People in Oliver, Osoyoos and Okanagan Falls will have enhanced access to health care as the Province expands the Provincial Rural Retention Incentive (PRRI) program to the region.

The program is intended to support and stabilize the health workforce, including supports for heath-care workers in the emergency department in Oliver and other critical health services in the south Okanagan.

“When we support and invest in nurses, allied health and clinical support workers, we’re strengthening the workforce and people’s confidence in our public health system,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health. “The decision to expand the PRRI hiring incentives to the south Okanagan will help bring more health-care professionals to work where they’re in high demand and bolster care throughout the region, including at the South Okanagan General Hospital.”

Approximately 200 employees will be eligible to receive the incentive. The majority of health-care providers receiving the retention incentive in Oliver will be employed at South Okanagan General Hospital.

“Our communities need strong and stable health-care champions to meet the demand for health services to keep everyone healthy,” said Roly Russell, MLA for Boundary-Similkameen. “The south Okanagan is no exception, and so these recruitment and retention incentives for nurses, allied health, and clinical support workers to Oliver, Osoyoos and Okanagan Falls will make a huge difference helping support our health-care champions in the ground in our communities. Thanks to everyone for their help advocating, and to our health-care professionals for the amazing work they do.”

To be eligible, health-care workers must be employed in regular positions by Interior Health or an eligible affiliate employer, including but not limited to, members of the BC Nurses Union, the Health Sciences Association, the Hospital Employees Union and the BC Government Employees’ Union. The incentives will be retroactive to April 1, 2024.

“It is important that we find positive ways to continue supporting health care in the south Okanagan,” said Sue McKortoff, mayor of Osoyoos. “The PRRI is a much-needed program that encourages nurses, allied health and clinical workers to come to our communities and support local residents and visitors in our communities and at South Okanagan General Hospital.”

Through the PRRI program, health-care workers will receive up to $2,000 per quarter pro-rated against the number of productive hours worked in a regular position to a maximum of $8,000 per year, from April 1, 2024, until March 31, 2025, to eligible health-care workers.

“Health-care workers are essential to the continued delivery of core health-care services in the south Okanagan,” said Martin Johansen, mayor of Oliver. “Expanding the incentive program to our region will help to stabilize access to health care for residents and is a much-appreciated investment in our communities.” 

This builds on local initiatives already in place throughout Interior Health communities to support health-care workers and the patients they care for.

“These incentives are an important tool to support our recruitment and retention of health-care professionals in Oliver, benefiting our hospital services and team-based primary care in the community,” said Susan Brown, president and CEO, Interior Health.

The PRRI program was introduced in several rural communities in northern B.C. in 2021 and is now available in 78 communities throughout the province.

Quick Facts:

• The PRRI program will run until March 31, 2025.
• The south Okanagan is also eligible for recruitment signing bonuses for eligible occupations and positions, up to $20,000.
• This work is part of B.C.’s Health Human Resources Strategy that advances 70 actions to retain, recruit and train health-care workers in B.C., while supporting innovative health-system redesign and optimization.

Learn More:

To learn more about how B.C.’s Health Human Resources Strategy is strengthening health care, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2023HLTH0150-001930

For more information about what the Province is doing to support allied health professionals, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2023HLTH0149-001926 and https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2024HLTH0025-000272