File Photo (Image Credit: CFJC Today)

By Liam Verster / Vernon Matters

Interior Health

Agreement to strengthen collaboration between Interior Health and regional hospital districts

Nov 23, 2023 | 2:39 PM

VERNON, B.C. — Existing partnerships between Interior Health, the Thompson Nicola Regional Hospital District, and several other Interior regional hospital districts (RHD) are being enhanced.

RHDs are presented with funding requests each year for equipment, capital improvement projects and digital health investments for each region. Interior Health says a new memorandum of understanding aims to improve information sharing, transparency and collaboration between IH and the seven RHDs, as well as outline additional expectations with regards to updates on funded and proposed capital projects.

Through the new agreement, IH will commit to sharing annual capital plans and forecasts for future priority investments, as well as provide information for major projects over $5-million.

IH is responsible for health-care services and develops annual capital plans to outline capital investment needs. The RHDs provide IH up to 40 per cent of the funding required for capital costs associated with needed construction, acquisition and maintenance of health-care facilities and major equipment as identified within the capital plans.

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“Our regional hospital districts are key partners when it comes to capital projects in our regions. Their financial support to build, renovate and update our health-care facilities is integral to improve patient care and this agreement provides better clarity about the Interior Health planning and funding process,” Susan Brown, IH President and Chief Executive Officer, said.

“We value the feedback and information provided by the local representatives and this agreement lays out clear expectations regarding sharing information on the projects we are planning and have underway.”

The memorandum of understanding will be reviewed every two years by IH and the RHDs, which are the North Okanagan Shuswap RHD, Central Okanagan RHD, Thompson RHD, the Okanagan Similkameen RHD, the Cariboo Chilcotin RHD, the West Kootenay Boundary RHD, and the Kootenay East RHD.

“The seven Regional Hospital Districts of the interior, working together with Interior Health, have come to an agreement on a framework which will guide the budgeting process for annual capital planning and subsequent investment in health-care facilities throughout our region,” the chairs of the seven RHDs said in a joint statement.

“This agreement is exciting news and addresses a number of concerns which were the focus of negotiations over the past few months. We are confident this memorandum of understanding is a positive step forward in terms of accountability and will serve to create a better working relationship between Interior Health and the Regional Hospital Districts.”