Burrows, like many in town, is among the growing number of people in Squamish who have been stranded without a general practitioner.
Her long-time doctor, Guy Morum, closed up his practice at Diamondhead recently, she said, and since then, no other clinic in Squamish has had a physician available for her.
She's not wrong. The Chief tried calling all three major clinics in town — Diamondhead, Elaho and Squamish Medical — and front desk staff in all three said there were no doctors taking new patients.
Burrows said her situation could be worse. However, she's still not in an easy place.
She has multiple chronic conditions, and she's on leave from work for medical reasons.
"I have stuff going on," said Burrows. "I had*** cancer and I have a node in my neck that needs to be followed up on regularly. I have high blood pressure right now. I'm waiting for spine fusion back surgery. I have a plethora of things that I have to have doctor [for], if that makes sense."
She said it's a situation that's left her with no clear direction.
"I have no idea. All I've gotten so far is, 'You'll have to go to the walk-in clinic.' I can't be going to the walk-in clinic constantly," she said.
Dr. James Cranston, a partner at Diamondhead Clinic, said the problem has to do with a growing population.
"Two things have changed," said Cranston. "One is, the population of town has grown. Two is over the past year and half or so a few GP's have closed their practices."
In the last year there have been two doctors who have left at Diamondhead, he said.
"Two years ago, this town was very well doctored and there wasn't really a need," said Cranston.
"That changed really suddenly. About eight months ago, we started a recruitment process. The problem is that from the time you start your recruitment process, there's at least a year [to] a year-and-a-half lag between putting the word out and actually having people join."
People have to finish commitments in other locations before coming to town, he said.
As a result, between January and September of 2021, about 13 locums — fill-in physicians — will have come through Diamondhead, he said. Hopefully, some of them will stay and become permanent staffers.
At this rate, it looks like by July 2022, there will be six new partners at the clinic, Cranston said.
So far, one is 100% committed. The others haven't formally committed, but have bought property in town and are coming to try the clinic out, he said.
Cranston said that it's typical for physicians to buy property before formally committing, but prices in town are a big hurdle.
"That is one of the biggest deterrents to us finding new physicians," he said. "Family practice residents typically finish residency with $200,000 to $300,000 in debt. And the idea of buying into our housing market is the same for anybody else. It's a deterrent."
In the distant past, Squamish was considered an underserved community and grants were available to provide incentives to bring in doctors, Cranston said.
That's no longer the case, but perhaps the province could have a look at that again, he said.
Cranston said that it's also been a greater challenge getting people help due to the pandemic.
Service is often at capacity and doctors are clocking in more time in hospitals as well.
"We empathize with the people that can't get medical care," he said.
What does the Ministry of Health say?
When asked about the matter, the Ministry of Health issued The Chief a written statement.
The ministry said Squamish is in the pre-planning process for becoming a primary care network, which is intended to allow patients to get access to timely, comprehensive and co-ordinated team-based care, with the benefits of extended hours and same day access to urgent care.
"We recognize the challenge that many people across B.C. are facing trying to access primary care," reads the statement. "That is why we have been working on our primary care strategy since we announced it in 2018."
In the meantime, the ministry has been working with the local health authority, the divisions of family practice and First Nations to help shore up resources in the area.
So far, this partnership has added a nurse help the Squamish Nation, the statement said.
For the Sea to Sky, two nurses were approved and are working in the community — one for Whistler and another in Pemberton.
"The ministry will continue to work with the community to approve needed resources while [primary care network] planning progresses," the statement reads.
Can the District help?
The Chief also asked the District of Squamish if it could perhaps provide housing incentives for doctors moving to town.
In response, spokesperson Christina Moore said:
"The District has not been approached with this issue to our knowledge, and your inquiry has prompted us to reach out to our community health partners to learn more. If there are recruitment barriers, we are happy to be part of a collaborative approach if there are any municipal levers that can help work towards solutions. Any municipal efforts would be guided by the health community's needs and goals."
**Full disclosure, Dr. James Cranston is reporter Steven Chua's family doctor.
***Correction: April 27, 2021, Janice Burrows had cancer, but does not currently have cancer. The story previously mistakenly quoted her as saying she currently has the disease.
