Health Care

Al Anderson

I think the one great challenge in health care is providing enough service in the summer months when we are at our busiest. The hospital and those that work there are inundated and sometimes locating relief staff is a great challenge. Also inadequate housing is a threat to healthy living.  Council must continue to lobby the provincial government for better service.

Andrea McQuade

Our hospital is a workhorse, but it needs support. We talk openly and passionately about supporting our tourism industry, but those front line workers also include our nurses, doctors, clinic staff, administrative staff, cooks, cleaners and an array of technicians from blood to x ray. There has been passionate and forward thinking fundraising from the community to support a new hospital, and this is being supported by our council. Anticipating the cost of a new hospital and sourcing funding now is important. 

I personally feel the same about our mental health and addictions services. Rural healthcare has its challenges on a good day and we need to support those people and our community with a vibrant and well equipped mental health team that feels equipped to meet the needs of our town and our guests.

Britt Chalmers

A new hospital is the number one issue I see we need to address.  The benefits that would come with it could be far reaching amongst the various health care problems. 

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I would love to see babies being born in Tofino to avoid the burden on parents moving away for weeks at a time to give birth. I would love to see assisted living programs in town so the elderly do not need to move away. 

Chris Heisterman

1.Youth. 
2.Geriatrics. 
It can be challenging to have a young family here, especially a young family with health complications. We need to work together as a community,  and with our neighbouring communities to ensure our kids are happy any healthy. 
I’m currently in my early 30’s and I’ll probably live here for many years to come. This is why I’m grateful for, and supportive of outstanding citizens like Ursula Bank, Community Liaison for The West Coast Seniors Hub. She’s taking the proper initiative and laying the foundation so Tofino and its neighbouring communities can support our aging population.

Craig Heber

My top priorities in Health Care are :

Lobbying Horgan/Weaver to reestablish our hospital to a fuller service centre like it was when I moved here given the level of Tourism, the communities that surround us and the off shore traffic that needs to access a hospital Tofino General Hospital needs to be more than a Triage centre.

Senior Services so these residents do not have to leave community in order to remain in a private home. Co-op housing small home was designed so a blend of residents live on property assisting each other.  Toficians are very community motivated but few residents know their neighbours as so many homes are now part of the short term rental market.  Whether its a ride to cross island Doctors appointment to getting garbage or recycling to road to ensuring they are fine with power failure or can get to Tsunami Evacuation Centre. Toficians need to take care of our Seniors.. We need an assisted living facility .. We need to step up.

Dorothy Baert

We need a new hospital and initial conversations, including with the Minister of Health at the recent UBCM, are underway; having a recreation centre and hopefully an affordable swimming pool to support physical activities for rainy days, a tourism impact advisory body that speaks to the stress on our health care system caused by the number of visitors and their activities, and as always, housing. Secure, affordable housing is a contributor to well-being; the lack of it has health impacts.

Duncan McMaster

Continue working with the Hospital Foundation to get a new hospital in Tofino. Secondly, improve transportation and online servicing for seniors to attend medical appointments and social gatherings.

Eric Kingsley

Recently I have been made aware of the lack of resources available for children with special needs. Childcare in general seems to be lacking all round. While not exactly “health care” as it is commonly thought of, I consider these subjects to be a part of “mental health” at the very least. 

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Mental health is a huge concern all over the world. I think everyone one of us can think of people we know who live with addictions or depression. Children who have developmental issues. Seniors with fading faculties. The list can go on and on. Resources to manage these health concerns need to be rebuilt and reinforced.

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On a more personable level, we are lucky to live in a place where so many people are already incredibly mindful in their own lives. I would like to see that ability shared more openly and freely in our community. 

Jarmo Venalainen

Top priorities for me are infant/child/youth care and senior care.

I feel that those of us in the mid range of our lives have or should have the skills and means to take care of our health with the given resources which are available to us. Young babies, children and youth do not and as parenthood is by itself time consuming and challenging, there should be help for parents to look after the little ones.  Youth on the other hand can greatly benefit from our community support as the they establish their own health routines.  Seniors need not just the services, but also support in how to access them, logistically and administratively.  Regardless of who the help is for though, I would support improvements to any aspect of heath services, whether that is a new/larger clinic, a new or larger hospital or any other form of health services infrastructure or staffing for which there is a need.

Jason Brown

Regarding health care I think one of the most important improvements we can strive for is updating our facilities so that seniors and terminally ill folks don't have to leave the community for treatment instead letting them stay here in town to receive there treatment and be closer to their support networks.  As well I think it is important to continue to strive to improve our mental health resources and remove the stigmas around seeking treatment.

Josie Osborne

There are two keys ways that municipalities influence the health of our residents. First, we must build and manage excellent infrastructure from safe drinking water and wastewater systems to buildings and amenities for recreation, arts and culture. I will continue to lead a local government that does just this. Second, we must continuously lobby for our needs to other levels of government that deliver health care, as well as partner and collaborate with them to see that the services we need in rural communities like Tofino are delivered fairly and efficiently. In the last few months, the region’s communities have come together under the umbrella of a new committee of the Tofino General Hospital Foundation to work together with Island Health and the Ministry of Health to replace the aging Tofino General Hospital. Our vision is to realize modern facilities and health care delivery programs in the region’s communities in a safe building(s) designed for modern health-care delivery, in culturally appropriate and functional spaces that help us stay happy and healthy. This will be a big focus for me in the next term.

Stephanie Hugues

I will continue to support the initiative for a new Hospital for our region so that we are able to meet the demands of an increasing population.  Health care for elders in our communities is desperately needed so that we can keep community members here at home, and a new hospital would be able to address the health concerns of an ageing demographic.  I would also love to see birthing options come back to Clayoquot Sound for families here on the coast.  Including this in the new Hospital plan would be a priority.

Stephen Ashton

I work at Tofino General Hospital so am well aware of its huge importance in our community.  The province has recently approved the extension of a heli-pad which will offer more timely benefits.  I feel that the province should recognize that our hospital is more regional in nature and includes offshore residents as primary users.