Public Health
We care for the health and well-being of our population through health promotion, disease and injury prevention, protection from health hazards, and response to urgent public health issues.
Under B.C.’s Public Health Act, Medical Health Officers provide leadership for Public Health programs that assess and monitor the health of our communities, and address the social, environmental and structural factors, largely outside the health-care system, that impact population health.
We build collaborative partnerships, address conditions that create health inequities, consider the needs of vulnerable groups, and focus on creating supportive environments for everyone in the VCH region to achieve positive health outcomes.
Expert staff that support this work include public health nurses, environmental health officers, licensing officers, tobacco reduction coordinators, epidemiologists and surveillance analysts, policy analysts, speech-language pathologists, dental staff, harm reduction experts, and many others.
"Public health is both an art and a science. As a science, we rely on the systematic use of data and evidence to identify and address health issues in our population. As an art, Public Health requires creativity, flexibility, and collaboration to develop solutions that meet the unique circumstances of our VCH communities.”
Dr. Patricia Daly, Chief Medical Health Officer at Vancouver Coastal Health
Learn more about Public Health servicesTaking action to improve health
Get a glimpse into some of the key issues and actions that our teams take to promote health and wellness in the Vancouver Coastal region. While this report only captures a fraction of the work that we undertake, we hope that it provides you with a better understanding of how Public Health supports you and your community in living longer and healthier lives.
Programs and services
We care for the health and well-being of our population through health promotion, disease and injury prevention, protection from health hazards, and response to urgent public health issues.
Physicians’ and Nurse Practitioners’ Update
The Physicians’ and Nurse Practitioners’ Update is a regular publication by the Office of the Chief Medical Health Officer and contains the latest practice-related information for general practitioners and nurse practitioners across the VCH region.
Medical Health Officers
Under B.C.’s Public Health Act, Medical Health Officers provide Public Health leadership to promote the health and well-being of our communities.
