A preferred proponent has been selected to conclude negotiations with Interior Health as part of the next step towards building the Interior Heart and Surgical Centre (IHSC) at Kelowna General Hospital (KGH).

The countdown is on at the site of the new Fort St. John Hospital and Residential Care project. Less than three months remain until the new acute care and residential care buildings open.

British Columbians with terminal illnesses, their loved ones and caregivers now have access to after-hours support in their homes with the expansion of the After- Hours Palliative Nursing Service (AHPNS).

Health Minister Michael de Jong used a forum with health-care students and educators to highlight the Province's efforts to introduce innovative new ways of delivering health-care services to better meet the needs of B.C. families now and in years to come.

Aboriginal Health Physician Advisor Dr. Evan Adams has been appointed Deputy Provincial Health Officer, announced Minister of Health Michael de Jong, the First Nations Heath Council and the interim First Nations Health Authority.

Seniors, other clients with complex care needs and their families are benefiting from increased staffing levels at residential-care facilities as a result of the investment of $55 million from B.C.'s revised residential-care rate structure revenues and one-time funding for infrastructure.

The Ministry of Health is providing important information on health sector union negotiations and the current anesthesiologist dispute.