The Provincial Recruitment and Retention Incentives (PRRI) program is getting extended once again for HEU members who work in the Facilities and Community Health subsectors. The B.C. Ministry of Health notified HEU this week that the program will continue until March 31, 2026, for the 76 communities it applies to across the province.
“This third extension of the incentives program is a victory for HEU members who deliver care in rural and remote communities, as well as for the patients and residents in their care,” says Lynn Bueckert, HEU’s secretary-business manager. “And while it’s good news the government recognizes the urgent need for this program once again, HEU will continue to strongly advocate for keeping the program beyond March 2026.”
“The union will also continue to press government to include HEU members who work in health facilities in Cranbrook and Kimberley in the program,” says Bueckert. “As well as expand PRRI to HEU members working in private long-term care and assisted-living facilities in the eligible communities.”
The announcement comes as the province moves into the winter season, when residents in geographically isolated communities depend even more on access to the local care they need.
The PRRI program provides financial incentives to Facilities and Community Health members in designated geographic health care areas, including both retention payments and enhanced referral bonuses.
Eligible workers can receive up to $2,000 each quarter, with a maximum of $8,000 annually through March 31, 2026—if they maintain regular employment status at the end of each quarter.
Launched in 2021, PRRI was designed to strengthen health care staffing in the province’s underserved communities. The program helps ensure that residents in remote regions and vulnerable populations, including First Nations communities, have consistent and stable access to medical care.
For a full list of the communities covered by PRRI, click here.