Powell River Regional Hospital District (PRRHD) adopted its 2022 budget at the March 30 board meeting.
According to a media release, highlights of the 2022 budget include the ongoing pay down for the recently constructed Willingdon Creek Village complex care facility, and $2.6 million in approved grant funding toward facility upgrades, renovations and purchase of major clinical equipment for the qathet region. These include pharmacy room upgrades at Powell River General Hospital, chiller one and two replacement at the hospital clinic, building envelope repairs at Evergreen Care Unit (ECU), and the second phase of roofing at ECU.
The release stated that this year’s $5.1 million budget means a $2,383 requisition increase from that of 2021. This translates into a residential tax rate of approximately $12.25 per $100,000 of net taxable value based on the 2022 completed roll values.
“The Powell River Regional Hospital District board serves to ensure our local health-care facilities continue to meet our community’s needs,” stated hospital district board chair CaroleAnn Leishman. “Working with Vancouver Coastal Health and the Province of British Columbia, we remain committed to supporting the operations of our local hospital system.”
PRRHD does not operate hospital facilities, but contributes to health services in the region. PRRHD owns Willingdon Creek Village complex care facility and the former St. John Ambulance building on Arbutus Street in Townsite, which is currently leased to Miklat Recovery House Society.
PRRHD has provided hospital district lands to support development of emergency supportive housing and designated the remainder of undeveloped campus of care lands for future health care usage, according to the release.
Funding through PRRHD to support regional health care is cost-shared, with the province traditionally paying 60 per cent and the regional hospital district paying 40 per cent.
