Supporting physicians to address challenges at Kelowna General Hospital

Doctors of BC has been deeply involved in supporting and advocating for Kelowna physicians regarding the closure of the pediatric unit at Kelowna General Hospital (KGH), which has added additional burdens on the KGH emergency room, maternity ward, surgery, and anesthesiology departments. The diversion has also had a cascading effect on departments in neighbouring communities as regional hospitals take on Kelowna pediatric patients.

Following the announcement in May regarding the closure of the pediatric unit, Doctors of BC started engaging with the KGH Medical Staff Association and senior leadership from Interior Health (IH) to advocate for affected physicians and address the fundamental challenges related to resourcing and maintaining staffing levels at the hospital. Doctors of BC’s President and members of the Advocacy department actively participated in discussions, and staff provided communication support to help physicians manage ongoing media relations concerning this issue.

As a result of this advocacy, a new joint working group comprising representatives from Interior Health senior staff, KGH pediatrics, emergency medicine, the KGH Medical Staff Association, and Doctors of BC was formed to address concerns raised by KGH doctors and medical staff. The working group has already achieved tangible progress in several key areas, including recruitment and retention efforts, training programs to facilitate care for young patients, support for patient transfers, and long-term planning.

The group will continue collaborating to develop and implement focused solutions, including seeking input from other hospital departments to help shape priorities moving forward, and will provide regular updates to affected departments and medical staff as the work progresses.

Additionally, in light of the recent resignation of IH CEO, Susan Brown, in late June, Doctors of BC has committed to working closely with interim CEO Sylvia Weird and senior IH leadership to explore opportunities for further collaboration with the new CEO once they have been appointed.