UBC maintains a website of information about animal research

Animal advocacy activists campaigning for details on the research say UBC has not gone far enough.

“The number of animals is shocking, because [UBC] maintained for over a year that they were using about 100,000 animals per year,” said STOP UBC Animal Research director Brian Vincent.

“Were they telling the truth when they said that before [or] in 2010 did the number of animals just dramatically double?” he asked.

Under BC’s current privacy laws, universities are not required to release certain information regarding ongoing research. But VP Research and International Dr John Hepburn said UBC has set itself up as a “guinea pig”.

“There needs to be consensus among the universities as to what is the correct level of disclosure; however they’re not under as much pressure,” he said. “I think they’re waiting to see what happens with us, and that’s fine, we’re happy to take a leadership position.”

The numbers

The 211,764 animals used in research at UBC in 2010 represent 6% of the Canadian total. The vast majority of those, 91%, were rodents and fish. Hepburn said this was indicative of the move away from conducting research on larger animals.

1,570 of what are termed “large mammals” were used at UBC last year. STOP’s Vincent would like to see this number broken down by species.

“There’s probably some animals on that list that are going to cause the public to get really squeamish,” Vincent said.

UBC officials said that no dogs were used in experiments at UBC last year, and had not been used for decades, but acknowledged the use of macaque monkeys in Parkinson’s research.

The release has also raised questions about the level of suffering of the animals used in some research procedures at UBC.

The Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC) has five “categories of invasiveness”, and 31 animals at UBC were subjected to the most severe category. The category specifies that animals are not given any pain relief, and can involve methods such as burning unanesthetized animals.

UBC said that the methods used in its research were those that included anesthetic.

“We can’t do experiments that are deemed to be cruel to animals. We can’t cause unnecessary suffering,” said Hepburn.

“If you’re engaged pain research, it may be necessary to have the animal have some sensation, but we simply cannot get experiments approved where there is perceived to be cruelty to the animals.”

Legal battles

UBC and STOP have been involved in an ongoing legal battle over Freedom of Information requests submitted by the advocacy group.

On Nov. 3, STOP submitted a legal brief to the BC Office of the Information Privacy Commissioner (OIPC) detailing their complaints.

Briefs from both STOP and from UBC are being reviewed by an OIPC officer assigned to the case.

STOP argues that more information about the methods and funding of animal research at UBC should be released to the public, and challenges UBC’s refusal to answer Freedom of Information requests on these topics.

UBC maintains that releases of information need to balance the goals of openness and privacy; to allow some transparency, but also to protect individuals and their research.

“We’ve been having a lot of discussions internally for some time now about what is the proper level of disclosure,” said Hepburn.

“There are always concerns expressed by animal rights activists as well as people internal to the university, about what we’re doing and how we can justify it. We are carefully considering what else we should be discussing.”

STOP UBC Animal Research wants UBC to release details about its animal research. The group filed an appeal to the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner after repeated requests for information were denied by UBC. The appeal will be heard in November.

STOP UBC Animal Research’s silent protest at UBC’s fall President’s Town Hall on 19th September.

Grants provided by government funding agencies pay for as much as 80 per cent of the animal studies at UBC. The advocacy group argues the public does not have enough details on the work at UBC to decide whether animal research is justified.

“You can’t have a fair evaluation of whether this is critical research that helps human health, and whether it’s necessary, if you don’t get the facts out there for us to objectively look at,” said STOP UBC Animal Research Director Brian Vincent.

UBC President Stephen Toope acknowledged the university “has not communicated well enough” about animal research during a Town Hall meeting in September, where the advocacy group staged a silent protest.

“For some people, the answer is, just don’t do the research on animals. I have been convinced that there are some kinds of experiments that are really important for human health,” said Toope.

“There are researchers that are passionate about trying to do something about that, and they tell me they can’t model what they want to do without access to animals.”

Requesting information

Over 3.3 million animals were used for research in Canada in 2009, compared to nearly 2.6 million animals in 1975. STOP UBC Animal Research has requested the numbers of animals used in research at UBC by species, as well as research methods for specific studies that involve pigs, primates and cats. They also asked for details of major donors to UBC research.

“[UBC] wants to be more transparent on animal research, but it’s balancing the desires for transparency against concerns against releasing sensitive research data or compromising third party privacy,” he said.

“I want people to recognize that UBC is doing all it can to meet those dual objectives. This particular request has been challenging to balance those objectives but we’re still doing our best,” said Hancock.

Hancock says that UBC’s own review is ongoing and hopes it will be able to release some of the information requested in the coming weeks, such as the numbers and species of animals used and the sources of government funding.

Research at UBC

The majority of animals used at UBC are mice, rats and fish. STOP wants an end to all animal research at UBC, but focuses on the use of larger animals, like macaque monkeys for the study of Parkinson’s disease. The monkeys do not get Parkinson’s in the wild, so the disease has to be introduced before any research can begin.

“Some things rub human society the wrong way for good reason. Animal research is one of those things that the public has a right to know if their tax dollars are going towards something that is morally repugnant, regardless of what the outcome is,” said STOP’s Vincent.

UBC maintains a website of information about animal research, but does not provide details of research methods.

UBC, in common with other Canadian universities, does not release details of ongoing studies. The competitive nature of research is protected by the freedom of information legislature across the country.

“Research is one of the core functions of UBC, and research has great value to the institution as well as to the individual researchers. For that reason, research information is not subject to disclosure under the FIPPA,” said Hancock.

The Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC) sets and maintains standards for the use of animals in science, and research institutions like UBC must be accredited by the CCAC in order to receive funding from the federal government.

Animal research programs at UBC are audited every three years for compliance with humane animal care codes. While these audits can lead to the suspension of funding, details of inspections are not released to the public.

Green College UBC will be hosting a series of public panels over the coming year about animals in research, bringing together experts in the sciences, humanities and social sciences.

Jeffrey, a UBC student, is pursuing his PhD researching the rhetorics of social games.

In three months, Jeffrey raised almost half of his $5,000 goal to fund a three-month trip to interview artists living with cancer in Canada and showcase their creativity.

The project aims to show a cancer diagnosis doesn’t mean life is over.

“People with cancer are not laying in bed all the time, people with cancer are not just unhappy all the time,” he said. “That they also can be like everyone else: just doing creative things.”

He wants this to be bigger than the website. The dream is a large-scale project, including a film documentary and coffee-table photo book.  His ambition is to keep the initiative  growing.

But, he knows his life will end soon – just not when. His cancer can get worse any day.

“If, for example, I take a turn for the worse, I would have to think about how this project could continue. I want it to continue,” he said. “I don’t want it to just end with me.”

Jeffrey’s battle

Doctors diagnosed Jeffrey, a University of British Columbia PhD student, with cancer more than five years ago.

The student constantly felt tired in the fall of 2005. He finally visited a health clinic where the doctors asked for a series of tests, including bloodwork and chest x-rays. The procedures culminated in a scary diagnosis: mulitple myeloma.

“I was maybe a little freaked out,” said Jeffrey. “But it was more of, ‘Okay, so this is what’s wrong with me,’ as opposed to, ‘Oh no, I’m going to die tomorrow.’”

Multiple myeloma is a rare blood cancer. It makes up one per cent of cancers, according to a research foundation.

His cancer is unpredictable. Today his condition is stable, but will eventually worsen leading to death.

“[Remission] maybe was possible in the beginning,” he said. “But that’s not possible anymore.”

Leaving a legacy

The diagnosis didn’t stop Jeffrey from pursing his art. He continued blogging and exploring photography. This lifestyle planted the idea for Creators with Cancer. He wants to use digital storytelling to feature creative people living with cancer and their art.

Cancer lengthened Jeffrey's education by weakening his concentration.

“I decided I wanted to make a contribution. Do something different,” he said,  “and – beyond my PhD – find something where I can have a legacy.”

Creators with Cancer launched on the fundraising platform IndieGoGo in January 2011. Jeffrey’s committed to raising $5,000 before April ends. He takes a photo of Vancouver for $48 donors and cooks dinner for $368 donors.

He will use the funds to travel across North America this summer to interview the artists. They will come from four areas: music, design, technology or art.

Read: Derek Miller’s story: an artist living with cancer

Jeffrey’s photography sparked the idea for Creators with Cancer, but it also helped him cope with his illness.

“Having a camera opened up worlds that ordinarily might not exist. I know my life is a lot different because I have a camera than if I didn’t,” he said.

Art can help sick patients feel better psychologically.

Those with cancer who draw, paint or do pottery reported less pain and depression after art sessions, according to a 2006 study at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

In her 19 years as a social worker with the B.C. Cancer Society, Sarah Sample has seen how writing, art and music helps cancer patients.

“There are as many creative ways to deal with cancer as there are patients,”  she said. “A lot of people have really come to connect with themselves and their own work through living their life through those wonderful, creative ways.”

Art provides a constant from Jeffrey’s life before cancer. He conquers boredom and remains positive through creative thinking.

“I am not letting cancer effect who I am. I am still the same Phillip Jeffrey, but oh by the way maybe I’m a little tired today,” he said. “But it’s not dramatically changing my everyday world.”

Derek Miller is a local Vancouver writer and part-time musician. Doctors diagnosed Miller with colorectal cancer in January 2007 and revealed it was terminal three years later.

Today, Miller, married with two young children, is nearing the end of his life. But he spent the past four years playing shows with his bands, recording music and frequently updating his blog and podcast.

Miller's band, The Neurotics, have performed at the starting line of the Vancouver Sun Run since 1994.

The Pen Machine

Miller owns penmachine.com and shares his experiences with cancer on the blog. Readers learned his tumours started shrinking in 2010, but near the end of the year doctors had no treatment options left for him.

Miller said his creative outlets have been critical to his mental health and helped occupy his time since his diagnosis.

“The blog is how I keep everyone up to date on what’s going on and what I’m interested in… And it’s something my kids and wife and family and friends will have left of me once I die, so it’s worth continuing.”

The Neurotics

Miller played part-time with his band, The Neurotics, for almost 20 years. Physical demands forced him to quit in 2009.

“Basically, we dress up in silly costumes, wear wigs, pretend we’re British, and play old Beatles and sixties songs, ’70s rock, ’80s New Wave…the hits. Whatever people enjoy. It’s a party band, and it was always a fun show to do.”

Inside Home Recording

InsideHomeRecording.tv is a podcast of instructional videos about home and project studio recording.  Miller began co-hosting the show in 2005. He continued to record his own segments and maintain the website after his diagnosis. His involvement is now ending, but the podcast will continue.

Rai is the UBC jr. representative for the Canadian Association of Pharmacy Students and Interns

A new regulation that gives pharmacy technicians more power will give pharmacists more time.

And this is good news for patients and pharmacy students entering the field.

Currently pharmacists spend a lot of time on technical work, such as counting pills. This is only a portion of what pharmacists are trained to do.

The Pharmacy Technician Regulation in B.C. came into place Jan. 1, 2011, and creates a new and more rigorous category in the health profession – a pharmacy technician. This role will be above an existing technician (technicians can gain this designation but would have to complete the new steps). The process to gain this designation is voluntary.

“The biggest motivation for the college to regulate pharmacy technicians is that there’s a lot of evolution that’s happening in pharmacy today and the main focus of that is for pharmacists to spend more of their time doing what we call clinical services … to better help patients manage and understand their drug therapies,” said Lori DeCou, director of communications for the College of Pharmacists of B.C., in a phone interview.

The first registered pharmacy technician in B.C. is expected to graduate early this spring, DeCou said.

Ontario became the first province to regulate pharmacy technicians in early December.

Khushminder Rai, a third-year pharmacy student at UBC, said it is difficult to understand the impact of this regulation because no one is regulated as of yet, but from what she’s heard from the college it seems like pharmacists will be doing less dispensing.

“We will be more involved with counselling the patient, which is what I think the focus should be on,” said Rai, who works at a Safeway Pharmacy in Surrey once a week.

Marion Pearson, director of the entry to practice program at UBC Pharmaceutical Sciences, said there are some concerns that the registered technicians are going to have “the authority to do certain tasks that pharmacists have the authority to do.”

She said some pharmacists are supportive because the designation will create more time for them to work with clients, while others are concerned that their jobs may be at risk.

However, she said this is because until recently the way in which businesses were compensated for their work was tied to dispensing prescriptions and not other services.

This is changing.

A July 2010 Pharmacy Services Agreement from the Minister of Health Services, British Columbia Pharmacy Association, and the Canadian Association of Chain Drug Stores explains a new pharmacy services model, which is expected to cost $10 million in the fiscal year 2011-2012.

‘Counting checking, counting checking’

George Cunningham Building, Pharmaceutical Sciences UBC

Pearson added that one winner could be pharmacy students. She said they are currently highly skilled in order to be prepared for the many different types of jobs that are available, and not being able to use these skills in practice can be a source of frustration.

“So I think the problem is not the education, it’s the practice. And there’s been talk for 20 years about changing the nature of practice, and it’s been very, very slow in coming,” said Pearson.

For examples, student work already includes pharmacy courses in a simulated lab environment.

Rai said pharmacists could offer more of what they know and “use their potential a little bit more.”

“Now we’re basically counting checking, counting checking, and we don’t get to use the drug knowledge that we’ve gained, that we’ve been studying all these [drug molecule] structures,” said Rai, adding that people frequently bring in printouts of drug information and they want information.

“We can take a look at the structure and tell what kind of medication it is, where it’s going to work,” Rai said.

Pearson said, “We don’t have a health system, we have an illness care system and the whole issue of wellness and maintaining health is underemphasized and pharmacists should be involved in that too.”

Meanwhile, the process is straightforward for current technicians who can gain the new title after some training, tests, and a national board exam. The exam takes place twice a year.

James McCormack, a professor in the Faculty of Pharmaceutical  Sciences, said that because community pharmacists get paid to give out medications, the community pharmacist is in a tricky situation when it comes to suggesting patients shouldn’t be taking certain drugs.

The new billing process is “in an attempt to provide payment for services that are divorced from the product,” said  McCormack.

McCormack said he is generally in favour of the new pharmacy technician regulation. He said he hopes it will push a change in  practice toward more cognitive services.

Steps to gain pharmacy technician title

Current technicians

Current technicians need 2,000 hours minimum of work in the past two years. This work is defined by the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada.

These technicians must complete:

• Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada Evaluating Exam (some exceptions exist)
• College of Pharmacists of B.C. Bridging Program, which is run through a partnership between the college and the Division of Continuing Pharmacy Professional Development in the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of BC (UBC-CPPD). This consists of four 33 to 45-hour modules that can be done in class or online. Three units can be challenged by taking an exam, but not the section called Professional Practice.
• College of British Columbia Jurisprudence Exam
• Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada Qualifying Exam

Future pharmacy technicians will have to:

• Take a program qualified by the Canadian Council for Accreditation of Pharmacy Programs
• College of British Columbia Structure Practical Training
• College of British Columbia Jurisprudence Exam
• Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada Qualifying Exam

From the College of Pharmacists of B.C.:

By Sam Eifling and Calyn Shaw

Vancouver General Hospital staff try to keep out people affected by flu

More than half of health care workers in Vancouver Coastal Health facilities choose not to get a flu shot, despite efforts by officials to encourage doctors and nurses to get vaccinated.

Health care workers can get the influenza vaccine against seasonal flu free of charge but the program is voluntary. Unvaccinated staff risk contracting the flu and spreading it to patients. Immunization of both care providers and residents is shown to decrease outbreaks of influenza.

“We’re not achieving our goals,” said Catherine Kidd, who oversees the team that promotes influenza vaccination within Vancouver Coastal Health.

Only 43 per cent of acute care staff and 68 per cent of residential care staff on average had the flu shot from 2005 to 2009, according to Vancouver Coastal Health. Acute care staff work in facilities such as hospitals and residential care staff work in centres such as senior care homes.

Related: Rates of flu immunization at Vancouver Coastal Health

“Some people do not believe in immunizations of any type,” Kidd said. “And some do not believe in influenza immunization.”

Staff at other hospitals in Vancouver are also reluctant to receive the flu shot. Vaccination rates among staff at BC Children’s and BC Women’s hospitals hover around 40 per cent.

The Ministry of Health wants to get 60 per cent of acute care workers and 80 per cent of residential care workers vaccinated for seasonal influenza.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the U.S. has warned that there are signs that flu is increasing, advising people to get the flu shot. The problem of immunizing health care workers is not limited to Canada—fewer than half of health care workers in the U.S. report getting the shot.

There were 20 flu outbreaks from October 2008 to May 2009, according to Vancouver Coastal Health reports. Ninety-two staff members and 233 residents caught the flu during the outbreaks. Seventeen people were hospitalized and five people died as a result of these incidents.

Program to encourage vaccination among staff

Fewer than half the staff at Vancouver Coastal Health, which runs Vancouver General Hospital, received the flu shot

Vancouver Coastal Health runs an annual Influenza Prevention Program to encourage vaccinations. It tells staff where and when they can get free flu shots and warns them of possible consequences of not receiving the vaccine.

Kidd said that if people have firm opinions, it is difficult to convince them even when they are presented with all the facts and information.

“When they decide that all immunizations are poison, it’s not going to change their minds,” she said.

The hospitals are left to battle urban myths on vaccinations.

“Mostly [the program is] focused in on getting the message out there, trying to counteract a lot of the myths that people have about being immunized for influenza,” Kidd said.

Responses from staff

Some health care workers have heeded the call to take precautions against the seasonal flu.

Dr. Andrew Binding who works in internal medicine at Vancouver General Hospital said he received the influenza shot a week ago to prevent the spread of the virus between patients.

“There’s pretty good evidence to support it, so it’s [my] pretty strong belief,” Binding said.

But the flu shot can be a sensitive topic among health workers. Many staff members outside Vancouver General Hospital were reluctant to answer when asked about the influenza vaccine.

One health care worker who said she had never had the shot didn’t want to be quoted by name.

Effectiveness of the influenza vaccine

The influenza vaccine has been shown to be effective in 70 to 90 per cent of healthy children and adults, but only in about half of the elderly, according to the Canada Communicable Disease Report from the Public Agency of Canada. Health care providers who receive the vaccine help decrease their own risk of contracting the flu as well as help prevent death and serious outcomes for patients they care for.

The vaccination rates for residential staff decreased from 75 to 61 per cent in the last five years according to reports from the BC Centre for Disease Control. About 90 per cent of elderly residents receive the flu shot each year, but the effectiveness of the vaccine greatly decreases with old age.

Adults and children with chronic health conditions such as asthma, diabetes and cancer are more likely to be hospitalized if they contract the flu. The elderly and residents of nursing homes also have a high risk of flu-related complications.

The Vancouver Coastal Health policy indicates care providers who work directly with patients and who are not immunized must have a seven-day prescription for Tamiflu. The drug is used to treat influenza or to reduce the chance of getting the flu.

If staff members are exposed to influenza at work during an outbreak, they are instructed to take the drug immediately. Direct care providers who fail to comply may be excluded from work without pay.

Over half of acute care hospital staff do not receive the flu shot. Acute care hospitals receive and treat people suffering from injuries or acute illnesses (such as pneumonia or kidney stones), people rehabilitating from an illness or injury, or people requiring extended care.

Rates of vaccination were 61 per cent last year (a decrease of 14 per cent from the previous year) among staff working in residential facilities, which have 50 per cent or more residents above the age of 65.

The Ministry of Health aims to vaccinate 60 per cent of in-hospital staff and 80 per cent of residential care staff.

Related: Health care workers shun flu shot

Staff members accounted for include those who work, volunteer or train on a full-time, part-time or casual basis in a facility and have direct or indirect contact with patients or residents.

All statistics are from reports by BC Centre for Disease Control.  The data was submitted by health authorities and compiled by epidemiology services.

Staff in acute care hospitals

Rates have increased slightly for the last two years.

The influenza vaccination rates for staff working in Vancouver Coastal Health acute care hospitals for the past five years are:
2005/06: 45.5%
2006/07: 46%
2007/08: 39%
2008/09: 44.8%
2009/10: 47.2%

Staff in residential facilities

Rates of vaccination decreased significantly in the last two years.

The influenza vaccination rates for staff working in Vancouver Coastal Health residential facilities for the past five years are:
2005/06: 75.4%
2006/07: 74.8%
2007/08: 75.7%
2008/09: 73.9%
2009/10: 61.2%

Residents in residential facilities

Rates have decreased slightly in the last two years among residents.

The influenza vaccination rates for residents staying in Vancouver Coastal Health residential facilities for the past five years are:
2005/06: 93.1%
2006/07: 93.9%
2007/08: 92.9%
2008/09: 93.1%
2009/10: 90.8%

Sex workers who need services flag down the van

A female sex worker could be made safer on the streets of Vancouver for $20 a year.  That is the average cost of each woman helped by the van, driven by former sex-trade workers, which travels the streets of Vancouver.

The van, known as the Mobile Access Project (MAP), aims to provide services, supplies and a safe space for sex workers to rest.

Most of the van staff have had former experience in the sex industry and can relate to the women. They tell sex workers about men to avoid, provide referrals to drug treatment clinics, and let them share their stories.

Women use the service about 1,200 times each month, and receive over 8,000 condoms and 4,800 clean needles during those visits. The MAP van is run by WISH Drop-in Centre and PACE society.

For six years, the van has travelled the streets every night. Women on the streets trust the van to be there when they need it.

“When you’re cold and wet, and you’re thirsty and hungry, they hand out sandwiches and drinks,” Miss Louise, a sex worker on Kingsway, said. “If there’s a problem, they’re willing to call the police and you know, stay with you.”

Legal challenge

Sex workers often work alone and risk their safety out on the streets. The Canadian prostitution law that bans brothels, or bawdy houses, prevents them from working in a common indoor space.

Ontario’s Superior Court of Justice struck down three prostitution laws in a September court ruling: soliciting clients; living off prostitution income; and operating bawdy houses. The court deemed the laws unconstitutional by putting sex workers in danger.

The B.C. Court of Appeal ruled in October that the same laws can be challenged in B.C.

“The legal system pushes the women to isolated places and limits their ability to use health and support services,” said Kate Shannon, director of the Gender and Sexual Health Initiative at the B.C. Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS.

“If the prostitution laws change, sex workers can be brought indoors and made safer,” she said. “But for now, the MAP van seems to be the only way to reach the most marginalized women on the street.”

On average, 40 to 70 female sex workers on the streets use the van each night.

Scheduling conflicts

Drug treatment clinics and other services operate during the day. But women working the streets tend to be out at night and have difficulty accessing healthcare.

“Make it so that they don’t have to try and get up go outside in the daytime, and so they don’t have to feel uncomfortable interacting with a whole bunch of mainstream community members which makes them feel freaked out,” said Susan Davis, a sex worker of 24 years.

Most prostitution-related services are concentrated in the Downtown Eastside and leave out many who work in other areas. But it is even difficult for those working in downtown to get help.

“You know, St. Paul’s Hospital, it might as well be Mars,” said Kate Gibson, executive director of WISH.

“If you’re a drug user, it means you’re going to weigh out going to the hospital and going into withdrawal. One will probably win out over the other, and it’ll probably be [avoiding] withdrawal.”

Making a difference

The MAP van was a plan to connect sex workers with health services. There are similar projects in other Canadian cities, including Edmonton, Hamilton and Montreal.

In August 2009, the van received funding of $750,000 over three years. The money helps the van provide more than just basic supplies to the women.

“It is many things, but it is also a set of eyes on the street,” Gibson said. “And don’t think for a minute that bad guys and pimps don’t know the van’s out, because they do.”

Women working on the streets are among the most vulnerable. Many have been murdered or reported missing, including over 60 women who are the subject of the Missing Women inquiry. The inquiry is reviewing how the police response allowed convicted serial killer Robert Pickton to continue his killing of over 20 sex workers.

Evidence shows the van makes a difference for women on the streets.

A study published in the October issue of Drug and Alcohol Dependence, found sex workers who used the MAP van between 2006 and 2008 were four times more likely to choose inpatient addiction treatment, compared to those who didn’t.

The referrals to drug treatment programs also have effects that are not obvious.

“Women always say to each other not to work high, and it’s because they’re so vulnerable,” Gibson said.

“If they‘re not accessing drug treatment at all, and they’re drug users, they’re definitely way more vulnerable because their decision making abilities are impaired if they’re high or if they’re desperate.”

The historic Burrard Street building needs ongoing work

An ambitious multi-million dollar plan to renovate the aging St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver’s West End has yet to secure the funds to pay for the project.

Getting a commitment from the province on funding the 115-year-old building’s reconstruction is “like nailing Jell-O to a wall,” said the Vancouver-West End MLA Spencer Chandra-Herbert.

He was speaking at a recent public meeting in which the hospital’s owners, Providence Health Care, presented the renewal plan to West End residents.

The plan proposes knocking down and renovating several buildings and expanding to include an additional tower at the corner of Comox and Thurlow Streets.

Providence hopes to complete the project in 2016 at a budget of $300 – 500 million dollars.

But Providence is uncertain how the project will be funded.

“At this point in time we can’t say exactly where that money is coming from,” said Dianne Doyle, President and CEO of Providence Health Care, “because we don’t have a firm commitment from anyone.”

St. Paul’s Hospital is the largest healthcare facility in British Columbia and serves patients from across the province.

It is one of the country’s most advanced heart and lung institutes, is a leader in kidney care, HIV/AIDS, and mental illness services and urban health research.

Providence hopes to complete a business plan in March and present it to the ministry’s treasury board for approval. The renewal of the hospital is only in the concept stage.

Province-wide health needs

The proposed tower at Comox and Thurlow Streets would total 200,000 square feet

Providence will be going for capital dollars from the B.C. Ministry of Health will be coming at a time when many other healthcare providers are also vying for government funding.

Fraser Valley has increasing demand for new and improved health care facilities. The BC Women’s and Children’s Hospitals have ongoing campaigns for funding. Other rural hospitals also need a boost.

After eight years of deliberations over whether St. Paul’s Hospital would be rebuilt on land in False Creek, the province’s Health Services Minister Kevin Falcon announced in June that the hospital would stay at its Burrard Street site.

Falcon said that the ministry would “make a significant new investment in the existing facility.”

But how much money the province will put up is unknown.

Chandra-Herbert said he has tried to get a firm answer from the ministry on when and how funds will be provided.

“[Falcon] said [funding] will happen somehow, it will be worked out,” said Chandra-Herbert. “It all sounds really nice but not much has been said in terms of actual commitment.”

A Catch-22 situation

Providence officials presented the redevelopment plan to West End residents at public meeting, Oct. 21

Getting backing from the province is a top priority for Providence Health Care.

Doyle said the provincial government has signalled that if Providence is able to demonstrate funds upfront, the ministry “might feel more generous in supporting” the plan.

The St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation, a registered charity that raises funds for the hospital, is likely to provide some funds upfront.

Doyle said that the foundation has unofficially made a commitment of $50 million. Providence intends to bring this to the government as a working assumption.

Doyle, who has been the organization’s president and CEO since 2006, described the situation as a “bit of a Catch-22.”

The foundation cannot begin a campaign for donations until there is an approved project, she said. Donors are waiting for that approval from the ministry, especially after recent uncertainty over whether or not St. Paul’s Hospital would be relocated.

Now that a new hospital will not be built on land in False Creek, the 18-acre property could be a future source of funds for Providence to off-set its capital costs.

The land belongs to the Vancouver Esperanza Society, a non-profit organization. The society purchased it in March 2004, but gave Providence Health Care the right of first refusal to buy the land

Doyle told TheThunderbird.ca that the organization’s preferred way to profit from the False Creek land would be to partner with a developer that would put a business on the site. Providence would then share in the business’s ongoing revenue.

However, she added that Providence does not yet have plans for the False Creek site.

West End residents seek commitment

Community activists formed the Save St. Paul’s Coalition in 2002 to campaign in favour of keeping the hospital at its Burrard Street location.

While the group welcomes the proposed renewal of St. Paul’s, they are frustrated that the project is still unconfirmed.

Brent Granby, President of the West End Residents Association and Vice-Chair of the Save St. Paul’s Coalition, said that after eight years, he was encouraged by the noise coming from the provincial government.

To Granby, the province’s recent $10 million contribution toward renovating the St. Paul’s Hospital Emergency Department “would suggest that [the province has] a strong commitment to this building, on this site and renewal on this site as well.”

“Now we just need to see the provincial government actually commit to a capital project here,” he said.