Despite nearly a dozen family doctors accepting new patients in Squamish, some residents still haven’t connected with a practice.
But a new online directory published by the Sea to Sky Division of Family Practice is now making it easier to see which doctors are available.
“Squamish is a rare little microcosm in that it’s not too hard to find a doctor,” said Dr. Larry Klein, who runs a family practice in Squamish. “In the last few years, Squamish has really come together to create a positive environment of physicians.”
Still, many Squamish residents who don’t have a doctor are relying on walk-in clinics for care instead.
“Walk-in clinics serve their purpose well, but having a long-term relationship with a family physician who knows you well is important,” said Klein. He is a lead physician for the A GP for Me program, a province-wide initiative that aims to strengthen the health-care system by helping people find family doctors and continuing the doctor-patient relationship.
Klein said having a family doctor track your health over a long period of time is beneficial. In some cases, he has known his patients since they were born, having delivered them at the hospital.
“I know three generations of the same family. It’s great,” he said.
It was once difficult to find a doctor in Squamish, said Klein, but times have changed.
According to the new directory, 11 doctors are taking patients in Squamish, compared with only three in Whistler.
“Squamish’s situation is quite unusual in B.C., even in Canada. We’ve been very welcoming and supportive,” said Klein, adding the improvement of Squamish’s reputation to the general public in the past several years has also helped.
But he warned this positive situation could change, and there is still a need for the ongoing community efforts.
As part of the A GP for Me initiative, a small clinic was set up last year at Quest University to ensure students studying there have access to a family doctor.
The initiative also includes funds to conduct research to determine the strengths and gaps of local primary care resources, as well as evaluating the number of people trying to find a doctor.
In the Sea to Sky Corridor, 2,057 people don’t have a family doctor, according to the Ministry of Health. A specific number isn’t available for Squamish.
The directory can be found at divisionsbc.ca/seatosky/GPDirectory.
