 We're good to go. My name is Adrienne Dix. I'm BC's Minister of Health. It's exciting to be at SFU Surrey today This is such a beautiful building and a great place. Hi up there and And I want to start and I'm just I'm generally fired up But I am Believably fired up about today's announcement which I think is going to help our province for five ten fifty years a hundred years before us So I am pleased to be here today Pleased to be here on the territories of the Coast Salish people including the the quantly the Quantum the Katesi the semi amu Coquitlam the Cucite and of course the Salasim's First Nations. It's good to be here friends in the First Nations health authority Richard Jock is here. It's good to see you Richard. It's so good to have you here I'm grateful to be at SFU Surrey the hub of a world-class university that makes us proud and their students and faculty and staff make us proud Every day. I want to first of all present you who is going to be speaking today of course and First will be Premier David E. B Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Training and Kang SFU President and Vice Chancellor Joy Johnson. How about that? SFU Master of Public Health Student Sherry Sandu. No pressure No pressure. This is what you know. It's going to be fantastic We've got other people here my colleagues from the legislature Surrey MLA's fierce advocates for health care for the people of Surrey Jigroup Braar is here. Ginny Sims is here. Gary Begg is here. Bruce Ralston is here in spirit And since today is so much part of what Bruce has advocated for this place for so long We think about his role today. It's great to have the new mayor of Surrey here Brenda Locke Hi Brenda your worship. I'm supposed to call you your worship, right? We're gonna get used to that but we can still say Adrienne and Brenda. Absolutely. So it's wonderful to be here This is a great day. It's a great announcement. It's my honor to introduce Premier David E. B Well, good morning, everybody. Nice to see so many people here for today's announcement I'd like to start by joining Minister Dix and acknowledging the Coast Salish people, the Semiamu Kwetlum Kwantlen, Kekaitin, Tuwasa Nations. It is wonderful to be here on SFU's campus Thank you to the dedication to all the people who the health minister mentioned for your role in making life better for all British Columbians Five years ago, our government was elected to protect public health care and make sure it delivers for British Columbians And every day since then, we've worked hard to improve care for people Building and improving hospitals across the province, opening urgent and primary care centers for British Columbians, hiring thousands of nurses Bringing 4,600 health workers back into the public sector All accomplished under the leadership of our remarkable health minister who guided our province through the worst public health crisis in memory But we have so much more to do The pandemic definitely exposed the challenges we face in our health care system and today, too many British Columbians are struggling to find a family doctor Too many are stuck waiting for care on a list or waiting in a wait room of an understaffed emergency room I've been traveling the province and I hear it wherever I go. I hear it at home, too. My wife, Kaylee, was a nurse and is now a family doctor And when we go out in the community, people ask if she's taking new patients We know about these challenges firsthand and they're not unique to British Columbia These are challenges that are being felt by people across Canada But as we've seen in other provinces, some believe the answer is to abandon our universal public health care system And to allow those who have money to buy their way to the front of the line Of course, that doesn't solve the line. That just changes who's at the front of the line As your premier, I reject that approach We cannot privatize our way to better health care Or cut services and expect there to be more doctors and more care We couldn't afford that approach five years ago and we sure can't afford it today If the pandemic taught us one thing, it's that if we're going to make ground on this, we have to do it together Through our public health care system Now I'm determined to take action on the big challenges we face together That's housing, public safety, and it's certainly the challenge of health care Making sure everybody has access to a family doctor That's why we're acting to train, recruit, and retain family doctors now, today And train the health workforce we're going to need for the future A month ago, you will have seen we introduced a new way of paying and recognizing our family doctors Encouraging people to participate in our health care system as family doctors delivering the care that families expect It's one of the most important steps that we can take to attract new doctors to family practice We're expanding the existing medical school at UBC to train more physicians to deliver care for British Columbians as part of our comprehensive health workforce strategy And yesterday, a really important announcement, we've got people in this province with medical training Who are ready to deliver care in this province who can't because their licenses are not being recognized A really important announcement yesterday with the College of Physicians and Surgeons to fast track those people to deliver care We can't have them on the sidelines while families wait for care Now today, a really important announcement for Surrey A new medical school right here on SFU's Surrey campus represents a significant step towards training the doctors of tomorrow I'm pleased to announce the hiring of an interim dean and an investment of $4.9 million in startup funding for the new medical school The interim dean is Dr. Roger Strasser who will provide strategic leadership and planning around the establishment of the new medical school He has a record of getting things done. He was the founding dean and CEO of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine The most recently accredited medical school in Canada He's a recognized leader in the development of health professional education When the new SFU medical school is up and running this will be the first new medical school in Western Canada in 50 years Taken together with Very exciting news Taken together with the expansion of seats at UBC This will mean important new capacity at universities in British Columbia to train the doctors of tomorrow As we take immediate steps to make sure that the doctors who are here today Can practice in our hospitals and communities across the province I believe that British Columbia should be a place where everyone can build a good life Where you can afford a good place to live, where you get the health care you need, when and where you need it And where you have the training opportunities to pursue your dreams and frankly, especially today If your dream includes potentially being a doctor someday That's the BC we all believe in Let's keep building it together Thank you very much Wow, well we've been Some people in this place Have been wanting to do this for a long time And I'm one of them So I'm pretty happy today And I think one of the people who has been instrumental in making this happen I won't say That having a minister of advanced education from Burnaby is good for SFU I will say having Ann Kang as minister of advanced education Has made a huge difference for people across our province And for this project and it's my honor to introduce her to speak now Hello everyone and good afternoon It is so great to see so many students here It is so wonderful to be here at SFU I'm just so excited And as I walked in the door I could feel the excitement in this room My name is Ann Kang And I am the proud minister for advanced education and skills training And I'm just so proud of the work that SFU has been doing I'd like to recognize that we are in the traditional territory of the Coast Salish peoples Including the KC, Kwantlin and Semi Amu people And I express my deep gratitude to them for allowing us to host this announcement here on their land I'd also like to share my gratitude with premier David Evie As well as health minister Adrian Dix As well as with SFU president Joy Johnson And all my colleagues here who has been a strong advocate and strong champion for this project And for everyone here In your efforts in these exciting next steps for SFU's new medical school I also especially would like to extend that gratitude to Dr. Roger Strasser As well for providing his incredible expertise and strategic leadership in planning of this new medical school It takes a team to get here And we're all here working together collaboratively on this We're focused on training and educating a new generation of healthcare workers To support families in BC now and well into the future This is an exciting and significant step forward today And the new SFU medical school in Surrey will focus on training more doctors Prepared to meet the healthcare needs of BC families Reciprocity, cultural safety, humility will be embedded throughout the school Along with First Nations, Inuit and Métis knowledge system and perspectives Students will be able to learn, yes awesome First Nations Inuit and Métis perspectives This is going to be very inclusive And students will be able to learn the team based primary care settings that are patient centered This environment will enable students to become primary care providers and specialists That can deliver quality care across communities and all populations across British Columbia This work that we're doing will help meet the growing demand for physicians in British Columbia Over the longer term and train the next generation of doctors This adds to the recent good news we have on training more doctors, more nurses, more allied health professionals Including 322 more allied health professionals across public post-secondary institutions throughout BC And 602 new nursing seats across 17 post-secondary institutions in BC And we're taking real action to solve the healthcare challenges here in BC And we recognize that students are the future of medicine And we're investing in the training and educating the new generation of healthcare workers To support families in BC well into the future I'd like to take this opportunity again to thank everyone for all the support and hard work that all of you have put in I know we ran and hit the ground with our feet running and we are still running This is truly a collaborative effort and I want to recognize that Because as we work together we are making moves forward to effectively boost our healthcare system and our health workforce So thank you so much everyone for joining us in this very exciting endeavor And I look forward to our future together Thank you Thank you Minister Kang and it's a pretty exciting day It wasn't so long ago you know we were having coffee about this and you're riding a bird of me so there you go It's wonderful and thank Minister Ann Kang for her exceptional work on this project I want to introduce over my left shoulder he's always on my left He's one of the few people always on my left, Minister Harry Baines, the Labour Minister The MLA for Surrey Newton, there he is You know perhaps as if you will have a program in MC training And then I'll remember to introduce Harry next time at the beginning And my friend Anita Huberman from the Surrey Board of Traders with us as well Demonstrates the support of this whole community for the healthcare needs of people in Surrey And their essential role in all elements of Surrey life Obviously as Minister Kang has said this is a collaborative effort And it's my honor now to introduce one of the key players in that effort Joy Johnson, the President and Vice Chancellor of Simon Fraser University Premier Ebe, Ministers, Guests This is a fantastic day for British Columbia and for Simon Fraser University And I want to say it is so great to see so many students Faculty, staff, Board of Governors members Partners, community and government representatives joining us here today I am so pleased to hear about this announcement and the fact that we are moving forward together I want to welcome all of you to SFU's Surrey campus I too want to acknowledge the land that we're on We're privileged to be on the unceded traditional territories of the Coast Salish peoples Including the Kwantlen, Katzi, Semayamu, Kukwitlam, Keikite, Tuas and First Nations And I also want to recognize the Métis and Inuit communities who call this region home From our very beginning, more than half a century ago, SFU has worked to make life better for the communities that we serve SFU Surrey campus is a tribute to that vision On this campus, students study to be leaders in clean tech and sustainable engineering Helping to create a brighter future On this campus, students are learning to be leaders Working on cutting edge areas such as quantum computing, agri-tech and public health And through community partnerships of all kinds, our faculty, our staff and our students Are making a difference for the people of Surrey and beyond For these and for so many other reasons, we are proud to call SFU Canada's engaged university And we are delighted to be home to British Columbia's new medical school I'm going to tell you it will be a medical school with a distinct purpose A medical school that focuses on the primary care needs of diverse communities across the province Particularly underserved populations It will be a medical school that embeds indigenous ways of knowing and being And community embedded culturally relevant healthcare It will be a medical school that serves everyone in BC Educating the next generation of doctors and communities throughout the province With indigenous partners, health authorities and the community Including our key partners, Fraser Health and the First Nations Health Authority We've been hard at work building toward this vision Today's announcement is another important milestone on that journey Our new interim dean that you've heard about Dr. Roger Strasser is a leader in the field Dr. Strasser is someone with enormous experience in Canada and around the world Delivering socially accountable medical education And so among his many academic and professional accomplishments Dr. Strasser also is a former member of the committee on accreditation Of Canadian medical schools So we are in good hands We're lucky to have him and we're extremely excited to welcome him to Simon Fraser University So I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to our new premier For demonstrating his support for the new medical school And to the minister of health and advanced education and skills training For the vision and tenacity for moving it forward They are joined by people across this community and province Who believe that strong public health is a right shared by all A responsibility that we owe to each other And I can promise you that everyone at SFU will continue working as hard as we can To help fulfill that promise So thank you ever so much for being here today Thank you very much Roy I think I get used to this mask thing after a while Thank you I wanted to I know that The leadership of SFU is so much part of this Will play I think an important, such an important role In this part of our health care system I appreciate in particular the presence Leadership in this matter and all the work she's done Now we come to our final speaker There's no pressure here at all, Sherry No pressure at all But it's We have I think at this university Such a dynamic and remarkable Student body, students who are leading our province now And will lead our province for decades to come And so it's my honor to introduce SFU Masters of Public Health students Sherry Sandu to say a few words Thank you Good afternoon everybody My name is Sherry Sandu And I'm honored to be speaking on behalf of the many young British Columbians Who share the same dream as me To serve our community We have witnessed and endured a primary health crisis We have seen our communities and families struggle to find a family doctor And to find care that is prompt and culturally safe Like myself Many bright young people want to serve our communities through the medical profession This new medical school is a beacon of hope for all the students who love our communities And want to serve the people that live in them We have had the great privilege to be a part of the SFU community This institution has empowered me And taught me to be conscious of my positionality While providing me with a world class education Faculty and facilities Further, I have first hand seen SFU's commitment to Indigenous reconciliation and health SFU has believed in me in every turn And shaped me into an effective public health practitioner It is very exciting to know that a great school like SFU will be nurturing future doctors Further, I have lived my entire life in Surrey This is a vibrant and growing community that has so much to offer I know so many like myself are beyond pleased to see this medical school be placed in our beloved home of Surrey To me, this new medical school represents more opportunities to stay within my community And understand the forces that dictate health within it While having the chance to pursue a world class medical education To me, more opportunity for bright young students who are itching to utilize their passion and determination to serve British Columbians within BC I would like to thank the BC government and SFU for embarking on this endeavor that means so much to all of us Thank you Thank you So, thank you First medical school in western Canada Since 1967 That's a long time I was three David wasn't around yet Premier wasn't around And it's not remarkable It is remarkable, I think, and important that it's here in Surrey that will be headquarters Surrey is going to be our largest community But it's already the center of so much dynamism in BC life, economic and cultural And political dynamism in this community What's happening here is profound and remarkable And having this medical school here will be part of a vibrant community that's going to make a huge difference for future generations in our province We're so proud, I'm so proud of our Premier and our Minister of Advanced Education for pursuing and making this proposal happen So proud of SFU and so proud of the people of Surrey who have done exceptional things in a time of pandemic and healthcare To support one another, to help one another We have, at different times, had to stand up extraordinary care in this community And our healthcare workers and our people in this community have made an enormous difference every day This promises an even brighter future for Surrey Having a medical school here, having our second hospital here, having more long-term care here, increasing primary care here All of those things promise a better future But today is a day of real celebration I want to thank you all for coming And now we're at the most exciting part of our presentation today I'm going to invite Premier Evie back to the stage to take, for the interactive portions to take questions from the media Premier Evie Good afternoon everyone, thanks for joining us today A reminder to media on the line, please press star 1 to enter the queue You'll be limited to one question and one follow-up Please remember to take yourself off mute ahead of asking your question We're going to start going on the line today with Richard Sisman from Global News Go ahead Richard Premier, I know this wasn't your promise But when this was done in the 2020 election, the commitment was The medical school could be having graduates by 23-24 And that got amended to be open by 23-24 Now it's delayed to 2026 Can you explain why we're seeing this delay and are you worried that this means we won't get new doctor's school facility into the system until potentially 2029 or 2030 Well, as you heard, this is the first new medical school in western Canada in 50 years There are considerable logistics behind setting up a new medical school and doing it properly And so that work is underway and we're going as quickly as we can But it's important for British Columbians to recognize this medical school is not going to solve the urgent issues we face today This is a long-term investment in a secure public healthcare system that works for everybody in our province We have taken steps to open spaces in the short term at UBC More than 100 residency and family doctor spaces An announcement yesterday about getting those people with international experience, international training off the sidelines And into our hospitals, into our communities delivering care as quickly as possible This is one part of an array of strategies to respond to the healthcare crisis the British Columbians are facing right now Richard, would you like to take a follow-up? Yes, but it's finally hit First off, what's your estimation for when we'll actually have graduates from the school and how many And you mentioned it's not the full fix, but by 2030 the estimations are that 40% of doctors will have retired What percentage of that do you hope to make up through this new school? So this announcement today is in part around funding related to business case The planning around the number of students and the delivery of the education work that's going to happen at this important brand new medical school here in Surrey And so that work is underway Our understanding and expectation is that students will be commencing in 26 and graduating with the first doctors coming to the system by 30 And it's important to know that when we're looking for the doctors of the future, it's through the medical school we have right now at UBC It's through the internationally trained graduates, the people who have experience who are outside of the system We need those folks on the front lines of the healthcare system immediately This is about positioning our province, making sure for the long term we're delivering those healthcare professionals that we know that our province is going to need We're growing incredibly rapidly. We added 100,000 people to our province last year We're going to set another record this year of people moving to British Columbia And this is part of how we make sure we're going to have the healthcare professionals to deliver for those folks who are coming to BC Just a reminder, there's media on the line to press star one to enter the queue For the next question we're going to come back to the floor here with Francis Pleard from Radio Canada Go ahead, Francis My question would be for Minister Dix in French So you've got a bit of a break Hello Minister So two years ago you announced this project We're going to welcome the first students from the next year We're going to talk more about 2026 Now what do you explain how many doctors we want to train in terms of delay? Frankly, it's not a delay I was the head of the New Democratic Party in 2011 2012, 2013 And I presented the necessity of having a second school for the new doctors in our province The thing that was between us and a success was the government of the time So we had a government that opposed this program to SFU, to this effort, to this ambition So if we had another government at the time I lost the election, of course We would have a school here today But this is the past We're going to have a school for the next 50 years 60 years 100 years And we're starting today with a new dean of this school And I think it's going to be a transformation of education for doctors in our province The role of UBC is also important 128 new UBC seats This is an important achievement We've already raised seats at UBC But this is something different and important So we've done a lot of things to help and replace doctors in our province We've made a list of 10 or 11 measures We have 75 measures in our human resources plan in our province And this is one of these measures And it's an important measure And it's an important moment for the history of public health in British Columbia The role of SFU in the future will be something important By helping the role of UBC and other institutions in our province He understood quantum politics with the university That will play an important role in history We're going to have a second hospital in this city Francis How many doctors have been informed when the program will be operational? Yes, that's the development of the CAHP But we're going to have the first ones in 2026 We're going to have new trainings While Dr. Strasser is doing his job Thank you For the next question, we'll go back to the line to Benjah Sajjan from CTV News Go ahead Benjah Senior, I understand you still need to figure out how many students are going to go to school Where they'll physically be, the curriculum You have hired an intern dean Can you talk about what else has been done since 2020 And what still needs to be done in advance of getting students into the classroom Work has been underway on a business plan for the medical school Dr. Strasser has been recruited And as I announced today, hired To take on that role This funding will support Dr. Strasser in his work In recruiting the dean for the school Key expert personnel that will assist in developing the curriculum Setting up a project office for the new medical school And really bringing this project to life It's a very exciting time for SFU and for British Columbians Looking at their first new medical school The first new medical school in Western Canada in 50 years Bender, do you have a follow up? I do, and I'm also wondering, senior In the answer to Richard, you said that The students who are graduating Wouldn't necessarily help with the healthcare crisis now I'm kind of having a difficult time understanding why that would be What are they going to do If not help ease some of the lows we're seeing in the healthcare system Yeah, perhaps I can clarify The school is not open yet And there's a healthcare crisis that British Columbians are facing now They need support in hospitals and family doctors immediately I feel that urgency from them It will be some years before doctors come out of this new medical school So this is medium and long term response to the challenges we face In the immediate term There was a really important announcement yesterday About making sure that we're not leaving any medical skills Unused in our province That we don't have doctors, nurses And other health professionals on the sidelines When British Columbians are waiting in emergency rooms So making sure that the credentials That the expertise that those folks have Are recognized by our medical system Was what that announcement was about yesterday That's about the immediate term Making sure we have people now For British Columbians in crisis That need that healthcare And so that's the distinction We're doing work that will help people today And we're doing work that will help people tomorrow And it's all part of our work Under the health human resources strategy That Minister Dix has been leading Making sure that we have the resources Not just for the immediate term For support for healthcare workers Who are coming out of the pandemic And they're tired and they're stressed Making sure they have the support they need But also for tomorrow for population growth For centers like Surrey A center of dynamism and excitement That's growing rapidly Making sure that there's healthcare here In the future to support our public healthcare system We're going to come back to the floor For Pramit Kamra from Red FM Good afternoon, Premier This is Pramit from Red FM And first of all I would like to congratulate you On the today's announcement And the yesterday's announcement as well These are wonderful, especially in the medical facility My question is, as you have mentioned That these are medium and long term goals Which you are working on in your government And you have mentioned practice Ready assessment program for the doctors Who will be placed in BC What about those people Who were already doctor But now have moved to different professions Because of the lack of these kind of facility If they ever want to come back Into this profession Will there be any assessment program For them as well? Yes, yesterday we announced That in less than two years We are tripling the practice Ready assessment program This is where if you have medical training From another place That you can come medical experience From another place you come Or what you are able to do And be licensed for within our Existing medical system But also there was a really important Announcement about physicians That have experience from other jurisdictions International medical graduates That have experience That will be able to start work right away Working in teams Working with other physicians Providing support Now they will work under the supervision Of a licensed physician But they will be able to start work In different ways There were actually three different pathways Discussed yesterday That internationally trained And internationally experienced physicians And medical professionals can use And this is in addition to the work That we have done Minister Dix led around nurses So that internationally trained nurses Can more rapidly come into our healthcare System and provide that support That we need So to all medical professionals With training and experience For example The husband is a surgeon The wife is a dentist They both work for the local school board For folks that have that medical experience That medical training I want them to know That we are opening the pathways For you to get to work to provide support In BC's healthcare system And if you are interested in coming back We would love to have you working In the healthcare system I do Numbers indicate that There are still 100 patients Are we doing anything to lessen their burden So that they can Attend the people better And can provide good medical facilities Which they are entitled to Yes, one of the pieces Around yesterday's announcement With these physicians That have medical experience But still need to work under the supervision Of for example a family doctor Or a doctor in a hospital setting Is when they come on And they work with those doctors That the doctor takes We also have team based care initiatives Where with nurse practitioners And nurses and others We can have family doctors Taking on even more patients And really focusing on what they were trained on With the other health professionals Supporting them Working on what they were trained on And using everybody to the maximum skill So that the majority of So that as many British Columbians As possible can access a family doctor We need to extend those physicians That's a key part of the work we're doing And this includes our question and answer period Thanks for joining us today Thanks very much everybody