Two new physicians will enter Brookside Medical Clinic in Lake Cowichan this summer.
Dr. Clara Iturra and Dr. Pedro Jara Villarroel will team Dr. Gary Toth’s medicine practice at the clinic, giving Cowichan lake families better access to family physician services.
“We are thrilled that these physicians have chosen our community as the place they want to work and call home, and we know that residents will make them feel very welcome,” said Councillor Bob Day, co-chair of the Choose Cowichan Lake committee, in a press release.
Day and co at Choose Cowichan Lake have been instrumental in bringing more health care professionals to Lake Cowichan in recent times including Toth and nurse practitioner Valerie Jefford.
“We are overjoyed with the prospect of continuing our professional careers in Lake Cowichan,” said Dr. Iturra.
Dr. Iturra and Dr. Jara Villarroel, husband and wife, are currently enrolled in the UBC International Medical Graduate Residency Program based out of St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver.
“Since our site visit, we knew that island living would be the place where we would want to work and raise our family,” said Villaroel.
Dr. Taj Baidwan, Chief Medical Officer at Island Health, says it’s a challenge bringing physicians into rural areas such as Lake Cowichan as there’s a national shortage of them.
“The recruitment of Dr. Iturra and Dr. Jara Villarroel is the result of months of hard work by community members, the Cowichan Division of Family Practice, Choose Cowichan Lake Committee and Island Health’s Rural Health program and Physician Recruitment Office,” said Baidwan. “Access to family physicians is a priority for Island Health and we are committed to continuing our efforts to recruit and retain family physicians to Vancouver Island communities.”
Dr. Jim Broere from the Cowichan Valley Division of Family Practice is equally delighted at the impending arrival of the physicians.
“[We are] very pleased that we could aid the Choose Cowichan Lake committee and Island Health with the successful recruitment of two new physicians. This is another example of the successes that are possible when the various stakeholders in health care come together to improve health services on Vancouver Island,” said Broere in the release.
Drs. Iturra and Jara Villarroel have committed to a return of service, a provincial program, in Lake Cowichan, which is an identified community of need by health care hierarchy.
B.C.’s health minister Terry Lake also made comment in a press release.
“The recruitment of Dr. Iturra and Dr. Jara Villarroel is great news for Lake Cowichan residents and I would like to welcome them to the community. Access to additional primary care services is a great benefit to a community and this is just one example of the work that is going on throughout the province to support rural health care and the health of B.C. families,” said Lake.
