HSA Advocacy Achieves New Incentives to Increase Recruitment, Reduce Shortages

Government plan includes signing bonuses for new recruits and top up of pay for current staff in 56 rural communities

Following intensive advocacy by union leadership, supported by HSA Regional Directors and front-line members through the Constituency Liaison government relations program, the provincial government has announced new initiatives designed to increase recruitment of health science professionals in rural communities and among professions facing acute shortages in urban centres.

These initiatives will provide signing bonuses to help recruit new health science professionals where they are most critically needed to address long-standing shortages. Current health science professionals working in 56 rural communities will see their pay topped up by as much as $8000 for work done from April 1 of this year to March 31 of 2025.

“I hear every day from health science professionals who are struggling to carry on in the face of dire shortages and crushing workload,” said HSA President Kane Tse. “CT technologists, lab technologists, radiation therapists, PET technologists, respiratory therapists and so many others need to know that something is being done.”

“That’s why union leadership has been expressing our concerns in frequent meetings with the provincial government, and I am pleased that this work is making progress. We welcome the news that Health Minister Adrian Dix and his team have developed a number of initiatives which will help increase recruitment in rural communities and in professions facing the most severe shortages.”

The provincial government has also announced it is providing the Health Science Professional Bargaining Association with $20 million to support workers covered by the HSPBA collective agreement. This funding will be used to provide mental health support and allow members to pursue professional development. Details on how this funding will be made available to HSA members will be announced in the coming weeks.

Four specific initiatives have been announced by the provincial government and the Health Science Professionals Bargaining Association, led by HSA, is currently negotiating details to ensure the recruitment and retention of health science professionals is consistent with similar initiatives for doctors and nurses: 

•    The Provincial Rural Recruitment Initiative (PRRI), which was piloted in a small number of communities in Northern Health Authority, has expanded to cover 56 rural communities across BC. The program will provide recruitment incentives of up to $8000 per year for all health science professionals – new and current – for work done in these communities between April 1, 2024 to March 31, 2025. For a full list of the communities covered by PRRI, click here. By providing this incentive, the program aims to encourage new and current health science professionals to move to rural communities. 

•    The GoHealth BC Recruitment and Retention Initiative, which in pilot form currently applies only to laboratory technologists in Northern Health, will be expanded to cover additional health science professions in Northern Health and additional health authorities. This will be done in a phased process, with the objective of applying to all of the professions listed below. By offering up to $10,000 in signing bonus with a 12-month travel work commitment, the program aims to draw professionals from out of province and/or country, out of private agency work, and bring retired professionals back into the system. 

•    The Rural and Remote Recruitment Initiative (RRRI) will provide a recruitment incentive payment of up to $30,000 to new health science professionals starting careers in professions facing severe shortage. Due to higher vacancy rates and more complex challenges, eligible vacancies identified in rural and remote communities in Northern Health will be eligible for $30,000 incentive payments (prorated based on FTE of the eligible vacancy). HSPs who are recruited into eligible vacancies identified outside of Northern Health will be eligible for up to $20,000 incentive payments (prorated based on FTE of the eligible vacancy). The health science professional must remain employed in the regular, priority occupation position in that community for a period of 24 months, failing which the employer will recover the incentive payment made, on a pro-rata basis. Note that members already working in these areas, or currently working in remote communities and moving to another remote community are not eligible. Eligible professions are listed below. Communities covered by the incentive, which align with incentives offered to doctors and nurses, can be found here. 

•    The urban and metro Recruitment Incentive for Difficult to Fill Vacancies, which will provide new health science professionals with a recruitment incentive of up to $15,000 with a 24-month work commitment. The program aims to draw professionals from out of province and/or country, out of private agency work, offers an opportunity to recruit existing casuals into regular positions, and bring retired professionals back into the system. Eligible professions are listed below.

The following professions are eligible for PRRI, GoHealth and RRRI incentives: 

•    Anesthesia Assistant
•    Biomedical Engineering Technologist
•    Cardiac Technologist
•    Clinical Counselor
•    Dietitian
•    Medical Laboratory Technologist
•    Medical Radiation Technologists (Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologist, Radiation Therapist, Radiological Technologist, Nuclear Medicine Technologist, PET Technologist, CT Technologist) 
•    Occupational Therapist
•    Pharmacist
•    Physics Assistant
•    Physiotherapist
•    Psychologist
•    Radiation Therapy Service Technologist
•    Radiology Service Technologist
•    Respiratory Therapist
•    Social Worker
•    Sonographer
•    Speech Language Pathologist

In addition to the above list, the following profession is eligible for the urban and metro Recruitment for Difficult to Fill Vacancies incentive: 
•    Perfusionist 
Additional professions may be added to the program pending where need is demonstrated.

Some of the initiatives can be combined, but cannot exceed the Recruitment Incentive – Rural and Remote maximum amounts above. For example, an HSP who has received a GoHealth BC Recruitment Incentive and who is subsequently employed in a regular vacancy eligible for the Rural and Remote Recruitment Incentive may also receive a Rural and Remote Recruitment Incentive payment, but the combined total of these payments will be limited to the maximum Rural and Remote Recruitment Incentive that is available within the area (i.e. $30,000 within an eligible Northern Health community, or $20,000 in an eligible community outside of Northern Health).

The initiatives are effective as of April 1, 2024, and will be available through March 31, 2025. They will be subject to ongoing review and potential renewal of funding in subsequent years.

“These initiatives will start to make a real difference, but we recognize that much more needs to be done,” said Tse.

“Increased recruitment will help fill the vacancies that have built up over years, but the people already working in the system need further support. Building on the 14% wage increase achieved for members in the last round of bargaining, we will continue to push for progress, in direct talks with government, at the bargaining table, and wherever we can.”