By Kevin Gilby

CRAIK — Bert Linklater, Senior Vice President of Five Hills Health Region (FHHR), recently informed the staff of the Craik health centre and the community leaders that the interview process will begin shortly for the physician position in Craik.

According to Linklater, two of the physicians that responded to the job posting will begin an interview process that includes a tour of the facility, staff, and equipment. An exact date/time has yet to be finalized for that portion of the process but Linklater is confident it will be before then end of March.

Once the initial interview portion has been completed, the region will make a selection between the candidates. The applicants references will then be checked and their certifications verified through a more intensive interview process with the region’s Physician Advisory Board.

“Once we get to the offer stage, we want to introduce them to the community to meet and greet the candidate, and that would probably be even before they even accept the offer” Linklater says.  “We want the town to impress them with why it’s a good reason to take this job.”

Linklater indicated that there may yet be other applicants as the position remains posted.

Linklater says “we’re happy to have two good candidates coming, to interview them, to have an opportunity to show them the facility, select one, make them an offer, and then if successful, we get them back into the community, that would be good.”