New Chair appointed for Vancouver Coastal Health

VANCOUVER – The provincial government today announced the appointment of Kip Woodward as the new chair of Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH).

Woodward is replacing David Thompson, who is leaving VCH to take on the role of chair of the new British Columbia Health Services Purchasing Organization, as announced by Health Services Minister Kevin Falcon earlier today. The changes are effective immediately.

“While I want to welcome Kip Woodward to his new role at VCH, I also want to thank David Thompson for his outstanding commitment and contribution to VCH and the provincial health system over the past three years,” said Falcon. “During his time at VCH, David played an important role in ensuring the health authority eliminated a challenging deficit and achieved a balanced budget. He has also been a strong advocate for change in his role as chair of the Lower Mainland Innovation and Integration Fund, which introduced patient-focused funding in hospitals across VCH and Fraser Health. I am looking forward to this continuing in his new role with the BC Health Services Purchasing Organization.”

Woodward joins VCH from Providence Health Care, where he was chair for the past four years. He is president of Woodcorp Investments Ltd., a venture-capital investment firm, and has represented a number of organizations as chair including Brentwood College School, The Nature Trust of British Columbia, Hot House Growers Inc. and the Keg Royalty Trust Fund.

His role as chair of Providence Health Care has been taken by an existing member of the board, Geoff Plant. A partner in the Vancouver office of the national law firm Heenan Blaikie LLP, Plant is a former-member of the B.C. legislative assembly, where he served as attorney general.

VCH is responsible for the delivery of $2.9 billion in community, hospital and residential care to more than one million people in communities, including Richmond, Vancouver, the North Shore, Sunshine Coast, Sea to Sky corridor, Powell River, Bella Bella and Bella Coola.

Media contacts

Ministry of Health Services
Bernadette Murphy, Media Relations Manager
Tel: 250 952-1887 (media line) 

Vancouver Coastal Health
Gavin Wilson, Director, Public Affairs
Tel: 604 708-5312  Media pager 604 686-9983