The Victoria-area municipality of Colwood, B.C. is taking government-funded healthcare to another level by hiring family doctors directly as city employees.

Mayor Doug Kobayashi said his municipality is pioneering a new approach to addressing its family doctor shortage by hiring physicians.

The model hopes to offer doctors a comprehensive benefits package including full medical coverage, paid vacation time, and a pension plan without the added strain of requiring them to manage a doctor’s office.

Kobayashi claims the effort has garnered significant interest fro