The Sea to Sky Regional Hospital District (SSRHD) has seen a reshuffle at the top, with the chair and vice chair switching places at the Dec. 13 board meeting.
Whistler Councillor Jen Ford, who has served as chair of the board for the last five years, has passed the torch to Squamish Councillor Jenna Stoner, who steps into the role after a year as vice chair.
“While health-care delivery is very much the responsibility of the provincial government, Regional Hospital Districts are a unique entity that aim to advocate and deliver on local health-care priorities within the region,” said Stoner in an email to Pique.
“I sought this role because health-care is such a critical issue across the Sea to Sky and I believe that the SSRHD can play an important role in advocating for local priorities and building strong partnerships to deliver on those priorities.”
Stoner said she hopes to continue the SSRHD’s direction over the last few years in building relationships with Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH), local health-care delivery partners, and other regional hospital districts to improve health-care needs and delivery.
“I hope to build on this work, so that we can help to realize some of the immediate space and equipment needs in the corridor. VCH is in the midst of their Sea to Sky Master Planning process, so I also see that as a big opportunity in the coming year to work together to define short-, medium- and long-term needs across the Sea to Sky.”
Securing a new CT scanner at Squamish General Hospital and getting more office space at the Pemberton Health Centre are two of the projects Stoner sees as priorities.
Stoner was acclaimed as the new board chair at the Dec. 13 meeting, with now-former chair Jen Ford acclaimed as vice chair.
“I think it’s a good time for [Stoner] to step into the role and share some of the load,” said Ford.
“We’ve done a lot of really great work with Vancouver Coastal Health and the Hospital District, and with all of the foundations in the corridor, so it just made sense.”
She highlighted progress made building relationships with other regional boards, and securing a trauma room at the Whistler Health Care Centre as items she is most proud of in her time as chair.
Ford served as chair from 2019 to 2023—the same years she was working closely with, and then on the executive of, the Union of British Columbia Municipalities.
Ford currently serves as past president with UBCM, while Stoner was recently elected as third vice president there.
The Sea to Sky Regional Hospital District, which includes Squamish, Whistler, Pemberton, and the SLRD’s Areas C and D (around Pemberton and down to Britannia Beach) exists to borrow funds and finance construction projects and equipment purchases at health-care facilities within the hospital district boundary.
