Colwood’s municipal-owned medical clinic is gaining attention again for its innovative approach to solving local health care shortages. The clinic, located in Colwood Commons at Royal Bay, is attracting doctors from the United States as part of a growing effort to improve access to family medicine in British Columbia.
Health Minister Josie Osborne recently announced a six-week campaign to recruit doctors and nurses from the U.S. to work in B.C. Colwood, however, is already ahead of the curve. The clinic will soon welcome Dr. Muthanna Yacoub, a U.S.-based physician from Colorado, who plans to start working there this November.
Dr. Yacoub moved to the U.S. from Canada as a child. He has spoken openly about the challenges he saw in American health care, especially the limited access to preventative care and the high costs that often force patients to delay treatment, even in emergencies.
“Through my work in the U.S., I saw patients having to delay care because they could not afford it,” Yacoub said. “High fees compared to insurance coverage mean that many patients measure care against what they can pay.”
Joining Dr. Yacoub in November will be another new doctor from Ireland, confirmed by Colwood Mayor Doug Kobayashi. Both doctors applied for their positions about a month ago and are currently completing the steps required to relocate to B.C.
Mayor Kobayashi emphasized Colwood’s commitment to attracting family doctors to meet the growing needs of its residents. “We are ready to support all family doctors who want to move to British Columbia and serve Colwood,” he said at a June 6 event with the health minister. “Our goal is to improve access to health care in line with the city’s priorities for health and prosperity.”
The two new doctors will join Dr. Cassandra Stiller-Moldovan, who relocated from London, Ontario, to help launch the clinic earlier this year. Since January, Dr. Stiller-Moldovan has built a roster of 500 patients and aims to expand that number to 1,250.
The clinic’s broader goal is to have eight family doctors working there, with the capacity to serve about 10,000 patients in Colwood who currently do not have a family doctor. This need hits close to home for Mayor Kobayashi, who has openly shared that going without a family doctor for 20 years contributed to his own heart failure and diabetes.
Kobayashi also shared a recent personal story about his wife, who found a family doctor two years ago. Early breast cancer detection by her physician allowed her to receive timely treatment and begin recovery within months. “If it wasn’t for our family doctor, she might not have known she had breast cancer,” he said.
Since Colwood announced its municipal clinic, other communities across Canada have reached out, wanting to replicate the model. Health Minister Osborne praised Colwood for taking the initiative. “I give kudos to the municipality for stepping up the way they have,” she said. The ministry hopes to collaborate with other local governments to develop similar projects.
Osborne called the effort a partnership across all levels of government to strengthen public health care. “We will do everything we can to support this,” she added.
Despite the clinic’s early success, Mayor Kobayashi said the city’s work is far from over. After meeting with the health minister before the press conference, he expressed optimism about their shared vision. “We discussed current challenges and solutions. She really liked our ideas and is open to our proposals,” he said, though he declined to reveal details.
With Colwood’s track record, many expect the city to continue leading innovative, community-driven solutions to B.C.’s health-care challenges.
