Health
A new community health centre will give Bowen Island residents better access to timely, team-based health care close to home.
“When people are ill, their focus should be on getting well, not on figuring out how to get to other communities to get the primary care they need,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health. “On Bowen Island, and throughout B.C., our government is taking action to better connect people with primary-care providers and improve co-ordination through local primary-care networks, so people can receive quality health-care services locally.”
Opening April 29, 2024, the Bowen Island Health Community Health Centre (BICHC) will immediately provide a significant expansion of access to primary care on Bowen Island. Previously, the island had a single family practice staffed by two part-time family physicians. Once open, the BICHC will be home to the current physicians and two new family physicians, a nurse practitioner, registered nurses and Indigenous culturally safety supports.
In addition, there will be community health workers, as well as allied health providers such as social workers, a dietitian and a physiotherapist. Once fully staffed, the BICHC’s team-based care is expected to include 13.2 full-time equivalent health-care providers. The building will also be home to a new dental practice and LifeLabs.
“People living in rural and remote communities need team-based primary-care services closer to home,” said Jennifer Rice, Parliamentary Secretary for Rural Health. “The opening of the new Community Health Clinic on Bowen Island will ensure residents of the area have increased access to such high-quality care, and the additional health services and supports specific to the community needs. This is a such good news for people living on Bowen Island.”
The team-based approach of the BICHC will improve access to inclusive, culturally safe primary care, offer mental-health and addictions services, support seniors with complex health needs, and provide better continuity of care for all patients.
Community-owned and operated by the BICHC, the centre will be part of the North Shore Primary Care Network. The BICHC will be governed by the Bowen Island Health Centre Foundation board, volunteers who work collaboratively with the community and health-centre staff to identify and respond to local needs.
“The opening of the Bowen Island Community Health Centre is a momentous day for the community, for patients, for our more than 550 donors, for our volunteer board and everyone who has supported our vision of putting community health care in community hands,” said Tim Rhodes, president, Bowen Island Health Centre Foundation. “We have worked closely with the Ministry of Health, Vancouver Coastal Health and the North Shore Primary Care Network to bring the Province’s Community Health Centre Model to life on Bowen Island. As a result, the BICHC will allow people to remain in their homes longer, reduce carbon emissions from trips to town, and improve community health and wellness.”
The BICHC is a newly constructed two-storey, 993-square-metre (10,686 square feet) building that will become a central hub for team-based primary care and allied health supports in the community. The Province provided $3.1 million in one-time funding, and the Bowen Island Health Centre Foundation fundraised $8.6 million to build the centre.
The investment in the Bowen Island Community Health Centre aligns with the Province’s primary health-care strategy to deliver faster, team-based, patient-focused care though primary-care networks, urgent primary-care centres and community health centres, like the BICHC.
Quick Facts:
- Budget 2024 includes more than $538 million to support the continued implementation of Primary Care Strategy initiatives, including Primary Care Networks, Urgent and Primary Care Centres, CHCs, and family physician and nurse practitioner led clinics.
- The annual operating budget of the BICHC is expected to be approximately $2.5 million, which will be provided by the Ministry of Health.
- 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.
Learn More:
To learn more about Bowen Island Community Health Centre, visit: http://www.bowenhealthcentre.com
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 health human resources strategy, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2022HLTH0059-001464
A backgrounder follows.
