WHEREAS people living in rural communities requiring medical services available only in larger urban areas are in need of public transportation; AND WHEREAS the current BC Transit service schedules provide limited transportation to interior hospitals and cities: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Province be requested to take steps to improve affordable public transportation service between small rural municipalities and hospitals in larger urban centres in British Columbia.
MINISTRY OF HEALTH SERVICES The Ministry of Health Services MoHS funds the Health Connections program to help patients defray travel costs associated with accessing non-emergency specialist medical services outside their home communities. The Health Connections Program was designed to complement the MoHS Travel Assistance Program TAP which does not adequately meet the needs of northern and interior residents. Neither the Health Connections Program nor TAP can be used to subsidize emergency ground or air transportation provided by BC Ambulance Services BCAS. Since 200405, base funding of 6 million for the Health Connections Program has been allocated to four health authorities: Northern, Interior, Vancouver Island, and Vancouver Coastal. Interior Health Authority IHA has received 1 million annually since 200405 from the MoHS for provision of the Health Connections program for its rural areas. Within IHA, the Interior Health Connections program is coordinated by each of the four Health Service Areas and operates as a partnership with regional districts, non-profit organizations, and BC Transit to offer inter-community bus routes to transport clients to medical appointments. The service is subsidized for riders and provides same-day scheduling. Routes are established within each Health Service Area only and provide transportation from outlying communities to the major referral centre within each Health Service Area. IHA Health Connections does not provide transportation assistance outside the region. Through the MoHS Travel Assistance program, Pacific Coastal Airlines offers up to a 30 discount off regular air fare for trips between CranbrookVancouver, and TrailVancouver. In the Thompson Cariboo Shuswap area, a route between Logan Lake and Kamloops is available Monday and Wednesday, leaving Logan Lake at 9:00 a.m. and returning from Kamloops at 4:00 p.m. The fare is 5.00 each way. Alternatively, there is a bus on Thursday, leaving Logan Lake at 8:00 a.m, arriving in Merritt at 8:30 a.m. and Kelowna about 10:15 a.m. Health Connections booking staff are available at 1-888-376-7525 to help arrange medical appointments that coincide with travel. Northern Health Authority NHA retains a contractor to provide bus service connecting northern BC with Kamloops, Vancouver, and Grande Prairie Alberta. NHA negotiated preferred rates with several hotels throughout the province to offset patients accommodation costs, and established a health care coordination service for rural and remote patients called Northern Connections. Areas serviced by the Northern Health Connections program include: Burns Lake, Chetwynd, Dawson Creek, Fort Nelson, Fort St. John, Mackenzie, Prince George, Prince Rupert, Quesnel, Smithers, Terrace, and Valemont. Through the MoHS Travel Assistance Program, discounted flights for travel from Fort Nelson, Fort. St. John, Dawson Creek, Prince George, Quesnel, Terrace, Smithers, Kitimat, Masset, Queen Charlottes, and Prince Rupert are offered by Central Mountain Air, North Pacific Seaplanes, and HawkAir.