{{Short description|Public health authority in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada}} {{More citations needed|date=January 2021}} {{Infobox organization |name = Island Health |logo = Vancouver Island Health Authority logo.png |image = |map = |map_caption = |formation = {{start date and age|2001}} |type = British Columbia Health Authority |leader_title = CEO |leader_name = Kathy MacNeil |key_people = |num_staff = 23,000 staff; 2,500 medical staff; 4,000 volunteers<ref name=vihaabout>{{cite web |url=https://www.islandhealth.ca/about-us |title=About Us |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=2020 |website=Island Health |publisher=Island Health |access-date=2020-08-29}}</ref> |budget = $2.8 billion in 2019/20<ref name=vihaabout /> |website = {{url|http://www.islandhealth.ca/}} }}
'''Island Health,''' also known as the Vancouver Island Health Authority, is the publicly funded health care provider in the southwestern portion of the Canadian province of British Columbia. It was established as one of five geographically based health authorities in 2001 by the Government of British Columbia.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/about-bc-s-health-care-system/partners/health-authorities/regional-health-authorities |title=Regional Health Authorities |website=gov.bc.ca |publisher=Government of British Columbia |accessdate=21 March 2020 }}</ref>
Island Health provides health care to over 900,000 <ref>2021 BC census projections </ref> people<ref name=vihaabout /> over a geographic area of {{convert|56000|km2|sqmi}}.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.islandhealth.ca/sites/default/files/2019-01/island-health-service-plan-2018-19-2020-21.pdf |title=2018/19 – 2020/21 Service Plan |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=June 2018 |website=islandhealth.ca |publisher=Island Health |accessdate=26 March 2020 }}</ref> In the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in British Columbia, Island Health had 96 intensive care unit (ICU) beds and 140 ventilators available, including 22 transport ventilators.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.vicnews.com/news/island-health-has-96-icu-beds-and-140-ventilators-if-needed/ |title=Island Health has 96 ICU beds and 140 ventilators if needed |last1=Grossman |first1=Nina |date=20 March 2020 |website=vicnews.com |publisher=Victoria News |accessdate=26 March 2020 }}</ref>
==Communities== The region includes the communities of: * Vancouver Island * Gulf Islands * Johnstone Strait * Central Coast (part of)
The largest population center is Greater Victoria on the southern tip of Vancouver Island as the majority constituent of the Capital Regional District (CRD; population 383,360 as of the Canada 2016 Census), which also includes some of the southern Gulf Islands.
Outside of the CRD, the primary hospital serving the populous lower island is the Nanaimo Regional General Hospital, serving Nanaimo and Parksville.
The other four metropolitan communities on Vancouver Island which function as centres of primary care are Courtenay, Campbell River, Duncan, and Port Alberni.<!-- ambient information on my part, not reliable, but I wanted to get the main links in -->
==Service== The main hospitals serving the CRD are the Royal Jubilee Hospital and the Victoria General Hospital, with the smaller Saanich Peninsula Hospital providing service to the Central Saanich and North Saanich municipalities. Saanich Peninsula Hospital "was built in 1974 as an Extended Care facility and has grown to become a full service hospital with 48 acute care beds and 144 extended care beds".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://south-island.fetchbc.ca/service.html?i=2313 |title=Saanich Peninsula Hospital |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=30 March 2016 <!-- last updated footer --> |website=south-island.fetchbc.ca |publisher=FETCH South Island |accessdate=26 March 2020 }}</ref>
Nanaimo Regional General Hospital is slated to receive a new $33.85-million intensive care unit in 2021. "It will replace what a 2013 Island Health report deemed the 'worst' ICU in Canada."<ref>{{cite news |last=Hennig |first=Clare |date=10 September 2017 |title=Nanaimo hospital to get new intensive care unit by 2021, health minister says |url=https://www.timescolonist.com/news/local/nanaimo-hospital-to-get-new-intensive-care-unit-by-2021-health-minister-says-1.23505179 |newspaper=Victoria Times Colonist |location=Victoria, BC |accessdate=26 March 2020 }}</ref>
Campbell River and Comox Valley both have new facilities as of 2017.<ref name="CamCom">{{cite news |last=Harnett |first=Cindy E. |date=21 November 2018 |title=Behind the move: Two new hospitals come to Vancouver Island |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/campbell-river-hospital-opens-sunday-1.4282705 |newspaper=CBC News |location=Canada |accessdate=26 March 2020 }}</ref> North Island Hospital Campbell River and District provides 95 beds.<ref name="CamCom"/>
==Facilities== Island Health's 150 hospitals and health centres include:<ref>{{cite web |url=http://viea.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/10-ContactListofVIHospitalsandHealthCentres.pdf |title=Vancouver Island Hospitals and Health Centres |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=September 2013 |website=viea.ca |publisher=VIEA |accessdate=26 March 2020 }}</ref> {{Columns-list|colwidth=20em| * Bamfield Health Centre * Chemainus Health Care Centre * Cormorant Island Health Centre * Cortes Health Centre * Cowichan District Hospital * Cumberland Health Centre (Laboratory Only) * Gabriola Medical Clinic * Galiano Island Health Care Centre * Gold River Health Centre * Hornby Island Medical Clinic * Kyuquot Health Centre * Lady Minto/Gulf Islands Hospital * Ladysmith Community Health Centre * Mayne Island Health Care Centre * Namgis Health Centre * Nanaimo Regional General Hospital * North Island Hospital Campbell River * North Island Hospital Comox Valley * Pender Islands Bishop Coleman Memorial Health Centre * Port Alice Health Centre * Port Hardy Hospital * Port McNeill and District Hospital * Queen Alexandra Centre for Children's Health * Royal Jubilee Hospital * Saanich Peninsula Hospital * Saturna Island Medical Clinic * St. Joseph's General Hospital (Affiliate) * Sointula Health Centre * Tahsis Health Centre * Tofino General Hospital * Victoria General Hospital * Victoria Hospice (Palliative Care) * West Coast General Hospital, Port Alberni * Zeballos Health Centre }}
== References == {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Portal|Canada}} * {{official website}} {{Health in British Columbia}} {{Authority control}}
Category:2001 establishments in British Columbia Category:Health regions of British Columbia