Child Health BC, an initiative of the BC Children’s Hospital, is a network of health authorities and health care providers dedicated to excellence in the care of infants, children and youth in British Columbia. BC Children’s Hospital is an agency of the Provincial Health Services Authority.
Child Health BC is located at BC Children's Hospital. Its operations are supported by the Provincial Health Services Authority, and its projects are funded through support from the BC Children's Hospital Foundation.
The administration of Child Health BC is handled by Acting Director Dr. Bob Armstrong, Manager Mary Lou Matthews, Administrative Assistants Garnett Bucknor and Pamela Swanson and web strategist Omid Kiamanesh. They work with the Child Health BC Steering Committee, which provides direction on Child Health BC 's activities and advises on matters related to child and youth health services in each of the province's health regions.
Child Health BC's Steering Committee members are child health service program directors and medical directors from each health authority's designated pediatric health facility, and representatives of many partner agencies and organizations for child and youth health in BC. The committee meets regularly to identify priorities for Child Health BC.
The province's health authorities (listed below) make up the Child Health BC network, and are accountable to each other for working towards the network's goals.
Child Health BC operates in partnership with the Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine at the University of British Columbia, the BC Ministry of Health Services, the Ministry of Healthy Living and Sport, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Child and Family Development, the BC Pediatric Society, the First Nations Health Council, the Provincial Specialized Perinatal Services Program and other heath care and service organizations dedicated to improving the health of children. Child Health BC was created with a spirit of collaboration, and is always open to partnering with other organizations on joint initiatives.
In January 2007, Overwaitea Food Group gave a $20-million pledge of support to the BC Children's Hospital Foundation, for Child Health BC. This generous contribution is the largest single donation ever made to the foundation.
The BC Children's Hospital Foundation is committed to raising $50 million to implement the work of Child Health BC in the province's health regions. Funds will be used to meet the needs of health authorities as they initiate or enhance services dedicated to children and youth.