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Reimagining health care in British Columbia was the theme of one of the plenary sessions held at the recent Union of British Columbia Municipalities meeting.

B.C. communities and residents are experiencing unprecedented challenges with the health care system, which includes the closure of emergency rooms, long wait times for surgery, difficulties in finding a family physician, problems with the recruitment and retention of health care professionals and inconsistent access to ambulance service.

On this edition of Today in B.C., host Peter McCully says: 鈥淭his podcast will be longer than the norm, (although some of the session was edited for time and content) but we thought the topic and the discussion was timely, given the state of health care in B.C. and wanted to offer you the opportunity to hear the presentations鈥�.

Attended by mayors and councillors from across the province, the session explored how those issues are affecting communities in all areas of B.C., in both urban and rural contexts; and members of the panel discussed ideas for transforming the health care system in the province.

Port McNeill Mayor Gaby Wickstrom, Clearwater Mayor Merlin Blackwell and Vancouver Coun. Pete Fry talked about the impact of disruptions to the health care system and how they affect residents.

A series of medical experts also offered transformative solutions to the problems being discussed.

The session was hosted by Laurey-Anne Roodenburg, councillor with the city of Cornell, and UBCM president. The session began with an address by the Adrian Dix, B.C.鈥檚 Minister of Health.

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