June 13, 2025 – Rural British Columbia – Paul Adams
New research from the UBC Centre for Rural Health Research is upending assumptions about rural surgical care in British Columbia. Led by Dr. Jude Kornelsen, the study compares patient outcomes from rural hospitals with those from regional referral centres. The results are clear: rural surgery is safe, effective, and holds promise for reducing wait times and boosting rural economies.
Drawing on five years of data from seven hospitals participating in the Rural Surgical and Obstetrics Networks (RSON), the study analyzed over 12,000 cases of common procedures such as colonoscopy, hernia repair, appendectomy, and cesarean delivery. The results showed that outcomes for low-acuity procedures in rural hospitals were equivalent to those in regional facilities. Family physicians with enhanced surgical skills (FPESS) delivered results comparable to those of specialists for matched cases.
“These findings demonstrate that small rural surgical services are safe, provide quality care and can contribute positively to reducing surgical wait times. Most importantly, they effectively meet the procedural care needs of rural residents” said Dr. Jude Kornelsen, lead author of the study. She goes on to note, “These services can be effectively organized through regional surgical networks of care linking specialist surgeons with Family Physicians with Enhanced Surgical Skills”.
The findings offer more than clinical reassurance. Local access to procedures reduces the burden on regional hospitals and gives patients quicker access to necessary care. At the same time, it supports rural healthcare teams, sustains local hospital infrastructure, and helps retain skilled practitioners.
Expanding rural surgical capacity could also offer an innovative approach to reducing waitlists. Patients could choose to travel to a rural hospital with available capacity rather than wait for care in overburdened urban centres. This would have a direct economic impact on rural communities through spending on accommodations, food, and other services.
“This model isn’t just about healthcare. It’s about economic development, workforce retention, and equity,” said Paul Adams, Executive Director of the BC Rural Health Network. “Safe, high-quality care delivered closer to home helps keep communities vibrant and resilient. Attracting paitents from larger centres to recieve care in our smaller centres, enhances local economies, reduces wait-times and creates benefits througout the health system.”
The study highlights the success of the Rural Surgical Obstetrical Networks initiative, a made-in-BC approach that invests in clinical coaching, remote-presence technology, and locally determined quality improvement projects. RSON has demonstrated what is possible when rural health services are treated as essential infrastructure.
As BC confronts long surgical wait times and growing demands on the health system, this research presents a clear way forward. Rural surgical care is not a stopgap. It is a proven solution.
Read the full article in the Canadian Journal of Surgery here https://www.canjsurg.ca/content/68/3/E221
