'We are seizing the opportunity to attract the talent we need to join and strengthen our public, universal health-care system'
British Columbia is intensifying efforts to recruit healthcare workers from the United States.
The provincial government has launched a targeted advertising campaign aimed at encouraging doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals in the U.S. to relocate to B.C.
“Our message to U.S. doctors, nurses and allied health workers is strong and clear – there has never been a better time to come to British Columbia, and for Canadian health professionals currently living and working in the U.S., now is the time to come home,” says Josie Osborne, Minister of Health. “With the chaos and uncertainty happening in the U.S., we are seizing the opportunity to attract the talent we need to join and strengthen our public, universal health-care system in British Columbia.”
Launched on June 2, the campaign includes video, audio, digital, social media, and print placements across Washington, Oregon, and select cities in California.
The advertisements will run across nearly 14,000 digital screen locations within a 16-kilometre radius of healthcare facilities. These include restaurants, grocery stores, ride-share screens, and outdoor placements such as digital billboards, transit shelters, and urban panels.
The B.C. government is also placing print ads in six U.S. medical trade publications with a combined circulation of over 500,000. The six-week campaign is projected to reach approximately 80 per cent of healthcare professionals in the target areas, according to the government.
Healthcare workers will be directed to B.C.’s recruitment website to explore job opportunities and receive personalised support for their relocation.
Other provinces—including Ontario and Manitoba—have also put a focus on recruiting healthcare workers from the U.S.
‘Attractive benefit package’ awaits for U.S. health-care workers
U.S. nurses, doctors, and allied health professionals arriving in B.C. will be able to work across a variety of healthcare settings, including primary care as part of team-based models.
“Local governments like Colwood are uniquely positioned to positively impact the well-being of residents through community planning, recreation and active living. Working with provincial partners to ensure residents have a family doctor is a logical next step,” says Doug Kobayashi, Mayor of Colwood. “As a municipality, we are able to offer an attractive municipal benefit package while also taking administrative responsibilities off the shoulders of doctors so they can focus on providing great care.”
One example is the expanding team at Colwood Clinic, a municipally run family medicine practice. Established in partnership with the province, the clinic represents an innovative model that integrates municipal and provincial strengths to enhance patient care.
“My experience practising in the States has been especially eye-opening regarding social determinants of health, and due to the extremely high fees compared to insurance coverage, patients seeking appropriate care is measured against their ability to afford it,” says Dr. Muthanna Yacoub, a U.S.-trained physician planning to practise at the Colwood Clinic later this year. “The opportunity to practise in British Columbia makes perfect sense to me. It’s time to give my best efforts to communities similar to those that gave me the welcome, safety and compassion in my vulnerable youth.”
Since launching its co-ordinated recruitment campaign in March 2025, B.C. has received expressions of interest from nearly 1,600 individuals—including 704 doctors and 525 nurses—according to the provincial government.
The province is also streamlining licensing for U.S. professionals. In April 2025, the B.C. College of Nurses and Midwives simplified its registration process, allowing U.S. nurses to be licensed in just a few days—down from the previous average of four months.
Meanwhile, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of B.C. is advancing bylaw changes that will permit U.S. doctors to apply for full licensure without additional examinations.
Previously, Prince Edward Island extended job offers to 101 internationally educated nurses following three overseas recruitment trips that cost taxpayers nearly $230,000, according to a report.
