Media Releases

Vancouver, December 11, 2008 — Christmas has come early to St. Vincent’s Hospital Langara with the arrival of new dishes, thanks to recent donations to Tapestry Foundation for Health Care.
The purchase of dishes is the first step towards a larger initiative of improving the dining experience for more than 700 seniors living in Providence Health Care’s five long-term care facilities.

Vancouver, December 2, 2008 — BC Transplant, an agency of the Provincial Health Services Authority, and the Providence Heart + Lung Institute at St. Paul’s Hospital are pleased to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the heart transplant program in British Columbia. Through continued innovation, and collaboration, over 325 lifeosaving heart transplants have been performed in British Columbia.

Vancouver, October 27, 2008 — The Province is providing $30.2 million to Providence Health Care’s Honoria Conway, providing seniors and adults with disabilities with access to 68 new assisted living units that officially opened today.
“The provincial government is implementing housing solutions that make sense for seniors and people with disabilities,” said Rich Coleman, Minister of Housing and Social Development. “At Honoria Conway, residents will receive the care they need while keeping their independence and privacy.”

Vancouver, October 20, 2008 — Providence Health Care (PHC), Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) and the Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA) have all been recognized as three of the province’s leading employers. The results of the fifth annual BC’s Top 50 Employers competition were announced on October 18, 2008 by Mediacorp Canada Inc. (the organizers of the Canada’s Top Employers competition).

Vancouver, October 9, 2008 — An open letter signed by some of Canada's most distinguished scientists asks the country's political leaders to take action to end the government's mishandling and mistreatment of science and due processes.
The letter includes 85 signatures from scientists collectively known as the Canadian Scientists Against the Politicization of Science; the group represents a range of scientific disciplines, including health, environmental science and technology. This interference is fueled by political and ideological beliefs, the group states.

Vancouver, September 25, 2008 — Medication errors are said to affect at least 1.5 million Canadians per year. According to the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI), one in ten patients receive the wrong medication, or the wrong dose while in hospital. To raise awareness of patient safety issues, and to highlight the important initiatives and innovations related to medication reconciliation happening across the country, the Canadian Patient Safety Institute today launched its fourth annual Canadian Patient Safety Week (CPSW).

Vancouver, August 27, 2008 — Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH), Fraser Health Authority (FHA) and Providence Health Care (PHC) today issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) seeking an alternate service provider for transporting low-acuity patients between health facilities, residential care facilities and community locations. The RFP is part of a province-wide initiative to address the growing demand for this service.