that her journey will inspire more health-care workers south of the border.
Elsewhere in B.C is Nickol Dameron, a nurse who is relocating to Nakusp from Alaska. Dameron said the seed to move to B.C was actually planted in 2017 after a visiting a critical care conference in Denver and visiting a Health Match B.C recruitment booth.
