March 2025 Newsletter
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- Published on Sunday, 29 November -0001 16:00
- Written by editor
Your March 2025 monthly update from the
BC
Health Coalition
ACTIONS & EVENTS
ACTION ALERT: U.S. Takeover of BC Healthcare Services – Solidarity with LifeLabs Workers
200 people at rally in solidarity with LifeLabs Workers
The BC Health Coalition (BCHC) is raising the alarm after a billion-dollar U.S. healthcare corporation took control of LifeLabs in August 2024.
Since the takeover, LifeLabs has prioritized profits over patient care, automating critical tests at the expense of safety and quality. And they’re doing it with our public dollars—$300 million a year—while British Columbians struggle to access the lab services they... rely on for their health.
Now, LifeLabs workers are on strike, standing up against these harmful changes and demanding a stronger public lab system. BCHC stands with them and calls for lab services to be brought back into public hands.
Join the fight! Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to let her know what city or community you are located in and we’ll connect you to LifeLabs actions near you.
UPDATES
Provincial Health Coalitions at SOS MEDICARE 3.0 Conference
Speakers Kane Tse, President of the Health Sciences Association of British Columbia, Joseé-Anne Spirito, Regional Executive Vice-President for the North, Public Service Alliance of Canada, and Cora Mojica, Ethnic Diversity DVP of the Hospital Employees Union (HEU)
The third SOS Medicare Conference brought together public healthcare advocates from across the country to develop strategies in the face of the upcoming federal election and economic threats from the U.S.. BCHC’s Ayendri Riddell met with her counterparts from provinces across the country. Read the full report here.
BCHC at BC Pharmacare announcement
BC Health Coalition staff Ayendri Riddell speaking alongside Minister of Health Josie Osborne at the signing of the Pharmacare agreement at the B.C. Legislature.
On March 6, Minister of Health Josie Osborne announced British Columbia’s decision to join the federal Pharmacare agreement to invest more than $670 million over four years to provide universal access to contraceptive and diabetes medications, devices and supplies for residents of BC. This marks a significant step towards the full pharmacare program we have fought for for decades. A BC Health Coalition staff member stood side by side with the Minister of Health to announce that British Columbia has signed on to the historic Pharmacare agreement. Read more about the announcement here.
REPORT AND ANALYSIS
B.C. Provincial Budget 2025 shows commitment to Public Health Care
The BC government’s 2025 budget provides much-needed stability for public health care, increasing investment by 4.6%—a $1.7 billion boost—to support critical services. A key highlight is the $15 million investment in Community Health Centres (CHCs), which offer team-based, wraparound care to improve access and reduce emergency room reliance. This is a step in the right direction, but long-term, sustainable funding is needed to fully realize the potential of CHCs.
At the same time, concerns remain about rising physician compensation, which has increased by over 17% in two years without meaningfully improving access to care. Instead of continuing to fund a model that isn’t working, the government should focus on expanding team-based, salaried care—an approach that has been proven to deliver better health outcomes. While Budget 2025 makes important commitments, real reform is needed to ensure every dollar spent strengthens BC’s public health system for all residents.
RESOURCE
OurCare: a call for primary care system that is inclusive and comprehensive.
Between September 2022 and December 2023, OurCare engaged nearly 10,000 people in a nationwide conversation about their experiences with primary care—what’s working, what’s not, and their hopes for a better system.
This initiative prioritized the voices of those who face the greatest barriers to care and are often excluded from policy-making decisions.
Explore the key findings from this massive engagement project, including an informative 7-minute video, here.
The views and opinions expressed in this newsletter are those of the authors and contributors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the BC Health Coalition or its members.
Public Health News & Resources
B.C. to fast-track hiring of U.S. doctors and nurses. The Province is working with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC and BC College of Nurses and Midwives to make it faster and easier for US doctors and nurses to work in BC.
$325 million new acute care building at North Shore hospital opens – This new facility provides the hospital with 108 new beds in private patient rooms opened March 9th, 2025.
For Shorter Wait Times, Hire More Medical Imagers, Radiation Therapists. A Health Sciences Association report says staffing shortages are causing an industry-wide bottleneck.
Trump's Trade War: Why Lack of Universal Healthcare Makes U.S. Less Competitive (video) ““The fact that we don’t have national healthcare here like they have in Canada … is making American industry not competitive,” says investigative journalist and author Dave Lindorff.
Donate nowDonations by cheque can be made out to BC Health Coalition and mailed to BC Health Coalition 302-3102 Main Street Vancouver BC V5T 3G7. Or you can give monthly by cheque.
British
Columbia Health Coalition
3102 Main St, 302, Vancouver, Unceded Coast Salish
Territories, BC V5T 3G7, Canada
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