The B.C. Ministry of Health is extending the Provincial Rural Retention Incentive (PRRI) until June 30, 2025, while the government is also undertaking a review of its recruitment and retention programs.
These programs, applied across the health sector, are government-funded initiatives aimed at tackling retention and recruitment issues, and promoting health service delivery in rural or remote communities in British Columbia.
While the review is underway, the existing program criteria will remain in effect.
The other incentive programs will remain in effect unless the Ministry provides 14 days’ notice of any change or cessation.
The PRRI provides recruitment incentives of up to $8,000 for all health workers – regular full-time and regular part-time – for work done in eligible communities between April 1, 2024 and June 30, 2025. See list below of eligible communities.
The program encourages new and current health care workers to move to rural and remote communities.
Since the introduction of these incentives, HEU has called for this program to be extended to non-Facilities Bargaining Association sites in these communities, as well as Kimberley and Cranbrook.
Read Provincial Incentives in British Columbia for more information.
List of eligible communities include:
Fraser Health:
Hope
Interior Health:
Fernie
Elkford
Sparwood
Invermere
Creston
Golden
Kootenay Lake
Nelson
Castlegar
Arrow Lakes
Keremeos
Princeton
Enderby
Revelstoke
100 Mile House
Clearwater
Williams Lake
Lillooet
Lytton
Ashcroft
Cache Creek
Clinton
Merritt
Grand Forks
Kettle Valley
Island Health:
Salt Spring
Pender
Galiano
Mayne
Saturna
Bamfield
Port Alberni
Tofino
Ucluelet
Gold River
Mt Waddington
Port Alice
Port Hardy
Port McNeill
Northern Health:
Stewart
Houston
Smithers
Kitimat
Atlin
Dease Lake
Terrace
Quesnel
Burns Lake
Fort St. James
Fraser Lake
Granisle
Vanderhoof
Mackenzie
McBride
Valemount
Daajing Giids
Masset
Port Clements
Prince Rupert
Port Edward
New Hazelton
Chetwynd
Dawson Creek
Tumbler Ridge
Fort St. John
Hudson’s Hope
Fort Nelson
Vancouver Coastal Health:
Bella Coola
Bella Bella
Powell River City
qathet
Gibsons
Sechelt