Kelowna General Hospital (KGH) is taking a step in the right direction next week with the beginning of a phased reopening of the previously-closed in-patient general pediatric unit.
Interior Health (IH) says “some pediatric services” will return starting Monday, July 13, seven weeks after the highly-publicized closure began on May 26.
Dr. Mark Masterson, vice president of medicine at IH, attributed the positive news to the dedication of six physicians working at the hospital’s pediatric department, along with locums from community and out-of-town pediatricians.
And while he couldn’t offer any sort of timeline on when the beleaguered pediatric unit would be able to fully reopen, Masterson confirmed that four physicians had signed on to join the department over the next three months.
He also mentioned that the hospital has four signed offer letters under an Associate Physician Program, “for other physician supports that become part of the care team and make for a more robust, sustainable care team.”
This isn’t the first time the Associate Physician Program has been mentioned, as former IH CEO Susan Brown also brought it up during an interview with NowMedia in June.
But what does it mean?
“We're hiring people who are pediatricians in other countries,” Masterson explained.
“These are physicians who are trained and licensed in a foreign country who wouldn't have been historically eligible for licensure in BC, (but) have pediatrics training and skills in this program.”
According to Masterson, these associate physicians will work under the supervision of Canadian pediatricians on duty during a particular shift.
International medical graduates, with a degree outside of Canada that is listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools, can apply for an associate physician license through the College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC (CPSBC).
The CPSBC explains that the associate physician class is “a restricted licensure” that permits the physician to practise under supervision in accredited structured team-based care.
Associate physicians will be employed by the regional health authority, are not licensed for independent practice and are never the most responsible physician, the Government of BC notes.
The Associate Physician Program has only been in place since 2023 and Masterson credits the Ministry of Health and CPSBC for the work they’ve done around it.
“There were recent changes to the CPSBC pathway to licensure for US-trained physicians that made it far easier for them to come in, as well as some changes for other international grads to change some of the exam requirements that were a barrier previously,” he said.
“There have been a lot of changes to support the physician workforce, but also for physicians who wouldn't have otherwise been able to practise in Canada. This Associate Physician Program is something new that's an opportunity for us to build out our care teams.”
Masterson did not indicate when the four associate physicians are expected to begin their duties at KGH.
More information on the Associate Physician Program can be found here.
