B.C. sending coffee truck to Seattle to try to recruit U.S. healthcare workers at the source

The B.C. government wasn’t lying when it said it was trying to attract U.S. healthcare workers to the province.

In a curious move, the Ministry of Health says it has sent a branded “B.C. Healthcare Worker” coffee truck to Seattle to try to recruit healthcare workers by offering free drinks and information.

It’s part of an overall marketing campaign by the B.C. government to try to recruit workers –like nurses, doctors, and healthcare professionals – that launched on June 2 in select cities in Washington, Oregon and California.

The $5-million recruitment campaign was announced in Colwood on June 6, and includes targeting workers within a 16-kilometre radius of health-care facilities in those three states, as well as ads on podcasts and Netflix shows.

The provincial government has previously claimed that nearly 600 doctors from the U.S. have expressed interest in moving to B.C., following previous recruitment efforts during the onset of Canada’s trade war with the U.S.

For this month’s recruitment campaign, the Ministry of Health says it’s collaborating with local health authorities, local governments, regulatory colleges and other partners to try to support potential recruits on navigating the province’s healthcare application process.

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“Recruiters are highlighting job opportunities in the areas they are most needed, such as cancer care and emergency departments, as well as rural communities facing health-care worker shortages,” said the province in a release Thursday.

The Ministry of Health says that since its recruitment campaign launched in March, more than 1,600 people have expressed interest in moving to B.C., including 714 doctors and 554 nurses.

This week, besides offering free coffee at its branded coffee truck, the Ministry of Health says “brand ambassadors” will also be on site to connect with American healthcare workers.

“Engaging directly with health-care workers in Seattle over a cup of coffee is a way for us to connect with them and highlight the many benefits of working in our beautiful, welcoming province,” said Health Minister Josie Osborne.

“These two days are one part of our much larger effort to recruit doctors, nurses and allied health professionals from the U.S. to strengthen our public health-care system that puts patients first and is rooted in evidence-based care.”

Watch one of the ads that B.C. is airing in the United States below:

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