About us

Patient, family and community engagement (often also defined as public participation) is based on the principle that people have the right to participate in the decision-making processes that affect them and that everyone has a say when it comes to their health care. Community engagement seeks public input and plans how the public and Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) staff can work together toward patient- and family-centered and sustainable health care.  

What are EngageVCH and Engage oneVCH ?

EngageVCH is Vancouver Coastal Health's online engagement site. This is a virtual space for our patients, clients, residents, families, partners, stakeholders and the diverse communities we serve to join in conversation and provide input on upcoming projects. 

Engage oneVCH is the online engagement hub private to VCH staff, hosting various staff engagement opportunities. Visit Engage oneVCH and click on "Sign in as VCH staff" with your VCH login to learn more about Engage oneVCH and participate in ongoing staff surveys and discussions. 

Our commitment to meaningful engagement

We're committed to meaningful engagement, engaging communities early and often, and reporting back to everyone who provides input on how their input is used and will inform our decision-making processes. We are also deeply committed to cultural safety, humility and learning and reconciliation, and we work in close partnership with Indigenous Health. The work of the Community Engagement team at VCH is also based on the IAP2 Core Values:

  1. Public participation is based on the belief that those who are affected by a decision have a right to be involved in decision-making process.
  2. Public participation includes the promise that the public's contribution will influence the decision.
  3. Public participation promotes sustainable decisions by recognizing and communicating the needs and interests of all participants, including decision makers.
  4. Public participation seeks out and facilitates the [equitable] involvement of [all] those potentially affected by or interested in a decision.
  5. Public participation seeks input from participants in designing how they participate.
  6. Public participation provides participants with the information they need to participate in a meaningful way.
  7. Public participation communicates to participants how their input affected the decision.

The Community engagement program at VCH aligns with VCH's Strategy: Healthy lives in healthy communities and our purpose, to come together as one collective team to deliver an exceptional care experience for all.