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Updates regarding Vancouver Coastal Health people, programs, services and initiatives.

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Limited, temporary disruption to Squamish General Hospital maternity services in early July

SQUAMISH, B.C. – Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) is advising the public that some patients accessing maternity services at Squamish General Hospital (SGH) may be diverted to alternate hospital sites for care in early July 2022. Patients who are in labour may be diverted to Lions Gate Hospital, Richmond Hospital, St. Paul’s Hospital or B.C. Women’s Hospital, where appropriate obstetrics oversight and care is available.

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Lower Mainland health authorities urge residents to take precautions during the Heat Warning

Lower Mainland, British Columbia – A Heat Warning was issued on Sunday, June 26 by Environment Canada, who advised of increasing temperatures from Sunday, June 26 through to Monday, June 27.

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What’s happening on the Richmond Hospital Redevelopment Project 2022

Things are happening behind the scenes on the Richmond Hospital Redevelopment Project. There is a lot of movement as the vital building blocks for this project are being put into place.

Story Redevelopment projects
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Preparing for summer weather

Metro Vancouver, B.C. – Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) has issued special weather statements for several parts of the province. The statement indicates our region will experience the first hot stretch of the summer with inland temperatures reaching into the upper 20s starting tomorrow, and into the low 30s into early next week. This is not a Heat Warning or an Extreme Heat Emergency, but we will experience the first high temperatures of the summer. The warmer weather will also cause rapid snow melt, leading to high rivers and streams throughout the province so please keep water safety in mind this weekend.

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Vancouver Coastal Health public health issues e-scooter safety guidance

VANCOUVER, B.C. – Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) public health strongly advises members of the public who use electric kick scooters (e-scooters) to ensure they keep safety top of mind leading into the summer months.

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Take-home fentanyl test strips prove useful as low-barrier drug checking approach

VANCOUVER, B.C. – A research study conducted by Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH), BC Centre on Substance Use (BCCSU), BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC), Interior Health (IH) and the First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) was published this month in the International Journal of Drug Policy, titled Take-Home Drug Checking as a Novel Harm Reduction Strategy in British Columbia, Canada. The research study demonstrated the utility of distributing fentanyl test strips for take-home use. Researchers compared fentanyl detection rates using take home test strips with those tested by trained staff at harm reduction sites. Among 1,768 opioid drug samples tested, the positivity rates of the take-home fentanyl test strips were similar to those obtained by trained staff at harm reduction sites (90 per cent positivity compared to 89.1 per cent respectively).

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