Our clinic needs a doctor.
Our community can make it happen.
Dr. Hughes retires September 2026. Over 1,000 residents will lose their family doctor — and if the clinic closes, it will not reopen.
This affects the whole island. If the clinic closes, we also lose our RN, Mental Health Worker, Social Worker, and all on-island lab services. These cannot be rebuilt once gone.
If 50 neighbours give $500, we close the gap in weeks.
More than a doctor is at stake.
The Quadra Island Medical Clinic has grown well beyond a single GP practice. Every service in that building depends on having a physician anchor — because the clinic operates on a physician billing model. Lose the doctor; lose everything built around them.
- Registered Nurse — on islandDelivers preventive and basic care, reducing the need for ferry trips to Campbell River
- Mental Health WorkerAccessible on-island support for those for whom travel is a real barrier
- Medical Social WorkerConnects vulnerable residents with the services and supports they need
- ECG, Holter & twice-weekly lab servicesOn-island diagnostics sparing residents a full-day ferry trip for routine bloodwork
- Specialist referrals & care coordinationAll referral pathways and home care depend on a GP being in place
QIHS was founded in 2016 when Dr. Boegel retired — to prevent the clinic from closing. We succeeded. Now we face the same crisis. This time, if the clinic closes, it will not reopen.
GP shortages are region-wide. Campbell River cannot absorb 1,000+ patients. There is no fallback.
QIHS and Cortes Island have submitted a joint application to BC Ministry of Health for a Community Health Centre — a vision that depends entirely on this clinic staying open.
Those who cannot simply go elsewhere.
A ferry ride is not an option for everyone. For many residents, local care is not a convenience — it is the only realistic path to staying healthy.
Seniors
Ferry travel is physically and financially prohibitive. Routine appointments should not require a full-day trip.
Chronic illness patients
Consistent primary care is non-negotiable for managing long-term conditions. Disruption causes real harm.
Mental health service users
On-island mental health support depends on GP referral pathways. Without a doctor, those pathways close.
Families & children
Parents need local access to preventive care and urgent appointments without planning a ferry crossing.
A proven approach. A narrow window.
Professional physician recruitment is how rural communities across BC have successfully filled GP vacancies. We are using that same model.
Raise $50K
Community donations & QIF support
Engage firm
Canada Medical Careers — rural specialists
Active search
National & international outreach, 3–6 months
Clinic secured
GP anchors the clinic & CHC vision advances
Where the money goes
| Recruitment firm (Canada Medical Careers) | $40,000 |
| QIF administration fee (10%) | $5,000 |
| Contingency & coordination | $5,000 |
| Total goal | $50,000 |
$10,000 raised. $40,000 still needed. All funds held by Quadra Island Foundation per the QIF–QIHS grant agreement.
If recruitment is delayed
QIHS will continue advocating with Island Health and the Primary Care Network for alternative funding models to sustain partial operations during the search.
If the initiative does not proceed, remaining funds are redirected to the Quadra Island Community Health Access Fund — per QIF governance.
If 50 neighbours give $500,
we close the gap in weeks.
Donations of $50 or more receive a charitable tax receipt from Quadra Island Foundation, a registered charity.
Community Supporter
Community Champion
Every dollar counts
Include your full name and mailing address for your tax receipt.
Payable to ‘Quadra Island Foundation’
Indicate “Community Health Access Initiative”
Deposit in person at the Credit Union — QIF Donations account. The bank will not disclose your identity.
Note: anonymous donors cannot receive a tax receipt.
Answers to what you’re wondering.
Why can’t Island Health just send us a doctor?
Island Health does not have doctors to allocate — the GP shortage is province-wide. Professional recruitment gives us national and international reach that no community group can replicate. This is the same approach that has worked for rural communities across BC.
What if the recruitment doesn’t succeed?
QIHS will continue advocating with Island Health and the Primary Care Network for alternative models. If the initiative does not proceed, remaining funds go to the Quadra Island Community Health Access Fund — they don’t disappear.
Is my donation safe and properly managed?
Yes. All funds are held and administered by Quadra Island Foundation, a registered charity, under a formal grant agreement with QIHS. QIHS Treasurer Betty Doak provides oversight, and interim and final expenditure reports go to QIF.
Why does QIF take 10%?
Quadra Island Foundation provides the charitable infrastructure — donor management, receipting, legal compliance, governance, and reporting. The 10% covers that overhead. It is standard for this type of initiative.
Can I donate anonymously?
Yes. Deposit in person at the Credit Union into the QIF Donations account. The bank will not disclose your identity. Anonymous donors cannot receive a tax receipt as receipting requires a full legal name and mailing address.
How long will recruitment take?
Professional physician recruitment typically takes 3–6 months once the firm is engaged. Dr. Hughes’ September 2026 retirement date makes speed essential — every week matters.
What is the Community Health Centre vision?
QIHS and Cortes Island have submitted a joint application to BC Ministry of Health for a full Community Health Centre, with the Quadra Island Medical Clinic as the hub. That vision depends entirely on the clinic staying open — closure would end it permanently.
Community-led since 2016.
Quadra Island Health Society is a registered non-profit society operating on the traditional territory of the Laich-Kwil-Tach people of the Wei Wai Kai and We Wai Kum First Nations.
Founded when Dr. Boegel retired in 2016, QIHS was created to prevent the clinic from closing. Through advocacy and collaboration, the clinic grew to include an RN, Medical Social Worker, Mental Health Worker, and on-island diagnostics.
QIHS is governed by a nine-person board and works in partnership with Island Health, the Quadra Island Foundation, and the Quadra Island community.
Get in Touch
Jeanne Stoppard
Board Secretary, QIHS
quadraislandhealthsociety2019@gmail.com
250-285-2835
Donations
Quadra Island Foundation