Community Healthcare Systems Inc.
Community-Driven Solutions
CHS is a team of professionals dedicated to supporting the resiliency Resiliency is the capacity to remain flexible and adaptable while facing life’s challenges.
of the healthcare system and its workers in communities.
We collaborate with local governments, provincial government ministries, real estate developers, business and community organizations to implement solutions that address the housing, daycare and transportation needs of healthcare and emergency workers. By doing this, we increase access to healthcare and support the economic prosperity of communities.
How We Do It
The Playbook and Toolkit
We offer a free Playbook and Toolkit with ideas and tools to support healthcare and emergency workers in your community.
What We Do
We are the champions of your community-driven solutions.
We empower communities to retain, support and grow their supply of healthcare and emergency workers by developing plans customized for each community’s unique situation and needs, including:
Housing
Creating access to affordable, attainable housing near workplaces.
Childcare
Creating access to childcare and pet care, helping healthcare and emergency workers live and work in their desired communities.
Transportation
Creating access to transportation option, particularly outside of regular business hours.
Community Support
Providing a welcoming community environment for healthcare and emergency workers and their families, to ensure a sense of belonging and support.
Who We Help
Our team offers a range of services to support local governments, provincial government ministries, community organizations, businesses and healthcare organizations.
Local Governments and Community Organizations
We support you to:
- Define your local needs and opportunities for action.
- Create a community healthcare committee to coordinate the necessary actions to support healthcare workers and facilities.
- Create and assist the implementation of strategies to address housing, childcare, transportation and healthcare facilities.
- Connect with healthcare and emergency workers who need support.
- Create and implement policies and strategies to support healthcare and emergency workers.
- Support the development of medical facilities, including municipal clinics.
- Interface with government health agencies.
- Monitor health issues and effectiveness of programs.
Developers and Businesses
We support you to:
- Coordinate support for the development of housing and medical facilities.
- Develop multi-faceted health-oriented development strategies.
- Integrate healthcare worker targeted housing, primary care clinics and childcare facilities into new developments.
- Provide information and education on the healthcare system, local needs and opportunities for support within your businesses and development projects.
- Develop and assist in implementing business programs that offer discounts and special services to healthcare workers.
- Fundraising and other support programs.
- Partner with the healthcare sector.
Clinics and Healthcare Providers
We support you to:
- Find space in new and existing developments.
- Create business and development plans for new clinics, including non-profit societies.
- Interface with government health agencies.
Government Agencies
We support you to:
- Coordinate initiatives and committees in the healthcare space to increase collaboration and efficiency.
- Assist with building relationships and effective collaboration between healthcare agencies, committees and the local community.
- Coordinate the implementation of health programs in communities and with specific organizations.
CHS Commitment to reconciliation
CHS Inc. Supports Indigenous Reconciliation as a Key Component of Community Resilience Plans
Reconciliation is an ongoing process that requires commitment, humility, and collaboration. The CHS Inc. team supports reconciliation with First Nations and Indigenous communities as part of their overarching approach to community resilience planning.
Our Team
Community Healthcare Systems Inc. (CHS Inc) is a benefit company A benefit company is a for-profit corporation that commits to creating a positive social or environmental impact as part of its business purpose, alongside financial goals.
in British Columbia (B.C.) created to navigate and address the multifaceted systemic challenges facing healthcare and emergency workers and the healthcare system as a whole, and to assist healthcare agencies and senior governments in effectively engaging local communities.
CHS Inc. President, Valerie Nicol, MA, CCC
Healthcare System Knowledge and Change Management:
Valerie is an experienced consultant, clinical counsellor and non-profit executive director with demonstrated success in the health care sector. She is a skilled leader of non-profit organizations, primary health care transformation initiatives, change management, coaching, conflict resolution, team building, and facilitation. Valerie holds a Master of Arts (MA) in Counselling Psychology from The University of British Columbia, and has partially completed a Ph.D. in Indigenous Health Research at the University of Victoria.
With more than 25 years of cumulative work experience gained as a clinic counsellor, a health care quality improvement advisor, the executive director of a Division of Family Practice, a quality improvement advisor, and a consultant to a number of provincial health initiatives, Valerie brings a wealth of knowledge and experience with a keen focus on the human dimensions of change. For fun, Valerie enjoys hiking, mountain biking, yoga, travelling, and spending time with her family and friends.
CHS Director, Mark Holland, MSci, RPP
Healthy Community Planning and Real Estate Development Expertise:
Mark is a partner in Westplan Consulting Group – a consulting firm specialising in community planning and real estate development projects. Mark is also a faculty member at Vancouver Island University where he helped launch and teaches in its Masters in Community Planning Program.
Mark’s past work includes serving as a city planner in Vancouver, as well as it’s first Manager of the City’s sustainability office. He has cofounded several planning consulting firms and spent over a decade in the real estate development industry, as a VP of Development for several companies, and as a consultant.
Mark holds professional degrees in both Landscape Architecture, and Community and Regional Planning, and has dedicated his career to pursuing successful and innovative real estate projects, planning innovations in sustainability, health promotion, urban food systems, and the creation of unique destination places.
Mark’s project awards include BC Planner of the Year, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal, the VIU Provost’s award for Scholarship and Teaching, and being inducted into the Canadian Institute of Planners’ College of Fellows in 2022.
CHS Director, Dave Saunders
Municipal Government, Business Management and Philanthropy:
David Saunders was born and raised on Vancouver Island where he and his wife have raised three daughters. Starting out as a young entrepreneur, Dave built successful tree care, excavation, and development businesses, has done municipal development consulting, and has land and rental holdings. Dave also helped to manage the Saunders family Subaru dealership in Colwood.
With an extensive public and municipal background, Dave was elected as a councillor for the City of Colwood in 2005 and as mayor in 2008, which included appointments to the Metchosin Uplands Planning Commission, Westshore Parks and Recreation Society Board of Directors, Capital Regional District Core Area Liquid Waste Management Committee, CRD Solid Waste Advisory Committee as chair, CRD Environmental Sustainability Committee, CRD Board of Directors, City of Colwood Planning/Zoning as chair and Mayor’s Task Force chair. Dave is currently a Lieutenant Governor in Council appointee to the Royal Roads University Board of Governors.
Active in the community, Dave is president of the Saunders Family Foundation, where he founded the Comfy Kids Program that provides support to families whose children must travel to receive cancer care.
The founding partners include experts in the healthcare system and in local communities, governments, healthy communities and development.
Acknowledgements
We are grateful for the knowledge and expertise received from many people including: physicians, nurses, other healthcare workers and administrators, municipal politicians and staff, business owners, real estate developers, and many others.
The Saunders Family Foundation
This organization provided crucial funding for the project and played a leading role in the development process, particularly through Dave Saunders’ leadership.
The B.C. Ministry of Health
The Ministry provided funding support for the project, recognizing the importance of local communities in supporting the healthcare system.
Thrive Social Services Society
Thrive Social Services Society collaborated on the development of both resources, focusing on empowering local communities.
Our Network
We are honoured to be connected to so many amazing people and organizations on our journey to help communities with their healthcare challenges including:
The Saunders Family Foundation • Thrive Social Services • BC Ministry of Health – Primary Care Planning & Implementation Oversight • RccBC – Rural Coordinating Centre of BC • The Community of Sooke
• The Municipality of Colwood • The Cowichan Valley Regional District • Tartan Bond Communications • Marshall Law Corporation • Reed Pope Law Corporation • Royal Roads University • The South Island Primary Care Network • Real Estate Developers
PROJECTS
Explore how we’ve partnered with communities to deliver impactful projects.
Valerie Nicol
Mark Holland
Dave Saunders
The Causes We Support
- Affordable, attainable, safe housing for single-parent healthcare and emergency workers and their children
- Access to housing for all healthcare and emergency workers
- Mental health support for healthcare and emergency workers/first responders
- Fundraising to support healthcare facilities and programs.