Colwood, B.C., Hires First Family Doctor

The city of Colwood, B.C., has launched a groundbreaking pilot project to address the shortage of family doctors by directly hiring them as municipal employees, offering benefits like pensions and vacation. Mayor Doug Kobayashi announced that the first doctor, Dr. Cassandra Stiller-Moldovan, will join the new Colwood Clinic, which is set to open next year. The initiative is designed to relieve doctors of administrative burdens, allowing them to focus on patient care while being part of a supportive team. Colwood aims to hire a total of eight family doctors within three years to serve over 10,000 residents. This approach has garnered interest from other Canadian communities facing similar physician shortages. The project is made possible by a new provincial payment model for family doctors that encourages innovative solutions to the healthcare crisis in B.C.