BC Rural Health Network is growing its membership by Jan McMurray – The Valley Voice
The BC Rural Health Network is well on its way to being the healthcare voice for all rural residents of BC.
“The BC Rural Health Network is now presenting at the ministerial level,” said Colin Moss, vice-president of the organization and New Denver Village councillor. “We’re now speaking and meeting with all three BC provincial parties. Our voice is also being heard at the highest levels of BC Emergency Health Services. We’ve met with the health authorities, the municipal affairs minister and his staff, and we are planning an upcoming meeting with (Health) Minister Adrian Dix.”
The organization has grown from 48 members last year to 75 members this year, and a membership drive is currently underway. Moss is chair of the membership committee.
“For the last three months, we’ve been conducting a municipal membership drive, and once we’ve contacted all rural BC municipalities, we’ll be approaching the Regional Districts,” said Moss. “The idea is that we want to advocate for BC rural municipalities and the electoral areas around municipalities. That way, we can hope to represent the majority of rural BC. We also hope to partner with Indigenous nations on health issues common to all of us in rural BC.”
Last year, Moss helped to sign up six municipal members – all from the West Kootenay (New Denver, Silverton, Slocan, Nakusp, Kaslo and Castlegar). Now there are 22 municipal members.
Moss says he and Leonard Casley, New Denver mayor, started out as champions of New Denver healthcare issues even before they were elected officials. “Then we thought it would be great to form a BC-wide advocacy group to come up with solutions that would work not only for New Denver but also for other rural municipalities in the province. And then we found out that Princeton had already started one – the BC Rural Health Network – so we got involved and joined the board.”
Moss is vice-president of the BCRHN board and chair of the membership committee, and Casley sits on the board as a director and is chair of the Emergency Operations Committee. Peggy Skelton from the east shore of Kootenay Lake is the chair, and the executive director is Paul Adams.
Moss says he has found that when individual communities and health groups come up with viable solutions and present them to health authorities and MLAs, the ideas don’t get “too far up the chain. But now BCRHN, through our expanded membership, is able to bring forward some of these local solutions to be heard at the highest levels. As a united voice, we’re far more effective.”
BCRHN is a solutions-based organization, Moss says. “We come up with viable solutions to rural BC-wide healthcare problems and we present them at the highest levels. We don’t champion individual community or local area issues. We advocate – we don’t protest. It’s up to the local communities to protest.”
Moss reports that the organization is working on policy papers on the privatization of healthcare services, transportation issues, and local input into healthcare decisions. “Transportation is one thing we’re concerned about and that’s a common issue to all of rural BC. Centralization, and elimination and reduction of services to rural BC means we have to travel further, and it’s expensive and inconvenient. Also, community involvement in the community’s own healthcare was taken away by centralization.”
Moss says it is recognized by all political parties that the current healthcare system isn’t working. “The government is looking for solutions and we’re the organization that brings rural, community-based solutions forward.”
BCRHN members include not only local governments but also hospice societies, Chambers of Commerce, local health groups, seniors’ organizations and individuals. To learn more about the organization and becoming a member, visit https://bcruralhealth.org/
