Since we began our journey to build the Bowen Island Community Health Centre, we have been guided by the idea of creating “community health care, in community hands”. That led us to develop our primary care facility based on the provincial Community Health Centre Model. Our journey was captured by the BC Association of Community Health Centres in their latest Blog post. Please take a few minutes to learn more. https://bcachc.org/resources_post/chc-profile-bowen-island/
Bowen Island Community Health Centre hosted 2nd year UBC Coastal Family Physician Residents on Feb 16, 2023. The day included a tour of the health centre and a discussion, led by Bowen’s own Dr. Matt Blackwood, on the future of primary care and how the community health centre model solves many of the challenges in our system today. All part of recruiting and spreading the word among potential physicians for Bowen.
If you’ve been by Miller Road, you have seen the progress on the new health centre. The Bowen Island Health Centre Foundation has been busy working to advance other parts of the project. Please read our latest update on Facebook.
The VCH Public Health team, including their new medical health officer, Dr. Alex Choi, toured the Bowen Island Community Health Centre recently to discuss how the centre might be used by their outreach teams — things like health education, immunizations and children’s speech language therapy. More news to follow once final programming decisions are made but an exciting time to be thinking about what might be possible here on Bowen.
The Health Centre’s recruitment push is aiming for family practitioners to fill the space
Additional funding will help BICHC recruiting efforts
As we actively recruit new family physicians and health care professionals to the Bowen Island Community Health Centre, the BC Government has announced new funding incentives to recent family medicine graduates. Details of the announcement can be found here: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2022HLTH0192-001500
Summer is coming to a close, and so too is a busy construction season for the Bowen Island Community Health Centre. The slab has been poured, walls and roof are up and the team is driving hard to lock up and moving work inside before the rain comes. Thanks to the crew for all the hard work.
Completion in 2023 is looking good!
Part of ongoing commitment to meet community health needs
May 19 was World Family Doctor Day, and BC Family Doctor Day in British Columbia.
Many Islanders have been working hard to bring the vision of the Bowen Island Community Health Centre to life.
Thankfully, more access to health care choices close to home is just around the corner. The Bowen Island Community Health Centre is no longer an idea — it’s happening.