Rural community involvement in local healthcare planning and local healthcare delivery is a key priority for rural residents across British Columbia. It is widely recognized that meaningful involvement of residents in decisions, investment and innovation, ensures results that are appropriately patient-centred, locally relevant and aligned with local care experiences and expectations.
As an umbrella organization representing the health interests of 1.5 million rural residents across BC, the BC Rural Health Network recognizes that rural communities continue to disproportionately experience the negative effects of a health system under stress. As a solutions driven group, we advocate for equitable rural representation in health planning and implementation. This position is based on the growing evidence on the value of community and regionally-based health councils and from the voices of our membership. We advocate for a two-step process to work towards optimizing rural residents’ voices:
- Based on best available international evidence and pan-provincial community consultation, that the BC Government work with the BC Rural Health Network to co-create an implementation plan tailored to British Columbia’s geography and rural health service realities.
- Recognize that innovation is driven from within rural communities and occurs at the grassroots level across rural BC. Local knowledge, local cultures, indigenous priorities and cultural sensitive approaches, need to be the foundation in health planning and healthcare practice. This foundation will create the models that will inform an overall, BC-relevant approach to the residents’ voice in their health and healthcare planning.
We propose this work be provincially funded and occur in collaboration with the BC Rural Health Network.
These first steps in ensuring representation of the residents’ voices in health planning is an up-stream response to the continued attrition of rural health services across BC. We must recognize and appreciate the experience and knowledge of lay individuals and rural community organizations which can be harnessed for health system transformation. The BC Rural Health Network is well-positioned to be the conduit between provincial processes and rural communities.
The BCRHN is the healthcare voice of the rural residents of British Columbia and seeks better health outcomes for all people, through solutions-based approaches with governments, and information provision to residents.
