Dr. Evan Wood from St. Paul's to tackle Vancouver’s addiction puzzle
Vancouver Coastal Health and St. Paul’s Hospital are joining forces to combat Vancouver’s soaring alcohol and drug addiction problem with the appointment of Dr. Evan Wood as the new medical director for addiction services at VCH and physician program director for addiction at Providence Health Care.
“There has been an 89-per-cent increase in presentations to St. Paul’s emergency room for addiction issues over the last four years,” said Wood. Although Vancouver has made some strides in dealing with the city’s addiction-affected population through harm reduction, Wood plans to zero in on what he sees as a critical missing part of the addiction services puzzle. “The educating of physicians is a huge thing. Traditionally, addictions have languished on the margins of the health care system and it has created huge costs in all the health concerns that ultimately can result from addiction.”
Denise Ryan Reports
