Health Boards to shift care away from hospitals

B.C.'s two biggest health authorities face significant challenges in meeting future demand unless they can step up their efforts to treat people outside of hospitals, officials say.

One of the major focuses of the Vancouver Coastal and Fraser health authorities will be identifying preventive strategies to keep people who don't need to be there out of hospitals, the most expensive form of health care.

Increasing numbers of seniors coupled with a growing burden from chronic disease are expected to be two of the biggest drivers of rising health costs over the next few years, the Vancouver Coastal and Fraser health authorities stated in their service plans, released last month. Service plans set out the health authorities' budgets and strategic priorities.

Read more...Vancouver Sun