The Comox Strathcona Regional Hospital District (CSRHD) plans to fund more health facilities in rural, remote and Indigenous communities. On Thursday, the board passed a motion to amend the budget to authorize up to $100,000 in additional grant funding to evolve and expand clinic grants in 10 communities across the service area.
Grant funding would be used for minor equipment purchases and renovations by the clinics, with an annual report to the CSRHD describing how the funds were spent as well as future plans.
“The Comox Strathcona Regional Hospital District recognizes the invaluable role played by health clinics and service providers in rural, remote and Indigenous communities,” says Charlie Cornfield, CSRHD chair. “These facilities are often the best opportunities for community members to receive services as close to home as possible and these funds will help to improve upon those services.”
Staff will begin working with the province and clinics to determine if grant criteria can be met. To be eligible for funding, provincial legislation requires that each location would have to be named as a health facility by the Minister of Health.
The board has directed staff to make the request to the province and then work directly with facilities to administer grants. This work will happen over the coming months with successful facilities receiving funding in 2023.
The CSRHD provides capital funding, cost shared with the provincial government on a 60/40 basis. The hospital district portion is 40 per cent. The facilities that the CSRHD funds are: Campbell River & District General Hospital, St. Joseph’s General Hospital, Cumberland Regional Hospital Laundry Society, Gold River Health Clinic, Sayward Primary Health Centre, and health centres on Cortes, and in Kyuquot, Tahsis and Zeballos.