North Shore residents are one-step closer to a new $62.2-million acute mental health facility with construction now underway on the Greta & Robert H.N. Ho Centre for Psychiatry and Education (HOpe Centre) at Lions Gate Hospital.

New regulations will give health authorities the ability to provide nurse practitioners (NPs) with the ability to admit and discharge patients from health-care facilities, working in collaboration with physicians and other health-care providers, announced Health Minister Dr. Margaret MacDiarmid.

The release of the Request for Proposals (RFP) signifies that another important step in the competitive selection process has been achieved. This process is to select a design-builder to deliver the Lakes District Hospital and Health Centre replacement project.

The North Island Hospitals Project (NIHP) reached a critical milestone today with the announcement of the three proponents shortlisted following the Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to design, build, finance and maintain new state-of-the-art acute care facilities in Campbell River and the Comox Valley.

Door access controls for entry and exit at Columbia View Lodge are being replaced to ensure continued compliance with current standards and fire codes. The security upgrades will improve safety measures for those living at the residential care facility.

A $250,000 upgrade to the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system at the Sindi Ahluwalia Hawkins Centre for the Southern Interior will ensure patients who often spend hours receiving cancer treatment do so in maximum comfort.

Minister of Health Dr. Margaret MacDiarmid issued the following statement in recognition of Women's History Month in October, and acknowledged the world's first International Day of the Girl, on Oct. 11, 2012. This year's theme - Strong Girls, Strong Canada: Leaders from the Start - is inspired by International Day of the Girl.