The City of Quesnel got a chance to pat itself and others on the back at last (june 21) night’s Council meeting.
The City was honored with the Community Project Award for communities under 20 thousand people at the BC Economic Development Association Awards banquet.
It was for the Healthcare Recruitment Red Carpet Welcome Program that headed off a potential physician shortage in the area.
Economic Development Officer Amy Reid accepted the award on everyone’s behalf.
She calls it a “true community project involving Quesnel Mayor and Council, Cariboo Regional District Directors, the existing medical community, Northern Health, private business including Regency Chrysler and Susan Paulson who is contracted as the City of Quesnel’s Healthcare Recruitment Coordinator.
Reid says the Healthcare Recruitment Coordinator connects with new potential physicians, prior to their arrival for a visit and then plans a community tour that matches their interests, arranges for a personalized welcome package to greet  them at the airport and then continues to connect with them to answer community questions afterwards.
Once they’ve committed to Quesnel, Reid says Susan Paulson then works with them to find appropriate housing, picks them up at the airport and helps them to settle in the community.
She says this can include connecting them with others with shared intests and helping their spouse to find employment.
Paulson evens works with Northern Health to arrange a welcome dinner with current physicians and their spouses.
The program has helped to recruit five new doctors already with nine more coming before the end of the year.