Rural Health Learning Collaborative

The Rural Health Learning Collaborative (RHLC) supports social accountability in rural health system improvement by bringing different perspectives into relationship with one another.

Through Collaborative Tables and connections to provincial partnership tables, the RHLC helps academic, citizen and linked sector voices contribute to rural health conversations across BC.

Achievements

Strengthening connections across Collaborative Tables

In 2025, the Rural Health Learning Collaborative established a regular meeting series for co-chairs of the academic, citizen and linked sector Collaborative Tables.

These meetings took place in virtual, in-person and hybrid formats, creating space for connection, cross-pollination and shared learning across the tables.

Building bridges to provincial partnership tables

The RHLC also began developing linkages between Collaborative Tables and several provincial partnership tables, including the BC Rural, Remote and First Nations Health Partnership Table, the BC Transport Table and the Dean’s Advisory Council.

This work supports more complete Pentagram Partnership Plus perspectives at provincial tables, helping ensure academic, citizen and linked sector voices are part of broader rural health system discussions.

“As co-chair of the Linked Sectors Perspective Table, I am reflecting on gratitude and solidarity. This year working with the Collaborative Tables has reminded me that rural health is built on deep community ties, creative collaboration, and unwavering local passion… we’ve seen communities mobilize solutions that honour local knowledge, empower neighbours, and strengthen connections across sectors… Together we are cultivating a brighter, more resilient future for rural BC where people and place are at the heart of care.”

Sarah Sinclair, Executive Director, BC Rural Centre; Co-Chair, Linked Sectors

Explore the numbers

12 table meetings

Collaborative Tables met 12 times in 2025: four Citizens Table meetings, three Linked Sector Table meetings, two Academic Table meetings and three joint Table and Chairs sessions.

3 members

Three Collaborative Table members joined provincial partnership tables: two contributed to the BC Transport Table and one contributed to the BC Rural, Remote and First Nations Health Partnership Table.

Project partnerships

The RHLC includes peer-group perspectives through its Collaborative Tables and connects those perspectives to broader provincial partnership meetings.

Collaborative Tables are co-hosted by RCCbc and partner organizations or institutions based on co-chair affiliations:

Academia
University of Northern British Columbia and University of Victoria

Linked sectors
BC Rural Centre and the Institute for Health System Transformation and Sustainability

Rural citizens
BC Rural Health Network and Health Quality BC

The RHLC also contributes to several provincial partnership tables:

Dean’s Advisory Council
RCCbc in partnership with UBC and Simon Fraser University

Provincial Transport Table
RCCbc in partnership with Provincial Health Services Authority

BC Rural, Remote and First Nations Health Partnership Table
RCCbc in partnership with the Ministry of Health

Plans for the Future

In 2026, the RHLC will continue its regular meeting cadence and complete the development of linkages between Collaborative Tables, Perspective Groups and provincial partnership tables.

This work will support continued alignment, shared learning and fuller representation of Pentagram Partnership Plus perspectives across the rural health network.