Happy New Year! January News 2026

Happy New Year!

Welcome to a new look for Rural Health Matters. In this issue, we take a look back at our work in 2025 and look forward to a prosperous and healthy 2026.

From the President

Governance and direction

Happy New Year!

I hope you all enjoyed a season filled with joy, peace, and time with family and friends. I know I certainly did, and I am grateful for the opportunity to begin a new year together.

Our Annual General Meeting was held on December 17. True to rural living, I lost power and had intermittent cell service, which meant I was in and out of the meeting. My apologies for any distractions. That said, it was also a wonderful reminder of the strength and resilience of rural communities. When challenges arise, people step up, and that is exactly what happened. I am so grateful for our Board and staff, who seamlessly carried on. You truly are amazing.

For a full reflection on the past year, please see the 2025 President’s Year-End Report.

As we move into 2026, I would like to highlight some of the key work we are carrying forward.

Funding for the BC Rural Health Network (BCRHN) continues to be both a challenge and a top priority. Securing sustainable funding is essential if we are to remain actively involved in the critical discussions shaping rural and remote health care. Expanding our capacity to engage, advocate, and collaborate remains a central focus for the year ahead.

We are pleased to share that BCRHN has received a new contract with the Ministry of Health that strongly aligns with our mission and values. This work will focus on community engagement to inform improvements to health system response to patient harm.

I am very pleased to welcome Kristy Bjaranson and Joe McCulloch back to the Board, and to warmly welcome Phoebe Lazier Junker as a new director. Many of you will recognize Phoebe from her previous work with us in community outreach. We are delighted to have her return in this new capacity.

In December, I attended the Rural Coordination Centre of BC (RCCbc) Core Meeting, where I again had the opportunity to present, as part of the team, on the importance of Personal Health Records. It is something that I believe will affect the ability for patients and health providers to positively impact patient care and provider satisfaction.

Paul and I attended our quarterly meeting with RCCbc, focusing on how we can best support one another. These conversations continue to reinforce our shared commitment to advancing rural health equity across British Columbia.

The second CARGA report has also been released, and Paul’s analysis is, as always, insightful and comprehensive. I encourage members to review his report. As always, the key question will be whether these recommendations are matched with the necessary funding to allow for appropriate follow through.

The Real Time Virtual Support (RTVS) program has proven itself to be a great initiative to support rural physicians and health care, and it is critical that these services continue to be funded. They are truly a lifeline to rural and remote communities and the residents they serve. There are also encouraging developments underway for rural and remote health, including initiatives related to RTVS, which, with proper funding, can be strengthened and expanded.

Telemedicine and virtual care remain essential services, not optional extras. Recruitment, retention, and physician support must be fully funded if rural and remote communities are to be adequately served.

Emergency Room and Hospital Closures continue throughout our province. This continues to have major impact on the residents of BC and especially those in rural and remote areas. We will not become complacent with these situations as they become all too familiar, but will continue to encourage action and problem-solving to address these all-too-common events.

Patient and community voices are critically important. If you have the opportunity, I strongly encourage you to participate as a Patient Partner . Rural perspectives must be part of these conversations.

As always, my sincere thanks to all Board members, liaisons, and volunteers for your continued commitment, time, and energy in support of BCRHN’s mission to achieve health equity for all residents of British Columbia.

And to our members, thank you for your ongoing support and guidance as we continue this important journey together. We would not be who we are without you.

As we begin a new year, I leave you with this quote:

“Rural communities are not defined by what they lack, but by the strength, resilience, and care they show for one another.”
– Dr. Nelly Oelke

With best wishes for a healthy and hopeful year ahead,

Only my best
Peggy

Peggy Skelton
President

From the Executive Director

Advocacy, policy and partnerships

Looking Back, and Leaning Forward

As we enter a new year, I am deeply grateful for the resilience and commitment shown by our members, partners, directors, contractors and communities across British Columbia. The past twelve months have highlighted both the challenges facing rural residents and the essential role the BC Rural Health Network plays in ensuring those challenges are heard and addressed.

We continue to see financial pressures placed on non-profits providing essential services, ongoing ER disruptions, travel burdens, long waitlists, inadequate staffing levels and difficulty accessing primary care. At the same time, we are seeing progress. Decision makers are listening more closely, partners are engaging more deeply, and rural communities are stepping forward to help shape solutions.

This year was not only about responding to challenges. It was about building a foundation for the years ahead. We still have much to accomplish, but I am proud of what we achieved in 2025. That progress is the direct result of the generosity of everyone who gives their time, energy, and support.

We continue to operate at a very high level with limited resources. Our board members, committee volunteers, and staff work tirelessly, often behind the scenes, while also balancing commitments to their families and communities. Their dedication is extraordinary, and deeply appreciated.

The year ahead will focus on sustainability. We must ensure our work continues, plan for succession, hire and retain staff, and pay a living wage so that our team can remain strong. Achieving financial stability in 2026 is essential to protecting and growing the impact of our work for rural communities.

Recognition through our first government contract

One important milestone was our recent contract with the provincial government. While the amount is modest, the significance is not. It recognizes the value that rural voices bring to provincial planning and confirms that our Network is a credible partner.

Our goal now is to ensure that genuine rural engagement becomes standard practice in provincial policy work.

Research that centers rural experience

Our work with Dr. Jude Kornelsen remains foundational. Her newest project focuses on ensuring that rural residents are fully included in health research, so that policy decisions reflect lived experience.

CBC recently profiled this work listen here.

Alongside her research, Jude leads our Implementation Committee which continues to bring together community leaders, government partners, clinicians, and researchers. The insights from this work are helping shape primary care reform in rural BC.

We encourage readers to participate in Jude’s research. More information is included later in this newsletter.

Primary care reform and the promise of CARGA

Primary care reform remains one of the most important policy opportunities in front of us. Through the CARGA process, we continue to advocate for models that are community governed, team based, and built to reflect rural realities. The second CARGA report signals meaningful potential for a shift in direction within the Ministry of Health.

But a signal is not enough. To translate this promise into real change, we need a firm financial commitment in Budget 2026 that aligns with the recommendations provided to the Ministry team. Only then can we be confident that the system is moving forward with the urgency that rural communities require.

Community Health Centres remain central to that work. Sustainable funding is essential if they are to grow responsibly: https://bcachc.org/

We will continue pushing for long term commitment from government.

Appreciating leadership voices

We were honoured to welcome BC Green Party Leader Emily Lowan as our AGM guest speaker. Her thoughtful engagement on health issues and her remarkable energy as a Gen Z leader are already drawing a new cohort into provincial politics, which is an achievement in itself.

Our message to Emily was the same message we continue to share across the political spectrum: rural perspectives must be integral to provincial dialogue and must be embedded in policy development across British Columbia.

Building stability through the Legacy Equity Fund

The Legacy Equity Fund is a deliberate step toward financial stability. Consistent funding helps ensure that we can maintain and grow the team required to support communities, coordinate research, and engage with government.

If you are able, we invite you to support this effort.

Your contribution helps strengthen our work and ensures we can continue to speak truth to power, engage with communities, travel, speak to leaders from across BC and remain a free agent that is governed by community champions from across rural BC. We rely on supporter generosity, and we are deeply grateful for any donation you are able to make. As a registered charity, we provide tax receipts for all eligible contributions.

Long term care through a rural lens

Rural communities face distinct long-term care challenges, including centralized institutional models, limited home supports, staffing shortages, and long travel distances. Effective planning must reflect geography, culture, and local realities. One size does not fit all, and any discussion about economies of scale must also recognize the imperative of keeping families and communities together.

Strategies for long-term care must account for the system-wide costs of the current model that concentrates million-dollar beds in urban centres. We need to shift toward integrating long-term care into communities as an anchor resource and a place of care that strengthens local services rather than burdening them.

We will continue to advance this rural-lens approach so that seniors can age in place with dignity, connection, and appropriate supports. We appreciate the work of our Seniors’ Advocate, Dan Levitt and hope to see his voice continue to assist us in raising awareness of the significant inequities faced by rural seniors.

Virtual care: RTVS and standards that work for rural communities

Real-Time Virtual Support remains one of the most effective tools supporting under staffed rural ERs and maternity services. Not all virtual programs deliver the same continuity or relevance. BC needs strong standards that reflect what works for rural residents and providers. It is time to increase our voice on this critical program and ensure that consistent financial supports are in place, that more funding is allocated to this essential program and that expansion of these programs with stable funding is seen as a priority for the Ministry. Budget 2026 will be very telling to where rural health stands as a priority and we will be watching closely, budget day is February 17th, 2026.

Travel, accommodation, and Housing is Healthcare

For many rural residents, the greatest barrier to treatment is not the medical appointment itself. It is the cost and complexity of travel and accommodation. Housing is Healthcare remains a core initiative aimed at reducing these inequities and ensuring people can access the care they need. We have had productive discussions with government and positive signals from all political parties regarding travel supports and accommodation access for rural residents. We welcome Jacqueline Podewils to our board as a liaison and who is both the founder and a leader of this important initiative.

Unfortunately, many essential programs still lack appropriate funding, and others have been reduced or eliminated. Rural residents continue to face unnecessary financial hardship and health risks as a result. We need a clear and sustained commitment to address this issue. The solution is neither impossible nor unaffordable. Providing timely supports will save money across the system, improve health outcomes, and build strong public support for equitable access to care.

Looking ahead

• strengthening our formal partnership role with government
• advancing rural-driven research
• supporting CHC growth and primary care reform
• expanding Housing is Healthcare
• enhancing RTVS advocacy and virtual care standards
• improving long term care planning
• building financial stability through the Legacy Equity Fund

Thank you to everyone who supports, advises, challenges, and works alongside us. Together, we will continue working toward a future where geography never determines who receives care.

Yours in health and wellness,
Paul

Paul Adams
Executive Director

Community Outreach

Voices from across BC

Hello everyone, I hope you all had a safe, restful, and reflective end of year. My family and I took some time to remind ourselves of our many blessings and to gently prepare our hearts and minds for the year ahead. We have been trying to name at least one thing each day that we are grateful for, as a way to stay grounded and mindful as we move forward. One thing I continue to be deeply grateful for is the opportunity to work with the BC Rural Health Network and to learn alongside so many dedicated and caring people.

The many conversations I had with community members across rural and remote areas last year were truly inspiring and meaningful to me. Hearing firsthand about people’s experiences, challenges, and strengths reinforced just how important it is to stay connected and to keep listening. This year, I want to be even more intentional about reaching out, learning more about our rural and remote communities, and creating space for honest and respectful dialogue.

I am especially eager to speak with those who wish to share their experiences and stories, as I believe these voices are essential in helping guide our work and shaping positive change.

My hope for the year ahead is to continue building strong relationships, encouraging participation, and finding ways to bring people together so that our voices can be joined in meaningful and practical ways. By listening, learning, and working together, I believe we can support one another and continue moving toward healthier, more connected rural and remote communities. If you are interested in sharing ideas or lived experiences, please do not hesitate to reach out.

Kind regards:

Dea Lewsaw
Community Outreach Coordinator
dea.lewsaw@bcruralhealth.org

Member of the Month: BC Health Coalition

Provincial leadership in defending public health care

With the myriad of issues facing public health, our leadership has agreed that the Coalition’s first priority for 2026 is to mount a public-facing pro-public health care campaign. As we remind people what is at stake if we allow public health care to erode into a two-tier, U.S.-style system, we can engage them to fight for the improvements we need, and safeguard the system we fought for in the days of Tommy Douglas.

This campaign will not be easy. Communities experiencing service gaps are not always eager to defend the system as it exists. But we must avoid throwing the baby out with the bathwater. Protecting our universal, publicly funded system is essential, even while pushing for improvements on multiple fronts.

A history of advocacy

The Coalition has a long history of effective advocacy. In previous years, we intervened in the Cambie Surgeries case to prevent changes to the Canada Health Act, protected BC’s public voluntary blood donation system, successfully advocated for the elimination of unfair MSP fees, and supported the creation of the Office of the Seniors Advocate. We also helped secure government commitments to address surgical and diagnostic wait times, ran election campaigns to support public health care champions, and advocated nationally for improvements such as universal Pharmacare.

The BCHC stands strongly against moving toward a two-tier, U.S.-style system. The research is clear: nations that have embraced this approach have longer wait times and reduced access for those in the public system. In Australia, for example, a recent report found cancer patients in the lowest socioeconomic group had a 37 percent higher mortality rate than those in the highest socioeconomic group.

Looking back at 2025

It has been a year of both challenges and victories. The BCHC called on the government for the public reintegration of diagnostic services. We worked with other provincial coalitions to highlight threats from privatization, staffing shortages, and inequities in the system, and celebrated BC’s commitment to the national Pharmacare program. Across the province, we held workshops, webinars, and speaker panels to educate communities on health care issues and mobilize support for a stronger public system.

Solidarity with LifeLabs Technicians

In 2025, the provincial health care system continued to face serious pressures, including staffing shortages and the effects of privatization, exemplified by the strike of diagnostic technicians at the corporately owned LifeLabs. As we informed our membership about the unacceptable working conditions there, many were surprised to learn that LifeLabs is a private entity. Over time, governments have increasingly outsourced health care services that would ideally be operated within the public system.

For-profit entities like LifeLabs are accountable to shareholders and must generate a return on investment, even while receiving public funds per patient through MSP. This creates an inherent tension: to remain profitable, such companies may underpay workers, impose excessive workloads, or cut overhead, often at the expense of the quality of care delivered. When public dollars flow to private providers, there is a structural risk that patient care and safety can be compromised.

The role of the BCHC in situations involving unionized health care workers is to inform patients and stakeholders and to create opportunities for public solidarity. The working conditions of health care providers are directly tied to the quality of care patients receive. In cases like this, the public deserves to know that profit-driven corporations such as Quest Diagnostics, the owner of LifeLabs, are directly responsible for decisions that erode both working conditions and patient care.

Primary Health Care

Strengthening primary health care delivery remains a key strategy to address system inefficiencies. The BCHC supports team-based, community-rooted models that include physicians, nurse practitioners, allied health professionals, and community health workers. In 2025, Coalition staff and Board members actively participated in the Ministry of Health’s engagement process related to the Cooperation and Responsible Government Accord (CARGA), which focuses on primary care reform, ensuring that community needs and patient-centered approaches are at the heart of system changes. The second CARGA report has just been released and we will continue to participate, looking for an opportunity to engage our members should an opportunity for broader political engagement arise.

Members of the Coalition’s Steering Committee also engaged directly with the Ministry of Health, offering input on urgent system-wide challenges. Incoming Minister Josie Osborne and her staff consulted with BCHC-affiliated researchers, who outlined the structural drivers of the primary care crisis and its central role in cost overruns and gaps in care, especially for patients with complex and high needs. They stressed that improving outcomes requires a focus on meaningful access to primary care, not just formal attachment, so that people with greater needs can receive timely, high-quality care and avoid reliance on costly and often less effective emergency and hospital services.

Provincial and National Health Coalitions

BCHC collaborates closely with other provincial coalitions and our national counterpart. In 2025, we participated in SOS Medicare 3.0 in Ottawa and the People’s Shadow Summit in Huntsville following the federal election. These gatherings brought together advocates, researchers, and frontline workers to strategize for a stronger, more equitable health care system.

Advocating for better care in rural communities

We are well aware that rural communities face unique challenges. Access to timely and comprehensive care is often limited, and geographic distance can affect outcomes. BCHC advocates for strong hospitals and clinics, adequate staffing, telehealth solutions, and fair provincial funding. In partnership with the BC Rural Health Network, we amplify the voices of communities far from urban centres, including highlighting the need for accommodations for patients needing specialized care in Vancouver.

The road ahead

Looking to 2026, BCHC is preparing a major public campaign to defend public health care against privatization. Political leaders across Canada are increasingly opening the door to for-profit models, and we will work with provincial partners to uphold Tommy Douglas’s legacy, reminding British Columbians that access to care should be based on need, not wealth.

Our priorities for 2026 remain consistent with 2025: protecting Medicare, improving seniors’ care, advocating for patient-centered delivery, and strengthening rural and community-based primary care. By combining advocacy and public education, we mobilize communities to support policies that put patients first, protect public services, and maintain a health care system accessible to everyone, everywhere.

We look forward to continuing our work with the BC Rural Health Network and other partners to advance these priorities and ensure high-quality, publicly funded health care remains at the core of BC’s health system.

Learn more at the BC Health Coalition website .

Research and Participation Opportunities

Calls for rural voices

Rural Research Inclusion Project

People who live in rural communities are often left out of health research because long travel distances, limited internet connectivity, and fewer local research resources can make it hard to participate. When that happens, research findings and new treatments may not work as well for rural communities.

This project will speak with rural residents and research teams across BC to understand these challenges and identify what would help. What we learn will help guide a provincial plan to make research more accessible, including improvements in technology, training, and long term support for rural research.

Overall, the goal is to make health research fairer and more useful for rural communities.

Why this matters

Health research needs to represent everyone, not just people in cities. When rural communities are left out, study results do not fully apply to them. That can lead to policies and treatments that miss rural realities and create unfair gaps in access to care.

What the study will explore

• How distance and travel to urban study sites limit participation
• How limited local research infrastructure and supports affect inclusion
• The impact of connectivity, technology, and digital access on research involvement
• Barriers faced by equity-deserving, Indigenous, and remote communities
• What would make research participation easier, safer, and more meaningful for rural residents

What will happen with the results

The project team will use what they learn to develop recommendations for funders, researchers, and decision makers on how to design studies that include rural residents from the start, build local capacity, and support long term relationships between communities and research teams.

To read more or share the opportunity in your community, visit the project page: Rural Research Inclusion Project .

News and Partner Highlights

Programs and opportunities for rural communities

A Career in Saving Lives: BCEHS Youth Pathways Program Opens Doors for Future Paramedics

British Columbia’s rural communities need more paramedics, and the BC Emergency Health Services (BCEHS) Youth Pathways Program is stepping up to inspire the next generation of emergency responders. If you have ever wondered what it is like to be on the frontlines of health care, responding to crises, and making a real difference in people’s lives, this program is a chance to find out.

From interactive simulations to hands-on ride-along experiences, BCEHS is offering a structured pathway for students from Grade 9 to 12, and even young adults, to explore the world of paramedicine.

An opportunity for rural youth to step into the action

BCEHS is actively reaching out to rural youth, encouraging them to consider a career in emergency health services. With an increasing demand for paramedics across BC’s remote and underserved regions, this program provides a unique opportunity for students to gain real-world experience and fast track their careers in health care.

Here is how students can get involved:

• Grade 9: A Day in the Life of a Paramedic – Interactive simulations, first aid training, and Q&A sessions with professionals.
• Grade 10: Paramedic Youth Camp – A 2 day immersive camp where students develop teamwork, leadership, and life saving skills.
• Grades 11 and 12: High School EMR Course – A post secondary Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) course delivered at the high school level, preparing students for entry level roles in emergency medicine.
• Youth Observer Program (ages 17–18) – Ride-along shifts, mentorship from paramedics, and hands-on exposure to emergency response.

Why this matters for rural communities

Many rural areas across BC face critical shortages of paramedics, leading to long wait times and increased pressure on emergency services. By encouraging young people to explore this career path early, BCEHS is helping to build a strong local workforce that can serve their own communities.

For rural students who may not have considered a future in health care, this program provides an accessible and exciting introduction to emergency medicine, without having to leave their home communities to get started.

How to get involved

If you, or someone you know, are interested in a future as a paramedic, now is the time to explore the BCEHS Youth Pathways Program. The program is school sponsored and offers experiences that can set students on the path to a rewarding and impactful career.

You can download the full brochure here: BCEHS Youth Pathways Program brochure .

For more information, visit the BC Emergency Health Services website or contact Deborah Roberts at (250) 731 7197 or Deborah.roberts@bcehs.ca.

Take the first step toward a career that saves lives. The future of emergency health services in BC starts with you.

Oncology Travel and Supports

If you are an oncology patient or know someone in BC who is, the Canadian Cancer Society and Hope Air offer important services and supports to help ensure people can access the treatment they need. Please visit their websites to learn more.

Travel Assistance with Kindness and Compassion!

Hope Air continues to help British Columbians travel to essential medical care, removing financial barriers and ensuring that distance is not a reason to delay treatment.