Programs administered through the Rural Health Office focus on initiatives that address evolving health service needs and provincial legal obligations with a rural `lens’ specific to communities in BC for access, health human resource needs, and research opportunities. Specific program areas include Health Match BC (HMBC), Travel Assistance Program (TAP), Health Connections, Telehealth (e-health), and participation with the Student Loan Forgiveness Program, Interprofessional Rural Placement Program of BC (IRPbc), BC Network for Interprofessional Education for Collaborative Patient-Centered Practice (IECPCP).

The RRHI is comprised of numerous rural programs and activities, as outlined below:

• The government-funded and managed central recruitment agency, Health Match BC, assists health authorities in their efforts to recruit rural physicians and nurses throughout the province. HMBC’s mandate was expanded in 2004 to include the recruitment of medical specialists and pharmacists to rural and urban communities in BC.
• The Medical Travel Assistance Programs for Patients is for BC residents who must travel to access non-emergency medical care that is not available in their own community. Public and private sector transportation partners provide travel fare discounts through TAP to eligible BC residents.
• Government has committed an additional $6 million for Health Connections, a new rural travel program to improve the transportation options and reduce the financial burden for rural residents who must travel for physician-referred, non-emergent medical care not available in their community. Through this program, the Northern Health Authority (NHA), Interior Health Authority (IHA), Vancouver Coastal Health Authority (VCH) and Vancouver Island Health Authority (VIHA) are developing and implementing travel assistance strategies that will best address the unique needs of rural residents in their regions.
• Telehealth projects in British Columbia are valuable for expediting and improving specialized health services to BC residents who do not live in urban centers. For example, telehealth technology allows heart specialists in Vancouver to see the echocardiogram of children with heart problems in other communities. The specialist can immediately discuss treatment options with the family and local health care providers. Telehealth videoconferencing is in place in over 50 communities throughout BC encompassing 120 health care sites. The Provincial Health Services Authority is responsible for supporting the province-wide planning, coordination, monitoring and evaluation of Telehealth.
• BC Health Guide improves access to health care information by providing health handbooks and online health information for BC residents. The BC NurseLine provides individuals with 24/7 access to registered nurses and pharmacists who provide confidential health information and advice on the telephone, and help determine if the caller needs to see a health professional. This program is especially helpful for residents living in remote and underserved areas of BC as rural and remote areas of the province have a heavier reliance on the BC NurseLine service than do their urban counterparts.
• The Women’s Advanced Maternity Fellowship for Rural Practitioners is part of the Women's Hospital's provincial mandate to provide competent maternity care to all in B.C. The fellowship provides practitioners, including physicians, nurses, midwives and allied health care providers, working in maternity care in rural and small urban B.C. communities with intensive training in advanced maternity skills. Bell Canada also provided some funding over two years to support advanced maternity training telehealth initiatives.
• The government’s Nursing Strategy for 2005/2006 continues with a 10-year human resources plan that provides for training, recruitment and retention of nursing professionals in every area of the province. The strategy includes providing more education seats, initiatives to encourage non-practising BC nurses to return to the health system, recruitment of more foreign-educated nurses, and opportunities for nurses to upgrade their skills and acquire specialty certification. The Aboriginal Nursing Strategy supports the development of aboriginal nursing projects to recruit aboriginal youth into the profession, recruit aboriginal and non-aboriginal nurses to aboriginal communities, and to retain nurses now working in aboriginal communities.
• The Interprofessional Rural Program of BC (IRPbc), coordinated by the BC Academic Health Council, place students into rural communities in teams of four or more, representing a broad range of health professions, with the goal of exposing students to rural practice and life in a small community and revitalizing the work environment for health professionals who currently practice in rural communities. To date, 60 students, 11 professions and five rural communities, including Bella Coola, Fort St. John, Hazelton, Port McNeil, and Trail, have participated in the program. Recruitment is underway for 2005 with an expansion to the communities of Hope/Agassiz. The success of this program has created a proposal to Health Canada for further funding and a network for Interprofessional Education for Collaborative Patient-Centered Practice (IECPCP).
• The College of Health Disciplines is leading a provincial response to Health Canada’s recent call for proposals relating to Interprofessional Education for Collaborative Patient-Centred Practice. It is proposed that a BC Network for Interprofessional Education for Collaborative Patient-Centred Practice be established and funded, in partnership with the six health authorities, a number of post-secondary institutions across BC, and the Ministries of Health and Advanced Education. This initiative would provide a valuable opportunity to build on and expand the foundation established in BC through the Interprofessional Rural Program of BC, and interprofessional student teams at GF Strong Hospital. Health Canada has indicated that special consideration will be given to projects that include interprofessional education activities related to health services in rural and aboriginal communities.
• The annual intake of undergraduate medical students has been increased from 128 to 200 positions by the fall of 2004. The location for training both undergraduate and residency positions has expanded from the UBC site to include the Island Medical Program at the University of Victoria and the Northern Medical Program at the University of Northern British Columbia.
• The University of Northern BC (UNBC) Nursing Program offers a Certificate in Rural & Northern Nursing. This certificate offers experienced RN's the opportunity to pursue post-diploma Undergraduate studies through a concentrated program of courses in rural and northern Nursing, providing. some of the essential knowledge and clinical skills needed to provide nursing care in rural and northern community hospitals, clinics, and health centres.
• The BC Loan Forgiveness Program is available through the Ministry of Advanced Education for physicians, nurses, midwives, pharmacists, speech language pathologists, audiologists, occupational therapists and physiotherapists. BC student loans are decreased by 1/3 per year and require one year return-in-service in an underserved community for each year of loan forgiveness.
• The 2001 Subsidiary Agreement for Physicians in Rural Practice (PDF 54 Kb) (RSA) aims to enhance patient care and the availability of physician services in rural and remote areas in BC, by addressing unique and difficult clinical circumstances encountered by rural physicians. Under this agreement, a number of physician recruitment, retention and educational incentives are managed through a Joint Standing Committee on Rural Issues, including the Rural Retention Program, Rural Education Action Plan, Specialty Training Bursary, Rural Continuing Medical Education, and Recruitment Incentives. These and other rural physician programs are administered through the Ministry’s Physician Compensation Branch.
• The Alternative Payments Program (APP) provides health authorities with funding for alternative payment modalities such as service and sessional agreements. Alternative payment arrangements provide stable funding for physicians who practice in many rural communities that do not have sufficient populations to support fee-for-service practices.
• The Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research (MSFHR), established in March 2001 by the Government of British Columbia, leads, partners and serves as a catalyst to build British Columbia’s capacity for excellence in clinical, biomedical, health services and population health research. The MSFHR as allocated $3 million bring individual and groups of researchers together across disciplines, research streams, institutions, organizations and regions to develop research capacity and facilitate communication within and between eight areas related to health of populations. The areas of focus are Aboriginal People's Health, Aging, Child Health, Environmental Health, Mental Health, Physical Disabilities, Rural and Remote Health, and Women's Health.

Last Revised: 17 December 2007