Quesnel health care in stable condition: COO

Scroll through the list of job openings on Northern Health’s website and you’ll see hundreds and hundreds of positions waiting to be filled.

But chief operating officer for Northern Health Michael McMillan says in the grand scheme of things, Quesnel’s recruitment is going quite well.

“Of course there’s challenges,” he said, “as there are in all health care sectors.

“But recruitment in Quesnel is doing very well.”

McMillan credits partnerships with UNBC and CNC, stating they’ve helped “stabilize” the situation.

It’s the recruitment of specialty nurses McMillan says is difficult. He said normally nursing grads enter into general nursing, not specialty.

“But we’re looking at combination recruitment and internal training,” he said.

And he points to Quesnel’s acquisition of a third ultrasound technician as an indication the lure of Quesnel and the quality of care at G.R. Baker “has real depth.”

“Quesnel is well-positioned in stability of health care,” he said.

McMillan noted while the world of recruiting physicians and health care professionals is a competitive one, Northern Health is a top contender.

In fact, the recent loss of G.R. Baker’s Health Services Administrator Fraser Bell has seen a different type of challenge for Northern Health.

“Usually it’s a challenge to narrow down the candidates to one or two,” McMillan said.

“But it’s proving difficult to narrow it down to three or four. I’m very pleased with the calibre of applicants.”

McMillan has one interview scheduled for next week and hopes to have the interviewing process completed by the third week of August.

And while he notes the recruitment process for smaller communities sometimes proves even more difficult, he said Northern Health is committed to working at attracting qualified health care professionals.

When asked about the recent push to offer dialysis at G.R. Baker, McMillan said there are three components.

“One, in order to effectively open a unit you need critical mass,” he said.

“And right now Quesnel does not have critical mass.”

While McMillan said there’s no magic number, he did say “more than six.”

And currently, he added, there’s only one Quesnel resident traveling to Prince George to receive dialysis treatment.

“Which brings us to point two,” he said.

“Not every person who has kidney failure needs dialysis and not every person’s needs can be met by a community dialysis unit.”

McMillan then highlighted a provincial push: in-home dialysis treatments.

“You can go on it longer, it’s much more like your regular kidney function,” he said.

“It’s a preferred mode of care.”

But he was quick to point out not all patients are suited to independent dialysis treatments.

“If you can do it yourself, it is much more comfortable in your own home.

“But if you need specialized care you need a trained professional and all available resources.”

Information on Northern Health recruitment, services and events is available at www.northernhealth.ca.