Government is supporting the Bowen Island Health Centre Foundation and its work to improve and increase access to timely, accessible team-based health care for people living on Bowen Island.

“People living on Bowen Island deserve to access the health care they need when they need it close to home,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health. “We’re taking action to improve access to on-island health-care services by establishing a new community health centre, working together with the Bowen Island Health Centre Foundation. The centre will give residents better access to team-based and comprehensive health care where they live.”  

The Province provided $1 million to the Bowen Island Health Centre Foundation to support the foundation’s fundraising efforts of $6 million to build and equip a new health centre as the hub for health care on Bowen Island.

The centre will be operated by the Bowen Island Health Centre Foundation as part of the North Shore primary care networks in collaboration with the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority (VCH) and the North Shore Division of Family Practice.

Through the foundation’s fundraising efforts and the provincial grant, the foundation was able to purchase a site for the health centre a short distance from Snug Cove village at 1037 Miller Rd., as well as to fund, design and build the 929-square-metre (10,000-square-foot) facility.

The groundbreaking ceremony is set for Sept. 28, 2021. Construction of the centre is scheduled to begin this fall and the opening of the new Bowen Island Community Health Centre is scheduled for the first quarter of 2023.

The centre will be owned and operated by the Bowen Island Health Centre Foundation, governed by a board of community residents that will work collaboratively with the community and health centre staff to identify and respond to new community needs.

Quotes:

Bowinn Ma, MLA for North Vancouver-Lonsdale –

"A new health centre on Bowen Island will significantly improve access to health-care services for people living on the island. People living on Bowen Island often need to travel by ferry to the Mainland to access the services they require. This health centre will mean more people can access team-based, comprehensive care closer to home."

Susie Chant, MLA for North Vancouver-Seymour –

“As a former community health nurse on Bowen Island, I’ve seen first-hand how residents could benefit from more health-care services on the island. I’m grateful our government is working with the Bowen Island Health Centre Foundation to create a hub where people can access a wide range of services when they need them. I’m looking forward to getting shovels in the ground!”

Carole Gillam, executive director, Primary Care and Chronic Disease Management, Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) –

“VCH is pleased to be supporting the Ministry of Health, North Shore Division of Family Practice and Bowen Island Health Centre Foundation as they move forward with the planning for a new health centre on Bowen Island. We look forward to collaborating with these partners as they work to bring important services closer to home for the many residents that call Bowen Island home.”

Dr. Raymond Chaboyer, board chair, North Shore Division of Family Practice –

“The North Shore Division of Family Practice is proud to move forward in collaboration with the ministry, VCH, our Primary Care Network Steering Committee and the Bowen Island Health Centre Foundation in planning and developing the Bowen Island Community Health Centre. Bowen Island is on the traditional territory of the Coast Salish people and is close to the Mainland, but rough weather and stormy seas can make it seem far away – with access to health care difficult. The division looks forward to working with our partners in offering excellence in comprehensive team-based health care to the residents and visitors of Bowen Island.”

Tim Rhodes, president, Bowen Island Health Centre Foundation –

“In 2015, when an island-wide survey identified a clear and urgent need for better access to on-island health care, a group of dedicated volunteers recognized the need for a community health centre and formed the Bowen Island Health Centre Foundation. Community members from every income bracket responded generously with donations and pledges totalling $5 million – the most ambitious fundraising campaign in the Island’s history. It’s a remarkable accomplishment for a population of 4,500 residents and will bring health care close to home on Bowen Island.”

Quick Facts:

• The Bowen Island Health Centre Foundation is a not-for-profit organization that works to promote wellness, enhance quality of life and improve health security for all Bowen Island residents and visitors.
• Bowen Island is a community approximately three kilometres offshore from Vancouver. It is reached via BC Ferries scheduled services, which run from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.
• According to a survey conducted by the Bowen Island Health Centre Foundation, 47% of Bowen Island residents experienced difficulty getting timely access to health-care services on Bowen Island.

Learn More:

To learn more about the Province’s primary health-care strategy, visit:
https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2018PREM0034-001010

To learn more about the Province’s strategy to increase the number of nurse practitioners, visit:
https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2018HLTH0034-000995

To learn more about the Province’s strategy to recruit and retain more family medicine graduates, visit:
https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2018HLTH0052-001043