---

 

Fort St John, also known as “The Energetic City” is the largest city in North Eastern BC with a population of 21,000 within city limits and approximately 70,000 in the surrounding area. The population is much younger and the cost of living, especially housing is much more affordable than the provincial average, making it a great place for young families.

• The average home price in Fort St John is $408,000.
• The average home price in Kelowna is $1 Million
• The average home price in Vancouver is $1.2 Million

The airport provides direct flights to international airports in Vancouver and Calgary multiple times a day. Shopping includes all the big grocery stores, Winners and plenty of boutique shops. Grande Prairie, Alberta is a 2 hour drive where you can find all the big box stores and Costco.

You can find many more fun facts about Fort St John by visiting their website: (304 sunny days per year!!)

Move Up Here | City of Fort St. John (fortstjohn.ca)

Visitor-Guide.pdf (fortstjohn.ca)

 

The Fort St. John Hospital:

• Built in 2012
• 44 acute-care beds
• 124 residential care beds in Peace Villa, the adjoining residential care facility
• Surgery Suite - Endoscopy suite, two state-of-the art operating rooms plus procedure room
• Ambulatory clinics, including visiting specialist clinics, cancer clinic and hemodialysis
• Intensive Care Unit (4 beds)
• Birthing Centre (7 single maternity rooms labour, delivery and post-partum)
  • Fort St John has a high birth rate at approx. 650 babies per year

 

Compensation:

Each clinic has its own compensation model however the community also receives the following:

• Rural retention premium: 21.7% over and above base fees
• Monthly retention premium $2,700 per month after 9 months of work in the community
• MOCAP
• REEF

 

Primary Care Clinics:

The Primary Care philosophy is practiced here which means that all doctors are full scope general practitioners who provide primary care in their clinics as well as in-patient care, and/or maternity and/or emergency services in the hospital. There are also opportunities to practice in other areas such as at the Opioid Agonist Therapy Clinic, Surgical Assists, and outreach to Indigenous communities to name a few.

 

• Fort St John Family Practice: 7 GPs, 1 Nurse Practitioner, 1 LPN. Compensation is a unique funding model developed in Fort St John called the “Northern Model.” Clinic work equates to approx. $240 per hour over and above overhead costs but includes the rural retention premium of 21.7%. Out of office work such as emergency services, maternity care, etc. can be billed fee for service and eligible for the 21.7% retention premium.
• North Peace Primary Care Clinic: 6 GPs, 1 LPN. Compensation is Fee for Service
• Thomson Brussow Inc.: 3 GPs, LPN shared with ABC Medical Clinic. Compensation is Fee for Service
• ABC Medical Clinic: 4 GPs, LPN shared with Thomson Brussow Inc. Compensation is the new LFP model.

 

Residency Program: Fort St John has a very successful teaching program which includes 4 R1’s and 4 R2’s each year. The retention rate is very high with an average of 3 out of 4 residents deciding to stay and practice in the community when their residency is complete.

---