• BC Cancer Agency
• Northern Health
• PHSA

Northern Health Authority in Northern BC

Northern Health is responsible for the delivery of health care across Northern British Columbia, including acute care, mental health, public health, addictions, and home and community care services.

Geography

Northern Health covers almost two-thirds of British Columbia’s landscape, bordered by the Northwest and Yukon Territories to the north, the BC interior to the south, Alberta to the east, and Alaska and the Pacific Ocean to the west.

For a more detailed view of our region, please click here to launch a PDF version of our map in full color.

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Northern Health is divided into three operational areas called Health Service Delivery Areas (HSDAs): the Northeast, the Northern Interior, and the Northwest. This structure helps to provide a greater degree of local operation and decision-making for health facilities across Northern British Columbia.

Population

About 300,000 people live in Northern BC. By 2010, the population is expected to grow to just over 348,000. The North has the highest projected growth rate of seniors in BC, with a 48 per cent projected increase by 2010. In Northern BC, 13% of the population is Aboriginal, the highest proportion in the province.

Governance

Northern Health is governed by a nine-member board, made up of individuals from throughout the North. The Chairman of the Board is Dr. Charles Jago.

Administration

The CEO of Northern Health is Cathy Ulrich. Within each of the three health service delivery areas, a Chief Operating Officer has been named. They include Marina Ellinson in the Northwest, Michael McMillan in the Northern Interior, and Betty McCracken Morris in the Northeast.

Service Delivery

In the 2008/2009 operating year:

• Physicians across Northern Health performed over 35,198 surgeries
• Northern Health welcomed the arrival of more than 3,500 babies across the region
• Facilities across Northern Health provided 539 acute care bed spaces and more than 146,677 (in-patient) overnight stays were recorded
• Northern Health facilities scheduled over 161,807 outpatient visits (including specialty clinics and rehabilitation)
• Northern Health emergency departments received 271,648 visits
• Home support workers provided almost 426,010 hours of assistance to clients
• Home care nurses provided over 52,254 hours of care to individuals at home
• Care facilities across the region provided 1,040 residential care bed spaces

Cathy Ulrich - President and CEO of Northern Health in Prince George talks about the importance of partnership with your community which is different than it would be in a more urban centre.

Dr. Susan O'Reilly Vice President Cancer Care BC Cancer Agency

Dr. Charles Jago Chair, Northern Health Board Northern Health

Quick Info about Northern Health

Over 7,000 people work for Northern Health. They hold about 4,000 full-time equivalent positions.

Within Northern Health, there are over two dozen acute care facilities, 14 long term care facilities, public health units, and offices providing specialized services.