Media Releases

Vancouver, March 12, 2012 — Medically prescribed heroin is more cost-effective than methadone for treating long-term street heroin users, according to a new study by researchers at Providence Health Care and the University of British Columbia.

Vancouver, February 24, 2012 — Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) and Providence Health Care (PHC) will initiate an external independent review of the case of a St. Paul’s Hospital patient who allegedly committed a violent crime after being discharged on February 21.
VCH and PHC expect the process to be led by a panel of reviewers, which could include external mental health and emergency care clinicians and researchers.

Vancouver, January 13, 2012 — The made-in-BC Treatment as Prevention strategy received breakthrough scientific recognition and political support in 2011, creating further momentum to implement this proven approach to combating HIV and AIDS in Canada and around the world.
Treatment as Prevention, pioneered by the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BC-CfE) a decade ago, was recently named breakthrough of the year by Science magazine and a medical breakthrough for 2012 by Readers Digest. It was also recognized as one of the top-10 medical breakthroughs by Time magazine.

VANCOUVER, December 1, 2011 — Four major BC health providers are redesigning their varied transcription departments to jointly improve service delivery and save over $3 million annually in taxpayer dollars that can be redirected to patient care.

Vancouver, November 28, 2011 — Thanks to the miracle workers at St. Paul’s Hospital (SPH), the treatment and care for HIV/AIDS is now about living, not dying.
The focus of SPH’s John Ruedy Immunodeficiency Clinic (IDC) has changed significantly since the days when it initially provided monitoring and support for HIV-positive patients, most of whom went on to develop AIDS defining illness and die.

Vancouver, November 8, 2011 — Every adult who has not had an HIV test in the past year should have one the next time they have a blood test for any reason. Why? HIV is a very different disease now than it was 20 years ago. An innovative new social marketing campaign wants people to know just how different.
The “It’s Different Now” campaign will use bus shelter ads, a guerilla poster campaign, a website and a corresponding social media strategy to build awareness about how recommendations for testing and the lives of HIV patients have changed over the past few years.

Vancouver, October 19, 2011 — Today, Providence Health Care and the University of British Columbia (UBC) announced the establishment of the first research program in B.C. to focus on the impact of gender-based differences on cardiovascular disease (heart disease and stroke).