Our team provides regular clinic, emergency and inpatient care under one roof to a primarily First Nations, Heiltsuk Nation community of approximately 1500 people.   

Bella Bella is a beautiful island community off the central coast of BC,  690 km north of Vancouver, surrounded by amagical world of channels, inlets and old growth forest.

The hospital, overlooking the ocean, is in the center of this rural and remote community and is a focal point for community life in many ways. Working here will give you a real sense of the richness of aboriginal culture in it’s home environment.

Bella Bella - Our Health Care Services

The R.W. Large Memorial Hospital has 6 acute beds, 7 continuing care beds and a 3-bed emergency department open 24/7, along with a laboratory, diagnostic imaging services and telehealth services. Also within the hospital you’ll find a medical clinic, pharmacy and ambulance services.

There are multiple RGPLP [Rural General Practitioner Program of BC (Locums of BC)] requests for both sites throughout the year.  Please contact Cindy Aronson for specific dates.  All other dates are with a VCH locum contract.

March 6 – 19 2023

May 29 – June 11

June 26 – July 9

July 28 – August 8

August 28 – September 10

September 15 to 18 – weekend coverage

December 25 – January 7 2024

January 15 – March 17 2024

March 25 – 31 2024

Bella Coola sits in a mountain valley at the head of the North Bentinck Channel. The community is at the end of a long, truly magnificent fjord, on the mainland coast of British Columbia. It is 500 km north of Vancouver and 450 km west of Williams Lake.

Approximately 2500 people live in Bella Coola. The population is fairly evenly split between members of the Nuxalk Nation and people of non‐aboriginal descent. Many have Scandinavian roots. In the 1890s a wave of immigrants arrived from Norway, attracted by the

opportunity to fish and farm in a place similar to their country of origin.

Here, where the mountains meet the sea, you’ll discover a natural paradise and a community that extends a warm welcome to its health care professionals.

Bella Coola ‐ Our Health Care Services

The Bella Coola hospital has 10 acute beds, 5 residential beds and a 2 bed Emergency Department open 24 hours seven days a week, along with a laboratory, diagnostic imaging services and tele‐health services. Also within the hospital you’ll find a medical clinic, pharmacy and ambulance services.

We are looking for providers with Emergency only, Family Practice only or both disciplines to assist us.

We have approval from VCH to cover travel costs and the travel honorarium as per the RGPLP guidelines for locums assisting with the shortage during this time frame when under locum contract.   

VCH locum contract average day remuneration:

Approximate Daily rate as per the breakdown below : $1,717.31 (contract and FPE). 

Mocap is in addition when providing ED on call coverage.

Locum contract:  This is an FTE/minimum hour contract, but breaks down basically to a daily rate of $1,361.00.  Paid the first week of the month following the locum

Fee Premium Equivalent (FPE) incentive: 26.18% of the contract amount = $356.31 per day. FPE is paid by VCH upon receipt of funds from MOH, approximately 3 months after the locum.

MOCAP on call:  In addition to the above.

REEF incentive is in addition to the above when covering on call in the Emergency department in Bella Bella.  

Travel costs will be reimbursed by VCH upon receipt of the travel expense claim form which I would provide you.

Travel Honorarium:   Based on the Rural Locum Program reimbursement system as follows per return trip:   Travel to the communities from Vancouver averages 8 – 12 hours return.   

Flights are booked by the physician upon confirmation of the locum dates with Pacific Coastal Air.  

Less than 2.5 hours           $250.00

2.5 to 4 hours                    $500.00

4 to 10 hours                     $1000.00

over 10 hours                    $1500.00 (maximum)

You may be scheduled to provide day coverage 0800 – 1700 or 24 hour coverage for Emergency only physicians   Family Practice only physicians would be Monday to Friday 8:30 – 5:00pm in the clinic.  Physicians providing both FP and ER services would be working in either or both areas. 

Patient volume depends of course, but averages 15 -20 patients per day, with night call being less.  Clinic appointments are 20 to 30 minutes.

Housing is provided at no cost.

You will need to be credentialed and privileged for the community as a VCH site.

There are multiple RGPLP [Rural General Practitioner Program of BC (Locums of BC)] requests for both sites throughout the year.  Please contact Cindy Aronson for specific dates.  All other dates are with a VCH locum contract.

February 27 – March 4 2023

April 10 – June 4

June 19 – October 22

October 30 November 5

November 13 – 26

December 4 – 31

January 8 – February 4 2024

February 12 – 25 2024

March 11 – 31 2024

Pender Island

A great opportunity to work in a rural full-service collaborative care family practice on one of the Southern Gulf Islands. Looking for ~6 months of coverage starting December 2022 (until June 2023). Start and end dates are flexible. The locum is a 1.5 FTE position, which would be ideal for a couple, but could be reduced to a 1.0 FTE for a single person.

The practice schedule is ~ 4 days a week for the 1.0FTE position (or 6 days a week for the 1.5FTE position), Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm, with a lunch break from 12pm-2pm. There is a ~ 1:4 afterhours/weekends Callgroup that is generally quite light. Attached patients are seen by scheduled visits and urgent/emergent patients are shared with the other practitioners. Great support staff. MedAccess EMR.

Typically, 14-18 patients per full day

Please message Dr. Bruce Rebner (brucerebner@gmail.com) for additional information if interested.

Dr. Danielle Pichie

danielle.pichie@medportal.ca

T/WhatsApp: 250-863-6386

Teresa Anton

Birch107@telus.net

T. 250.997.4627