Dr. Carlson has been the only longitudinal family and urgent care doctor on Galiano Island for almost 9 years and is passionate about rural and longitudinal family medicine. Prior to coming to Galiano Island, the community had been without a consistent family doctor for 4 years. In her time on Galiano Island, she has seen first hand how valuable longitudinal family practice is for her patients and her community as a whole.  

With obvious challenges recruiting and retaining physicians on Galiano Island, NP turnover, staff shortages, and a growing waiting list of unattached patients, it has become clear to Dr. Carlson that there is a need for strong advocacy to improve family medicine and primary care in BC.

While on Galiano Island, Dr. Carlson has successfully advocated for an extra physician FTE; she spearheaded the development of a COVID response team and worked with other Gulf Island rural physicians and Island Health to get necessary resources during the early months of the COVID pandemic; and she has worked towards developing innovative solutions when recruitment has not been successful. In the RCCBC, she is part of the Parenting in Practice working group to help improve the system for physician parents.  

Rural and remote BC has always been close to Dr. Carlson's heart. She is from Prince George and completed her MD at the UBC's NMP there in 2010, completing her Family Medicine residency in Prince George in 2012, with as many rural experiences as she could get. She enjoys all that rural and remote BC has to offer: exploring and adventuring, working, and learning about Indigenous communities. Even before medical school, she spent summers tree planting, firefighting, and doing biology and molecular biology research throughout BC. 

Dr. Carlson hopes to bring a strong voice to the table and to advocate for all of rural and remote BC.