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Ministry of Health (British Columbia)

Canadian provincial government department

Summary

Canadian provincial government department

FieldValue
agency_nameBritish Columbia Ministry of Health
typeMinistry
jurisdictionBritish Columbia
headquartersVictoria, British Columbia
minister1_nameJosie Osborne
minister1_pfoMinister of Health
minister2_nameCynthia Johansen
minister2_pfoDeputy minister
chief1_nameTiffany Ma and Diana Clarke
chief1_positionAssociate Deputy Ministers
chief2_nameBonnie Henry
chief2_positionProvincial Health Officer
budgetC$35.144 billion (2025–26)
website

The Ministry of Health is a department of the Government of British Columbia which oversees the provincial health care system. It manages services including the Medical Services Plan, HealthLinkBC, PharmaCare, and the BC Vital Statistics Agency.

The majority of health services are delivered through partnerships with health authorities, physicians and other health professionals. The ministry works with five regional health authorities (Fraser Health, Interior Health, Island Health, Northern Health and Vancouver Coastal Health) and one province-wide health authority, the Provincial Health Services Authority, which is responsible for specialized health services. It also supports the role of the Provincial Health Officer, whose office is housed within the ministry.

Josie Osborne is the Minister of Health, appointed on Nov. 18, 2024.

As of 2025, the Deputy Minister of Health is Cynthia Johansen. The Associate Deputy Ministers are Tiffany Ma and Diana Clarke. An earlier acting appointment of Alexandra Faye (Ally) Butler as Associate Deputy Minister was rescinded in April 2025.

History

On February 21, 1946, the government announced plans to establish a separate department for health; until then, health policy had been the purview of the provincial secretary. The Department of Health and Welfare was formally established on October 1, 1946, with George Pearson as the inaugural minister.

During the first term of the Gordon Campbell government, a separate Ministry of Health Planning was created (led by Sindi Hawkins) but that ministry was later merged back into the main ministry. During the same period, there were also two ministers of state: one for seniors and another for mental health and addictions.

Under John Horgan, a separate Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions was established. Following the 2024 provincial election, Premier David Eby’s administration ended the stand-alone ministry and folded it back into the Ministry of Health. The 2025/26 Estimates show the "Mental Health and Addictions (Disestablished)" vote with funds transferred to Health in November 2024.

COVID-19 and public health

On April 30, 2020, the Ministry published guidance alongside the BC Centre for Disease Control on interpreting PCR test results for COVID-19. On Sept. 12, 2024 the Provincial Health Officer rescinded the COVID-19 public-health emergency orders. On March 28, 2025 the PHO declared the end of the 2024–25 respiratory illness season and lifted temporary measures in health-care settings.

Professional regulation modernization

On October 19, 2022, Minister Adrian Dix introduced the Health Professions and Occupations Act (HPOA), which received Royal Assent on Nov. 24, 2022. Specific sections came into force on Oct. 18, 2023 to establish the Health Professions and Occupations Regulatory Oversight Office, headed by a Superintendent appointed in June 2024. As part of ongoing amalgamations under the modernization initiative, several health regulatory colleges were amalgamated effective June 28, 2024. The HPOA is scheduled to come into force on April 1, 2026, replacing the Health Professions Act.

List of ministers

MinisterTerm startTerm endPolitical partyCabinetMinister of Health and WelfareMinister of Health Services and Hospital InsuranceMinister of HealthMinister of Health ServicesMinister of HealthMinister of Health ServicesMinister of Health
George Sharratt PearsonOctober 1, 1946December 29, 1947Hart
December 29, 1947May 3, 1950Johnson
Alexander Douglas TurnbullMay 3, 1950August 1, 1952
Eric MartinAugust 1, 1952March 20, 1959W. A. C. Bennett
Eric MartinMarch 20, 1959December 12, 1966W. A. C. Bennett
Wesley BlackDecember 12, 1966May 24, 1968
Ralph LoffmarkMay 24, 1968September 15, 1972
Dennis CockeSeptember 15, 1972November 7, 1973Barrett
Dennis CockeNovember 7, 1973December 22, 1975Barrett
Robert McClellandDecember 22, 1975November 24, 1979B. Bennett
Rafe MairNovember 24, 1979January 6, 1981
Jim NielsenJanuary 6, 1981February 11, 1986
Stephen RogersFebruary 11, 1986April 3, 1986
Jim NielsenApril 3, 1986August 6, 1986
August 6, 1986November 6, 1986Vander Zalm
Peter DueckNovember 6, 1986November 1, 1989
John JansenNovember 1, 1989April 2, 1991
April 2, 1991May 7, 1991Johnston
Bruce StrachanMay 7, 1991November 5, 1991
Elizabeth CullNovember 5, 1991September 15, 1993Harcourt
Paul RamseySeptember 15, 1993February 28, 1996
Andrew PetterFebruary 28, 1996June 17, 1996G. Clark
Joy MacPhailJune 17, 1996February 18, 1998
Penny PriddyFebruary 18, 1998August 25, 1999
August 25, 1999February 24, 2000Miller
Mike FarnworthFebruary 29, 2000November 1, 2000Dosanjh
Corky EvansNovember 1, 2000June 5, 2001
Colin HansenJune 5, 2001December 15, 2004Campbell
Shirley BondDecember 15, 2004June 16, 2005
George AbbottJune 16, 2005June 23, 2008Campbell
George AbbottJune 23, 2008June 10, 2009Campbell
Kevin FalconJune 10, 2009November 30, 2010
Colin HansenNovember 30, 2010March 14, 2011
Mike de JongMarch 14, 2011September 5, 2012C. Clark
Margaret MacDiarmidSeptember 5, 2012June 10, 2013
Terry LakeJune 10, 2013June 12, 2017
Mary PolakJune 12, 2017July 18, 2017
Adrian DixJuly 18, 2017November 18, 2022Horgan
November 18, 2022November 18, 2024Eby
Josie OsborneNovember 18, 2024Incumbent

References

References

  1. (2025-03-04). "Ministry of Health 2025/26 - 2027/28 Service Plan". Government of British Columbia.
  2. (2025-03-04). "2025/26 Estimates - Estimated Consolidated Revenue Fund Operating Result". Government of British Columbia.
  3. "Ministry of Health". Government of British Columbia.
  4. (2025-03-04). "Ministry of Health 2025/26 - 2027/28 Service Plan". Government of British Columbia.
  5. "Health Authorities". Government of British Columbia.
  6. "Office of the Provincial Health Officer". Government of British Columbia.
  7. (2024-11-18). "New cabinet ready to deliver on the priorities of British Columbians". Government of British Columbia.
  8. "Honourable Josie Osborne". Government of British Columbia.
  9. (2025-07-17). "Deputy Ministers' Council of British Columbia". Government of British Columbia.
  10. (2025-03-05). "Cynthia Johansen appointed Deputy Minister of Health". BC College of Nurses and Midwives.
  11. (2025-04-15). "Order in Council 177/2025". Government of British Columbia.
  12. (1946-02-21). "Gov't Welfare Program laid Before MLA's". [[Vancouver Sun]].
  13. (1946-10-01). "Charles Banks Becomes B.C.'s Lieut.-Governor". [[The Province]].
  14. Meissner, Dirk. (January 26, 2004). "Campbell shuffles cabinet". The Globe and Mail.
  15. McInnes, Craig. (2001-06-05). "27-member cabinet biggest in B.C. history". [[Vancouver Sun]].
  16. Palmer, Vaughn. (2017-07-18). "Darcy leads difficult job list in Horgan's tough cabinet".
  17. (2025-03-04). "2025/26 Estimates – Schedule A reconciliation". Government of British Columbia.
  18. (2024-11-25). "B.C. health minister promises revamped approach to overdose crisis after addictions portfolio scrapped". CityNews Vancouver.
  19. (2020-04-30). "Interpreting the results of Nucleic Acid Amplification testing (NAT; or PCR tests) for COVID-19 in the Respiratory Tract".
  20. (2024-09-12). "Provincial health officer rescinds orders for COVID-19".
  21. (2025-03-28). "Provincial health officer’s statement on end of respiratory illness season".
  22. (2022-10-19). "Patients the focus of new health legislation".
  23. (2023-12-20). "Update on Health Profession Regulation Modernization". BC Ministry of Health.
  24. (2024-06-07). "Second update on Health Profession Regulation Modernization". BC Ministry of Health.
  25. (2024-06-28). "Patient safety enhanced as more B.C. health colleges amalgamate".
  26. "Health Professions Designation and Amalgamation Regulation". BC Laws.
  27. "Health Professions and Occupations Act". BC Ministry of Health.
Wikipedia Source

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