Vancouver Coastal Health
Encyclopedia
Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) is a regional health authority providing direct and contracted health services including primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary care, home and community care, mental health services, population and preventive health and addictions services in part of Greater Vancouver and the Coast Garibaldi area.
VCH is one of six publicly-funded healthcare regions within the Canadian province of British Columbia
. The Provincial Government of British Columbia, through the British Columbia Ministry of Health
, sets province-wide goals, standards and performance agreements for health service delivery by the six health authorities.
Vancouver Coastal Health administers 13 hospitals and 3 diagnostic and treatment centers and 15 community health centers and more than 500 facilities provide a range of direct and contracted services including home and community care, mental health services, population and preventive health, addictions services and primary care.
VCH is not responsible for all health care within its geographic service area. Other hospitals such as BC Children's Hospital, BC Women's Hospital & Health Centre, and agencies such as the BC Cancer Agency are operated by the Provincial Health Services Authority
. Community partners and non-governmental organizations also provide certain health care services either in collaboration or under contract.
, are operated through agreement with Providence Health Care
, a Roman Catholic faith-based
care provider. The CEO of Providence sits as a member of VCH's executive team. Through another affiliation agreement with the United Church of Canada
, VCH also provides health services in Bella Bella and Bella Coola and the surrounding areas. VCH treats patients referred for specialized services from other health authorities throughout the province.
, focuses on translational research: enabling the best in patient care by rapidly turning research discoveries into new therapies, surgical techniques or treatment practices. To achieve this goal, the VCH Research Institute co-hosts to two National Centres of Excellence for Commercialization Research and one National Centre of Excellence as well as partnership with national clinical trials, research networks and industry.
The VCH Research Institute has 400 principal investigators and 200 trainees located in 350000 square feet (32,516.1 m²) of dedicated research space based at VGH, UBC Hospital and GF Strong. The VCH Research Institute is one of Canada’s top funded health science research centres with 136 million in total research funding in 2007/2008.
VCH is one of six publicly-funded healthcare regions within the Canadian province of British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. The Provincial Government of British Columbia, through the British Columbia Ministry of Health
Ministry of Health (British Columbia)
The Ministry of Health is a provincial government department responsible for British Columbia's health system, with a mandate to guide and enhance the province's health services to ensure British Columbians are supported in their efforts to maintain and improve their health.Its annual budget is...
, sets province-wide goals, standards and performance agreements for health service delivery by the six health authorities.
Service area
VCH serves the one in four of British Columbia’s four-million population who live in a geographic area of 58,560 square kilometres including 12 municipalities, four regional districts and 14 Aboriginal communities, including:- VancouverVancouverVancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
- RichmondRichmond, British ColumbiaRichmond is a coastal city, incorporated in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Part of Metro Vancouver, its neighbouring communities are Vancouver and Burnaby to the north, New Westminster to the east, and Delta to the south, while the Strait of Georgia forms its western border...
(within Greater Vancouver)) - The North Shore (The municipalities and districts of North and West Vancouver, within Greater Vancouver)
- Coast-Garibaldi (Sea-to-Sky (including Whistler), Sunshine Coast, Powell River, Bella Bella and Bella Coola).
Vancouver Coastal Health administers 13 hospitals and 3 diagnostic and treatment centers and 15 community health centers and more than 500 facilities provide a range of direct and contracted services including home and community care, mental health services, population and preventive health, addictions services and primary care.
VCH is not responsible for all health care within its geographic service area. Other hospitals such as BC Children's Hospital, BC Women's Hospital & Health Centre, and agencies such as the BC Cancer Agency are operated by the Provincial Health Services Authority
Provincial Health Services Authority
Provincial Health Services Authority is a publicly funded health service provider in the province of British Columbia. Other health authorities in the province have a regional jurisdiction. PHSA is unique in Canada as the only health authority having a province-wide mandate for specialized health...
. Community partners and non-governmental organizations also provide certain health care services either in collaboration or under contract.
Health services provided
| Population health & wellness | Primary health care | Acute care | Home & community services | Mental health & addictions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Denominational agreements
Seven care facilities, including British Columbia's second-largest hospital, St. Paul's HospitalSt. Paul's Hospital (Vancouver)
St. Paul's Hospital is an acute care, teaching and research hospital located in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It is the largest of the seven health care facilities operated by Providence Health Care, a Roman Catholic faith-based care provider. St...
, are operated through agreement with Providence Health Care
Providence Health Care
Providence Health Care is a Roman Catholic faith-based care provider that operates seven facilities in Vancouver, Canada.Providence Health Care was formed through the consolidation of CHARA Health Care Society, Holy Family Hospital and St. Paul's Hospital on April 1, 1997. Providence Health Care...
, a Roman Catholic faith-based
Faith-based
The term faith-based is a neologism , mostly current in US English, to describe any organization or government idea or plan based on religious beliefs, specifically Christian beliefs....
care provider. The CEO of Providence sits as a member of VCH's executive team. Through another affiliation agreement with the United Church of Canada
United Church of Canada
The United Church of Canada is a Protestant Christian denomination in Canada. It is the largest Protestant church and, after the Roman Catholic Church, the second-largest Christian church in Canada...
, VCH also provides health services in Bella Bella and Bella Coola and the surrounding areas. VCH treats patients referred for specialized services from other health authorities throughout the province.
Research at VCH
The VCH Research Institute, though an extensive partnership with the University of British ColumbiaUniversity of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
, focuses on translational research: enabling the best in patient care by rapidly turning research discoveries into new therapies, surgical techniques or treatment practices. To achieve this goal, the VCH Research Institute co-hosts to two National Centres of Excellence for Commercialization Research and one National Centre of Excellence as well as partnership with national clinical trials, research networks and industry.
The VCH Research Institute has 400 principal investigators and 200 trainees located in 350000 square feet (32,516.1 m²) of dedicated research space based at VGH, UBC Hospital and GF Strong. The VCH Research Institute is one of Canada’s top funded health science research centres with 136 million in total research funding in 2007/2008.
Facts about VCH
- VCH provides 46% of all inpatient specialized care(tertiary/quaternary) for the over 4 million people in British Columbia and operates:
- 8,936 acute, rehabilitation and residential beds
- 421 community residential care beds
- 621 assisted living beds/units
- 1,430 mental health supported housing units
- 2,447 mental health beds
- 1,312 addictions beds
- On average, VCH annually provides:
- 3 million+ patient days of care
- 308,000+ annual Emergency Department visits (one person every two minutes)
- 640,000+ annual clinic visits
- 81,000+ annual same day surgical visits
- 79,000+ inpatient discharges
- 2.3 million+ residential care days
- 1.9 million+ home support hours
- 199,000+ home nursing visits
- In October 2008, VCH was named by Mediacorp Canada Inc. as one of BC's Top EmployersBC's Top EmployersBC's Top Employers is an annual competition that recognizes the best employers in British Columbia to work. First published in October 2005, the special designation recognizes the British Columbia employers that lead their industries in offering exceptional places to work...
, according to coverage by The Vancouver SunThe Vancouver SunThe Vancouver Sun is a daily newspaper first published in the Canadian province of British Columbia on February 12, 1912. The paper is currently published by the Pacific Newspaper Group, a division of Postmedia Network. It is published six days a week, Monday to Saturday...
, The ProvinceThe ProvinceThe Province is a daily, tabloid format newspaper published in British Columbia by Postmedia. It has been a daily newspaper since 1898.According to a recent NADbank survey, The Provinces average weekday readership was 520,100, making it British Columbia's most read newspaper...
and the Victoria Times-Colonist.
See also
Other health authorities in British Columbia- Fraser HealthFraser HealthFraser Health is one of six publicly funded health care Regions into which the Canadian province of British Columbia is divided. It has 22,000 employees and serves the region from Boston Bar in the Fraser Canyon all the way down the Fraser River Valley to the Vancouver suburb of Burnaby...
- Interior HealthInterior HealthInterior Health is the publicly funded healthcare provider in an area of the Canadian province of British Columbia.Interior Health was established as one of five geographically based health authorities in 2001 by the Government of British Columbia...
- Northern HealthNorthern HealthNorthern Health is the publicly-funded healthcare provider for a the northern half of the Canadian province of British Columbia. The area region includes the communities of:* Atlin* Burns Lake* Chetwynd* Dawson Creek* Fort Nelson* Fort St. James* Fort St...
- Vancouver Island Health AuthorityVancouver Island Health AuthorityVancouver Island Health Authority is the publicly-funded health care provider in an area in the Canadian province of British Columbia. The region includes the communities of:* Vancouver Island* Gulf Islands* Johnstone Strait* Central Coast...
- Provincial Health Services AuthorityProvincial Health Services AuthorityProvincial Health Services Authority is a publicly funded health service provider in the province of British Columbia. Other health authorities in the province have a regional jurisdiction. PHSA is unique in Canada as the only health authority having a province-wide mandate for specialized health...