HOUSTON, BRITISH COLUMBIA

1.0 FTE (flexible)

All Nurse Practitioners, at last! The long-awaited chance to find a permanent professional position in the beautiful, warm, laid-back community of Houston, BC, is presenting itself!

The Bulkley Valley Witset PRIMARY CARE NETWORK (PCN), a collaborative partnership of the Witset Nation, First Nations Health Authority, Northern Health, and the Pacific Northwest Division of Family Practice invites applications from Nurse Practitioners, to join the Houston Health Centre. Supported by a comprehensive team of primary care network allied health care providers, the Houston Health Centre comprehensive, holistic, patient-centered, culturally safe care to individuals and families living in Houston and the surrounding communities.

Houston is a gorgeous mountainous community of about 5,800 inhabitants, situated in the heart of the Bulkley Valley, between the Telkwa Range and Morice Mountain, Houston offers everything needed to balance an exciting, rewarding and innovative career at the forefront of change and renewal with unending leisure, recreation and adventure opportunities. Houston is a naturally beautiful, welcoming, friendly, warm community of like-minded people embracing nature, an active lifestyle and quality of life. Terrific health care colleagues, and affordable housing surrounded by pristine snow-capped mountains and the majestic Bulkley River running through it makes Houston a perfect place to practice as a Nurse Practitioner. It is not only visitors who return to stay and find a job opportunity, but also children who have grown up in Houston tend to be “homing pigeons”! That in itself vouches for the integrity of Houston.

Explore the beauty and activities our stunning Valley has to offer:

• Smithers airport is just 45 minutes away,
• Enjoy a myriad backcountry hiking and mountain biking trails,
• Endless swimming, canoeing, kayaking, white water rafting and fishing – it is after all called the Steelhead Capitol of BC. These opportunities beg a visit to the stunning lakes and rivers
• Or join a Baseball / Softball team
• Meet up with friends at the Houston Saturday Farmers market – delectable organic, wholesome, super fresh produce on offer directly from local farmers
• Or meet at the Demolition Derby
• Visit our museum and library, an art gallery, couple of quaint restaurants, offering ethnic or western cuisine
• We boast no less than three pottery studios, two small bakeries,
• Meet friends after work for an exhilarating [or leisurely!] hike / bike ride along the river and tributaries, and round it off with a visit to a pub which offers excellent local food
• Drop in at one of the local Spa’s and beauty salons. It’s all here in Houston!
• Just have a look at the exciting outdoor parks and trails on offer in and around Houston, truly a paradise
• Play our 9 hole Willow Grove Golf and Country Club
• An indoor heated pool, climbing wall, squash courts, all housed in the well equipped Houston Leisure Facility where a variety of fitness, swimming and certification training is offered by certified and talented staff
• In our winter season, this very same summer paradise changes to a Winter-Wonderland – the powdery ski runs of Hudson Bay Mountain [less than an hour and a half away in Smithers] have been described by some visiting celebrities as ‘the best kept secret” in Canada
• Join the Morice Mountain Nordic Ski Club
• Enjoy the impressive Claude Parish Memorial Arena ice rink
• Try ice fishing the lakes, hiking, and x-country skiing or snowmobiling on the never-ending number of trails…
• Just join some of the various groups in the activities you are interested in, and instantly become part and parcel of our vibrant, warm and outgoing community,
• Houston boasts several schools, faith communities as well as the North West Community College.
• Join our local Pacific Northwest Division of Family Practice for networking opportunities with regional and local health care providers.

We are just waiting to welcome you to our lovely Valley and offer our assistance as far as possible in helping you to relocate, transition and become a treasured member of our community.

About Primary Care Networks:

Primary Care Networks or PCNs are characterized by the following attributes:

• processes to ensure all people in a community have access to quality primary care and are attached within a PCN,
• provision of culturally safe care,
• provision of extended hours of care, including early mornings, evenings and weekends,
• provision of same-day access for urgently needed care through the PCN or an urgent primary care centre,
• provision of comprehensive primary-care services through networking of primary-care providers and teams, to include maternity, inpatient, residential, mild/moderate mental health and substance use, and preventative care,
• co-ordination of care with diagnostic services, hospital care, specialty care and specialized community services for all patients and with particular emphasis on those with mental-health and substance-use conditions, those with complex medical conditions and/or frailty and surgical services provided in community, and
• clear communication within the network of providers and to the public to create awareness about and appropriate use of services.

The following Allied Health Professionals will provide support to the Bulkley Valley Witset Primary Care Network: psychologist, physiotherapists, occupational therapist, dietitian, kinesiologist, perinatal nurse, chronic disease management nurse, and pharmacy, Indigenous Wellness Provider, mental health clinician.

If relocating into the region, our PCN team can offer a variety of supports to assist you and your family’s integration into the community. We can connect you to rental property owners or real estate agents, as well as any number of community services/resources you might be interested in, i.e., schools, recreation facilities, or just answer some questions. We gladly offer assistance with a possible site visit, tour of the community, introduction to the medical community and assist with integrating you into the clinic team and building your panel.