People living in the Interlake who rely on doctors practicing in rural areas are feeling optimistic.

The Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority has recruited 19 new doctors and 3 specialists in the past year.

That's good news for retired police officer Bob Corrie and his wife.

The couple left Winnipeg to live near Gimli 12 years ago.

The rural lifestyle and family living in the area brought them to Gimli but finding a doctor was the difficult part.

"It was pretty scarce," said Corrie. "They were booked up so it was hard to get a doctor actually."

Financial incentives for recruits aren't offered by the IERHA.

CEO Ron Van Denakker said the RHA had to sell physicians on something else: working environment and lifestyle.

"When residents have come in for stints of teaching and what not some of the docs and some of the communities have taken them out on things like snowmobile rides and fishing trips," said Van Denakker. "Whatever your interest is.

The rural lifestyle and working in a smaller centre appealed to Dr. Dylan Thompson. Both he and his partner have chosen to work in Gimli.

"We're not looking so much for monetary incentives," said Thompson. "Just the lifestyle of being able to go out on the lake here, really see what the community has to offer in terms of the lifestyle is another one of the things that drew us in."

He grew up in northwestern Ontario and completed his residency in Portage la Prairie. If it was about money he said he would've went elsewhere.

Van Denakker said the health authority's work is far from finished.

"I feel cautiously optimistic but I still very much believe there's vulnerability if we don't have our own residency program," he said.

Van Denakker said a residency program would not allow the IERHA to bring in medical students but also other health care professionals.

Word of the new hires is good news for Bob Corrie.

He recently found a doctor in Gimli.

"I know a lot of people, seniors were selling here and moving to the city for healthcare," said Corrie. "Right now it's very good so hopefully it stays that way."