Primary Care Clinic funding could be a cure for South Okanagan Similkameen doctor shortage

Vernon Morning Star: The South Okanagan Similkameen needs doctors and one way to attract them is to give them support for providing the best care they can give. That is the thought driving the development of team-based primary care clinics like the Ponderosa Primary Care Centre in Penticton. “The goal of Ponderosa is to attract physicians, nurse practitioners and other healthcare professionals to the region. Physicians and nurse practitioners are looking for clinics with multiple providers working in a team with other healthcare professionals,” said Tracy St. Claire, the executive director of the South Okanagan Similkameen Division of Family Practice (SOS DFP). “They also want meaningful involvement in decision-making, but without responsibility for day-to-day business management.”