Medical association urges federal government to prioritize U.S. medical recruitment to improve Canadian healthcare access

PEACE REGION, B.C. — The federal government needs to focus on attracting American nurses and doctors to Canada in the midst of mass U.S. layoffs as Trump attacks health programs.

That’s according to the Canadian Medical Association (CMA), which said the federal government needs to modernize immigration policies to support hospitals, health authorities, provinces and territories that are working to recruit and retain healthcare workers.

“Government should also leverage ministerial exemptions to create a streamlined, expedited pathway for qualified U.S. physicians and other health professionals to enter Canada’s health workforce more efficiently,”  the association said.

It called on federal party leaders to commit to these actions in order to combat Canada’s shortage of healthcare workers.

“In a time when approximately 6.5 million Canadians do not have regular access to primary care, governments must be pulling all levers to ensure the health system can provide that care. Canada has a unique opportunity in this moment to take advantage of this brain gain to become a scientific and medical powerhouse,” the association said.

The Medical Council of Canada has reportedly seen a 583 per cent increase in U.S.-educated doctors registering for its online physicians portal, which is one of the first steps for international medical professionals to obtain a Canadian medical licence.

Many provinces, including B.C., have taken steps to accelerate the recruitment of internationally trained doctors and nurses. 

In March, the province announced it will streamline international credential recognition and ramp up recruitment efforts targeted at enticing medical professionals south of the border.

“We have an unprecedented opportunity to attract skilled healthcare workers interested in moving to Canada,” said Josie Osborne, minister of health. 

“Our message to doctors and nurses working in the U.S. is that now is the time to come to British Columbia. We will welcome you to our beautiful province, where together we can strengthen public healthcare, deliver services for people and build healthy communities.”

This may be good news for rural and remote communities, such as those in the Peace region, who have historically struggled to recruit and retain healthcare workers.

A 2022 Energeticcity.ca investigation found previous newspaper articles dating back to the mid-1970s showing staffing challenges have been an intermittent issue in the Peace.

In May of 1995, the city of Fort St. John found itself in the midst of a dire doctor shortage, with Dr. Mike Wright telling Alaska Highway News doctors in the region were working with a patient-to-physician ratio of 3,500 to one — about five times the provincial standard at the time.

The Peace region, and Canada in general, continues to grapple with shortages of healthcare workers. Earlier this year, Northern Health CEO Ciro Panessa told Peace River Regional District (PRRD) directors the health authority is working to improve a 42 per cent nursing vacancy rate in northern B.C. emergency rooms and a 27 per cent overall nursing vacancy rate.

“[Staffing] continues to be the biggest risk in terms of us being able to achieve our mandate as a health service delivery organization,” Panessa said.

In 2024, Northern Health hired 79 new members of medical staff and lost 48.

The CMA says while the influx of American medical professionals looking at relocating to Canada is positive news for Canadians in need of healthcare, provincial efforts alone aren’t enough.

“The reality is that recruiting physicians and other health workers cannot solely be a patchwork effort. It must be a national priority,” the CMA said.