Peace River North MLA reports from Northern Health leadership meeting

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Peace River North MLA Jordan Kealy says he met with senior Northern Health officials to push for improvements to local healthcare.

According to Kealy, he sat down with Northern Health vice president Angela De Smit and senior operating officer Kendra Kiss recently to discuss concerns raised in his recent healthcare survey, which he said gathered more than 40 submissions from residents across the region.

“I shared some of your stories,” Kealy said in a statement posted to X, formerly known as Twitter. “These lived experiences are powerful and help me hold decision-makers accountable.” 

Kealy said 15 families have been connected to services through his office since he called for residents to submit their stories in May.

In his post, Kealy highlighted several topics he said were key points of discussion:

• Local clinics and doctor shortages: Kealy said he highlighted challenges facing clinics in Fort St. John and Fort Nelson, where looming physician retirements threaten access to care.
• Recruitment and retention: Kealy said the leadership told him Northern Health is using incentives and new programs, such as associate physicians, to attract staff, but Kealy stressed the need for long-term, sustainable solutions rather than relying on “fly-in staff.”
• Emergency room (ER) wait times: With ERs under significant strain due to trauma cases and substance use, Kealy urged Northern Health to provide additional resources “so patients aren’t left waiting or turned away.”
• Drug use in hospitals: Kealy said he raised community concerns about illegal drug use inside and outside the Fort St. John Hospital. According to Kealy, Northern Health outlined current safety measures, but he will “be pushing for stronger protections.”
• Training local healthcare workers: Northern Health told Kealy about a Simon Fraser University partnership with the Ministry of Health to train more doctors and nurses for the region, and Kealy emphasized immediate measures are still needed.

A Northern Health spokesperson said: “We appreciated the opportunity to meet with MLA Kealy to discuss issues of interest to his constituents, patients and staff in the North Peace.

“As the MLA has shared, the recent meeting covered a wide variety of topics that were thoughtfully discussed, and we share his commitment to working together to achieve our ongoing mission to provide exceptional health services for northerners in Peace River North and beyond.”

Kealy said he and the Northern Health leadership agreed to meet quarterly to track progress and keep local voices at the table.

“I will not stop pushing for better healthcare for the north,” Kealy said.