Rural Health Learning Collaborative

Fostering Connections

In 2024, the Rural Health Learning Collaborative continued to support the work of collective perspective groups for Rural Citizens, Linked Sectors, Providers and Academia. These groups, each convened by a partnership between a rural and a provincial organization, provide a venue for discussion of key and emergent issues among peers. These conversations inform healthcare system transformation work being done at partnership tables and committees in a safe and creative space that generates ideas based on existing priorities, as well as surfacing new priority areas for work.

The Academic Perspective Group was a new group added this year which focuses on rural health learners, educators and researchers; the inaugural meeting was in-person in January 2024.

The BC Ministry of Health commissioned the development of a rural and remote strategy in January 2024. The purpose of this rural and remote strategy is to provide a forward thinking guide to strengthen rurally oriented health plans, policy, and the prioritisation of actions to improve health equity for rural and remote people and their families.  The strategy has been informed by a broad review of the literature and more than 45 formal consultations with rural partners.  The Rural Citizens, Linked Sectors and Academic Perspective tables were consulted on the strategy.

Building Research Capacity

The RCCbc Scientific Directors continued to engage with research partners through the health care system to support the rural lens and build research capacity. Dr. Dee Taylor and Dr. Nelly Oelke bring their expertise to projects, advisory groups, and partnership tables, acting as a sounding board to provide a robust research and evaluation footing underlying these initiatives. They also work with individual physicians and researchers to develop and support rural research on specific topics of interest.   

Engaging in Intersectoral Dialogue

The Perspective Table members participated in the Rural Voices Gathering in-person and virtual sessions in November 2024.

The intersectoral dialogue focused on health and healthcare in rural British Columbia. Themes included:

• The Rural and Remote Health Strategy being developed by the BC Ministry of Health
• Transportation for health services
• Selection, education and training for health care providers from rural, remote, First Nations and Métis communities
• Hybrid, relationship-based health care including peer-to-peer virtual support, in-person and virtual patient consultations