ISLAND HEALTH 

Island Health (the Vancouver Island Health Authority) provides healthcare services to more than 850,000 people on Vancouver Island, the islands in the Salish Sea and Johnstone Strait, and the mainland communities north of Powell River.

As of February 2026, the authority is focused on massive infrastructure upgrades and a major organizational shift in how administrative services are delivered.

1. Primary Hospitals & Tertiary Hubs

Island Health operates several large specialized centers that serve as the backbone for the region:

• Royal Jubilee Hospital (Victoria): The main site for advanced cardiac care, kidney care, and mental health services for the South Island.

• Victoria General Hospital: The provincial level-1 trauma center for Vancouver Island and the primary site for pediatric and maternal care.

• Nanaimo Regional General Hospital: A critical hub for Central Island, currently seeing record-high diagnostic volumes (over 176,000 CT scans annually).

• North Island Hospital (Comox Valley & Campbell River): Two state-of-the-art facilities that opened in 2017 to serve the northern half of the island.

2. Major 2026 Projects & Infrastructure

Several long-term projects are reaching critical milestones this year:

• Quw’utsun Valley Hospital (Cowichan): Construction is on track for completion in late 2026, with the hospital set to open for patients in 2027. It will be the first "fully electric" zero-carbon hospital in B.C.

• Nanaimo Cancer Centre: Preliminary site work for the new BC Cancer Centre at Nanaimo Regional General is currently underway. This facility is expected to bring radiation therapy to the Central Island by 2028.

• New Detox & Stabilization Beds: In early 2026, six new detox beds are opening in Campbell River, alongside a new 19-bed treatment center in Parksville to address the ongoing toxic drug crisis.

• Shared Services Transition: Starting in Spring 2026, Island Health (along with other BC health authorities) will begin moving administrative functions like HR, IT, and Finance into a new province-wide "Shared Services" organization to streamline operations.

3. Public Health Alerts (Feb 2026)

• Nanaimo Drug Advisory: A high-risk drug poisoning advisory was issued on February 4, 2026, due to an increase in overdoses linked to the sedative medetomidine found in the local supply.

• Respiratory Illness: While the peak of the winter season has passed, several long-term care facilities in the Victoria area remain under "enhanced monitoring" for RSV and Influenza A clusters.

• Virtual Care Growth: In early 2026, Island Health reported a significant drop in greenhouse gas emissions due to the permanent expansion of Virtual Care services, reducing the need for patients in remote areas to drive to major hubs.

4. Accessing Care & Services

Resource

Contact Info

Best For...

8-1-1 HealthLink BC

Dial 8-1-1

24/7 non-emergency health advice.

Community Access Line

1-888-533-2273 (South)

Home care, nursing, and seniors' support.

Access Central

1-833-866-6478

Substance use and detox services.

MyHealth Portal

islandhealth.ca/myhealth

Checking your lab results and appointments online.