FAQ's
1. What does MRBC aim to do?
MRBC aims to deliver timely, expert care to critically ill and injured patients in rural, remote, and Indigenous communities across British Columbia. We aim to complement—not replace—the existing system by filling gaps in emergency transport and specialized care.
2. How will MRBC address current gaps in rural care?
Rural communities face long delays, limited transport options, and a lack of specialized teams. MRBC is designed to bridge these gaps with interprofessional (doctors and nurses or paramedics) prehospital and retrieval teams, improved logistics, and coordination with community providers to ensure faster, higher-quality care.
3. Has MRBC been designed with rural realities in mind?
Yes. MRBC is a rural-centric model. Over 50% of our board members are required to live in rural BC communities. We actively include rural and Indigenous perspectives in governance, system design, and deployment through ongoing advisory processes and workshops.
4. What kinds of teams will MRBC deploy?
MRBC plans to operate an interprofessional team model including physicians, nurses, paramedics, among others. Team composition will be tailored to patient needs.
5. Will MRBC duplicate or compete with BCEHS or other services?
No. MRBC will complement not compete with other services. MRBC is not intended to be a parallel system; it is intended to be a partner to the existing one. We aim to work alongside Health Authorities, Search and Rescue, community providers, and BCEHS to fill gaps and strengthen the overall system. Engagement with the Ministry of Health and PHSA is ongoing to seek collaborative solutions to the current system issues.
6. Why launch a new program when rural healthcare staffing is already stretched?
MRBC addresses a structural inequity: lack of rapid access to critical care in rural BC. This isn’t an “either/or” situation. Retrieval models like MRBC have been shown to support rural workforces by improving morale, providing training, and enhancing recruitment and retention. Health human resource shortages are impacting all fields, including paramedics, across BC and Canada. By introducing interprofessional models of care, we increase the number of clinicians available to help patients and attract clinicians from across Canada and internationally to BC, as well as better support our current rural clinicians so they stay in BC.
7. How will MRBC ensure accountability and transparency?
MRBC is incorporated as a non-profit society under BC law. Our bylaws mandate rural representation on the board, membership by Health Authorities and Government Bodies, embedding accountability to the communities MRBC serves. We will publish annual impact reports and maintain open channels with rural partners and the Ministry of Health.
8. How is MRBC funded?
Funding is a mix of grants, partnerships, and fundraising. Our goal is a sustainable model that leverages community and system partnerships without creating barriers for patients. We have received our initial seed funding from the Joint Standing Committee on Rural Issues.
9. How can rural communities get involved?
MRBC is co-created with rural communities. You can participate through membership, advisory workshops, partnership tables, and feedback channels. Community and Indigenous leadership are central to shaping and refining the program.
10. How will MRBC work with Indigenous communities?
We are committed to culturally safe care and Indigenous governance inclusion. MRBC will work with FNHA and Indigenous leaders to integrate Indigenous Patient Navigators, cultural safety training, and ongoing feedback mechanisms into all aspects of service delivery.