Update on Activities

November 2, 2005 for immediate release

In an announcement made in Prince George on April 14, 2005, PremierCampbell commissioned Dr. Charles Jago, President of the University ofNorthern BC, and Jeff Burghardt, Chair of Northern Health, “to lead acomprehensive consultation process on access to cancer care in thenorth”.  The accompanying press release stated that the purpose ofthe consultation is to seek public input on a range of cancer treatmentoptions in northern British Columbia “such as radiotherapy, as well asearly diagnosis and screening and any preferences and concerns aroundtravel to access cancer services, and the relationship between theseissues and cancer outcomes”.

As a sequel to the joint report published by Northern Health and the BCCancer Agency (BCCA) in March, entitled Northern Cancer ControlStrategy, NH is preparing a Progress Report on the development of anorthern cancer control and treatment strategy for release in December,2005.  The report will be based on a great deal of research andinvestigation that has taken place since the release of the Marchreport, including visits to radiation cancer clinics in small urbancentres, including Kelowna, Thunder Bay, and Saskatoon.  Theresearch is by no means limited to the specific topic of radiationtherapy, but rather looks to the complete treatment method of diagnosedcancers. Additionally there is further work on the preventative side ofcancer and the type of lifestyle improvements that can potentially beintroduced to northerners as part of a comprehensive strategy. The Progress Report will provide Northern Health an opportunity toreport out to the public on the opportunities for cancer programdevelopment over the next few years and the intended direction.  

Following the release of the Progress Report, Jeff Burghardt andCharles Jago intend to conduct a series of consultations throughout thenorth, both through open sessions and through by-invitation focusgroups, to ensure public participation in the development of thenorthern cancer control and treatment strategies.  TheConsultation will allow an opportunity to see if that directionproposed by NH in the Progress Report is consistent with publicconcerns and desires and whether these concerns are consistent acrossthe Region.  A primary focus of the Consultation will be on thekey issue of access and the need to hear views from across the Regionon how the public's concerns for access to cancer care services canbest be met. Consultations are expected to begin in January, 2006 witha view to having a draft report by May and a final report by the end ofJune.  This report will be submitted first to NH and BCCA forreview and comment and then to the Premier and the Minister of Healthfor consideration and action.

In his April announcement, the Premier also identified $1M that “willgo towards a research program at UNBC, which will inform the northerncancer strategy” and will involve “a partnership with Northern Health,the BC Cancer Agency and others in the community”.  Together UNBCand Northern Health are developing a charter for collaborative researchactivity with advice from the BCCA and have agreed to a plan use thefunding to help create a centre of expertise at UNBC.  The centrewill have the capacity to assist NH and the BCCA in the furtherdevelopment of a northern cancer control strategy as well as tocontribute to broader provincial and national strategies to improvecancer prevention, detection and treatment in rural and northernregions.  At UNBC, the centre will complement the work of threeexisting UNBC research centres: the Rural & Remote Health ResearchInstitute which is supported by the Provincial Ministry of Health, theRural & Remote Health Research Network which is funded by theMichael Smith Foundation, and the National Collaborating Centre forAboriginal Health funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada.

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