July 18, 2005 for immediate release

The Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research issupporting the creation of a new BC Rural and Remote Health Research Network inBritish Columbia,and the Network’s headquarters is being established at UNBC.

The new network was developed through consultationswith researchers, health care service providers, and policy-makers fromthroughout the province. Nearly 300 northerners participated in the initialdevelopment, including residents of Prince George, Quesnel, the Robson Valley,the North and South Peace, Fort Nelson, Vanderhoof and Burns Lake, the BulkleyValley, the Northwest, and both the North and Central Coasts. “The headquartersfor the new network is being located at UNBC in large part because of thesignificant level of support and interest in this project,” say Don Voaklanderand Karen Kelly, the Interim Scientific Co-Directors for the Rural Network.  Don grew up in Fort St. James.

The network will engage in a variety of activities:

• Providing some initial funding to establish new research projects
• Expanding access to research assistants
• Disseminating research results to people in the field through the development of a new website
• Hosting an annual conference to bring together researchers, share research findings, and identify additional needs for research.

The Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research isproviding $300,000 in initial funding and it’s expected that the network willcontinue to operate until at least 2009.

Contact:
Rob van Adrichem, Director of Media and Public Relations, UNBC - 250.960.5622