Walking Together: A Year of Rural Health Innovation and Connection
This past year affirmed what we’ve always known: meaningful rural health transformation starts with people—their stories, relationships, and everyday efforts to care for one another. These experiences ground us in what matters most. Rural health work grows through trust, deep relationships, and the willingness to show up—even when the path isn’t clear. Through collaboration, innovation, and an unwavering commitment to rural and remote communities, we built on the foundation of previous years and embraced community-driven, courageous approaches to system change.
This year, we’ve seen the impact of our programs in tangible ways. The expansion of the Real-Time Virtual Support (RTVS) program has been impactful, helping ensure rural providers have the clinical support they need and reducing emergency department diversions in multiple communities. Feedback from participants in our Continuing Medical Education efforts—like The CARE Course and our Emergency Education Programs (EEP)—show increased confidence in emergency coverage. We’ve strengthened our digital health work, aligning more closely with the provincial Digital Health Strategy, while also beginning to explore how AI can strengthen support and connection with rural care providers.
In November, we hosted the Rural Voices Gathering—a hybrid Partnership Pentagram Plus event that brought together hundreds of people from across sectors to listen, reflect, and collectively imagine what’s possible when we centre rural voices in system transformation.
Our staff and physician team has grown, with new members bringing fresh perspectives and skills. We’ve also had the privilege of partnering with organisations like the Rural Doctors Network from Australia and the Society of Rural Physicians of Canada, expanding our reach and learning from others in the field. We were excited to sign an MOU with the Australian Doctors Network while attending the Towards Unity for Health Conference in Cape Town. The nomination of our RTVS program as a finalist for the Premier’s Innovation and Excellence Award recognised the collective effort, creativity, and responsiveness behind this work.
This year was about connection. The BC Rural Health Conference saw record attendance, while the launch of the inaugural Rural POCUS Congress created new spaces for learning and collaboration. In our partnership with Team Atleo, we cohosted a Gathering in October and invited back those who have attended the Compassionate Leadership work over the last four years to reflect on how the work continues to shape rural practice and community.
Our commitment to Truth and Reconciliation has deepened as we continue to learn from and work alongside Indigenous communities, integrating cultural practices and meaningful conversations into our approach. It’s changing how we show up, how we partner, and how we measure our impact. We remain committed to Indigenous-led approaches that honour cultural safety and address systemic inequities.
Looking ahead, rural transport remains a key priority, as does strengthening hybrid care models that integrate virtual and in-person supports, centred in longitudinal relationship-based care. We will continue to advocate for policies that recognise the unique needs of rural communities, ensuring that healthcare is accessible, sustainable, and responsive to those who rely on it. And we’ll keep creating space for innovation that is practical, rooted in community, and responsive to local realities.
At the heart of this work is people—the relationships we build, the communities we serve, and the shared belief that rural healthcare deserves attention, innovation, investment, and care. We are grateful for each of you who contribute your time, expertise, and passion to this work. Thank you for walking with us. We look forward to another year of learning, growing, laughing, and working together.
Warmly,
Leslie Carty, Executive Director, Operations
Dr. Ray Markham, Executive Director, Medicine
Our Work
The Rural Coordination Centre of BC is a rural physician-led network that improves the health of people and communities across rural British Columbia. With our numerous partners, we identify and address rural health gaps and overlaps. These summaries from our projects and initiatives highlight the many achievements of our health leads, staff, and partners during 2024.
Cultivate Relationships and Networks
We connect people who are passionate about, or play a role in, enhancing rural health equity in British Columbia—from rural citizens and physicians to municipal and Indigenous leaders to provincial policymakers.
Facilitate Rural Health Discussion
We co-create safe spaces for network partners to engage in frank discussion about rural health challenges, explore common solutions to improve rural health, and align our work as partners.
Coordinate Rural Health Projects
We coordinate innovative projects that expand our network and enhance the ability for rural physicians and other health care providers to deliver timely, safe, and effective care to rural patients in British Columbia.
Create Learning Opportunities for Rural Health Care Practitioners
We co-develop continuing medical education, continuing professional development, and mentorship opportunities in collaboration with rural family physicians to enhance rural health providers’ skills, scope, and resilience at all stages of their careers.
Advocate for a Healthy Rural British Columbia
We use our personal and shared experiences, as well as rural health research evidence, to effect changes to provincial policies that improve the health of rural British Columbians.
Stimulate Rural Health Research
We provide grants and offer other support to rural physicians and medical students to carry out culturally safe and rurally relevant research that informs policy and improves healthcare practice and delivery.
Develop Health Care Leaders
We support and develop people in becoming health care leaders in their chosen fields of interest and expertise—whether they work in administrative, medical, research, advocacy, or other positions—so their unique perspectives, skills, and knowledge can be used to the fullest potential to improve rural health.
Engagement and Outreach
At RCCbc, engagement and outreach are more than just activities—they are foundational to how we walk alongside rural, remote, and Indigenous communities. This work is grounded in deep listening, mutual trust, and a belief that the people who live and work in communities are best positioned to lead change. We prioritise connection before content, and empathy before education, because we know that meaningful health system improvement begins with relationships. In 2024, our Engagement and Outreach work evolved significantly.
Truth and Reconciliation
In 2024 our network has worked collaboratively with Indigenous communities, Elders, Knowledge Holders and consultants to address some of the calls to action contained within the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada report. With team members across the province, we are well positioned to make a difference by building capacity in rural, remote and Indigenous communities in order to close health equity gaps. While we recognize that we still have much work to do, this report highlights how RCCbc has sought to address truth and reconciliation in healthcare this past year.
Gratitudes
The Rural Coordination Centre of BC continues to be grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with a diverse range of partners—health administrators, healthcare providers, professionals, communities, policymakers, non-profit and industry leaders, as well as academic educators and researchers—from across British Columbia in our joint efforts to enhance the health of rural people and communities. These partners are integral to the Partnership Pentagram Plus model. Our initiatives remain generously supported by the Joint Standing Committee on Rural Issues, which provides advice to the BC government and Doctors of BC on matters related to rural medical practice, and by Michael Smith Health Research BC.
Collaborators
