Whereas the Province of British Columbia introduced the Health Connections Patient Transport Program in 200405 for Interior Health Authority to connect patients to enhanced services at Regional Hospitals with annual targeted funding of One Million Dollars, with no additional targeted funding since the program began; And whereas location to access tertiary i.e. Cancer, Cardiac services is changing for Kootenay residents from Alberta to Kelowna: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM ask the Province of British Columbia to increase targeted funding for the Health Connections Patient Transport Program within the Interior Health Authority, to provide a patient transportation option for those requiring enhanced services. And be it further resolved that the provincial government allocate funding to BC Transit to explore options to provide Health Connections Services on an integrated province wide system.
Ministry of Health The Ministry of Health the Ministry provides base funding of 6 million annually to regional health authorities to support their Health Connections programs in providing transportation options for patients for necessary, non-emergency medical services. Interior Health Authority IHA funds its Health Connections program to improve linkages between small communities within the regionaltertiary hospitals in all four IHA health service areas. IHA partners with regional districts and BC Transit to increase access to medical services with BC Transit buses within IHAs health service areas. No current BC Transit route crosses health service area boundaries. IHA has reviewed patient referral patterns to ensure that high acuity cases get timely, decisive care while balancing the need to provide health care services to the population it serves. The Ministrys Travel Assistance Program helps alleviate some of the transportation costs for eligible BC residents who must travel within the province for non-emergency medical specialist services not available in their own community. Hope Air is a national charity service that may be of benefit to some patients who cannot afford the flight cost to travel to Kelowna or Vancouver to access non-emergency medical specialist services. The Ministry will continue to address the health-care access challenges in rural and remote communities through collaborative and considered approaches.