Letter of support from Vancouver Island Health Authority

January 4, 2007

Fred Geater President
Gabriola Health Care Society
Gabriola Island, B.C.
Via e-mail

Dear Mr. Geater:

Thank you for your efforts to date regarding establishing a Primary Health Care Centre on Gabriola Island, and for your invitation to VIHA to participate in this process. Following our first informal meeting on November 24,2006, I am happy to reiterate or communicate anew the following statements and intentions on behalf of the Vancouver Island Health Authority:

• The Gabriola Health Care Society is to be commended for completing an excellent document Enhancing Primary Health Care on the Island of Gabriola;
• The intention and direction described in the proposal aligns well with VIHA's direction in primary health care as identified in our document Primary Health Care Strategy, 2006/07 - 2008/09, released June 2006;
• In addition to completing existing primary health care partnership projects across Vancouver Island, we are also open to new partnerships and opportunities. At this stage, the Gabriola Health Care Society's plans represent a new opportunity for a new partnership;
• The principle premise in our Primary Health Care Strategy is to work as partners with interested communities and parties to create primary health care that achieves the following objectives:

• Increase the number of people who have access to primary health care services;
• Increase health promotion, disease and injury prevention, and chronic disease management services;
• Expand the number of Primary Health Care services that operate 24 hours a day;
• Establish interdisciplinary primary health care teams; and
• Facilitate coordination and communication with other health services, such as specialists and hospitals.

• VIHA has expertise and resources in the form of a Developer - Enhanced Primary Health Care that we will make available to support the planning and implementation processes envisioned by the Gabriola Health Care Society;
• We will identify VIHA's possible role and contribution to the Gabriola Primary Health Care Centre through the detailed developmental process specified in the Health Care Society's proposal. In addition, we will work with the Gabriola Health Care Society to ensure that the scope of services to be provided at the Gabriola Primary Health Care Centre is appropriate, sustainable and of the highest quality.

Following the establishment of the foundation of community support required for this initiative (the focus of your Town Hall), we look forward to working with you through subsequent phases and to collaboratively creating enhanced primary health care on Gabriola Island.

Sincerely,

VANCOUVER ISLAND HEALTH AUTHORITY

Grant Hollett Director,
Planning and Community Engagement

Victoria Power-Pollitt
Director, Primary Health Care & Chronic Disease Management