Vancouver Coastal Health

Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) is a regional health authority responsible for delivering publicly funded health care services to residents of Vancouver and the coastal regions of British Columbia. Its core functions include operating acute care hospitals, providing community health services, delivering mental health and substance use programs, and offering public health initiatives such as immunization and disease surveillance. VCH also manages long‑term care facilities, home and community care, and supports health promotion and prevention activities across its service area. The organization serves a diverse population that includes urban, suburban, and remote coastal communities.

As one of the provincial health authorities in British Columbia, VCH works under the mandate of the Ministry of Health to ensure access to ensure access to medically necessary services for the people within its geographic footprint. While specific employee or facility counts are not provided in the source material, the authority is known to oversee a network of hospitals, clinics, and community health centres that collectively address the health needs of a substantial portion of the province’s population. Its role encompasses both direct service delivery and coordination with other health system partners, including affiliated agencies and local governments.

VCH’s distinguishing attributes stem from its focus on the unique health challenges of coastal and island populations, including considerations for geographic accessibility and Indigenous health needs. The organization operates under a public governance model, with a board appointed by the BC Ministry of Health, and is not a subsidiary of any private entity. In May 2020, VCH experienced a ransomware attack that targeted its Employee and Family Assistance Program data; the authority engaged external cybersecurity experts for investigation and response and later concluded there was no evidence of data theft resulting from the incident. This event highlighted VCH’s reliance on external expertise for cybersecurity resilience while reinforcing its commitment to protecting personal health information.