The Acute and Continuing Care Program provides funding for and monitors the delivery of acute care services, continuing care services and ambulance services. Since the regionalization of British Columbia's health care system, the Acute and Continuing Care program is the primary point of contact for health authorities for funding and policy direction for health services delivered in institutional and community settings, including mental health and other community-based programs. The program is organized into four teams, each of which has responsibility for supporting an identified group of health authorities organized by geography. The program collaborates with regional and community health authorities, external service providers, industry and other stakeholders in the development of policy, operating standards, best practice guidelines, accountability structures, monitoring and review, and evaluation in the health system.

Community Health consists of six divisions; public and preventive health services, forensic psychiatric services, adult mental health, Pharmacare, Aboriginal health and HIV/AIDS.

The Medical Services Plan (MSP) is a mandatory medical insurance plan for the residents of the province. It provides reimbursement for all medically required services of physicians and surgeons, and diagnostic facilities on a fee-for-service basis according to the schedule of fees approved by the Medical Services Commission. The plan also provides funding under alternative payment arrangements to physicians working on contract, salaried or sessional arrangements. In addition, the MSP provides incentives to physicians in rural areas and travel assistance to visiting specialists, pays for disability insurance and educational grants, subsidizes Medical Protective Association premiums, and provides a Contributory Retirement Savings Plan for physicians.

Corporate Programs provides the ministry's central financial and administrative management. Its primary function is to provide program areas with expertise and leadership in the areas of finance and management services, human resources, and information and privacy. Program staff also manage the operation of two core service-related programs: The British Columbia Ambulance Service and the Emergency Medical Assistants' Licensing Board. In addition, Corporate Programs represents the ministry in dealings with central agencies such as Treasury Board, the Public Service Employee Relations Commission, the Office of the Comptroller General, the Purchasing Commission and British Columbia Buildings Corporation.

Under the direction of the Chief Information Officer, the Information Management Group is responsible for province-wide information management strategies, policies, standards, and technology initiatives. This includes developing and implementing a strategic plan for information management; developing and ensuring compliance with information management policies and standards; maintaining technology support for the Medical Services Plan claims processing system, the Pharmacare system (PharmaNet) and the continuing care system; and managing major innovative strategic projects such as HealthNet/BC, re-engineering health registration, and addressing the Year 2000 problem for the health sector.

The Legislation and Cabinet Coordination Division is responsible for ensuring that the ministry's legislative requirements are met. This includes the development of new legislation, the amendment of existing legislation, and the preparation of regulations and orders-in-council. In addition, the division oversees the regulation of health professions and manages intergovernmental and interministerial relations on health issues.

In 1997, the Policy, Planning and Evaluation Division was separated into two separate divisions:

The Planning and Evaluation Division provides economic and planning analysis, and program and operational evaluations. Specific areas of responsibility include health human resources planning, health services planning and strategic planning. The division also provides leadership and technical assistance to the ministry and health authorities in the areas of planning, evaluation and utilization analysis.

The role of the Policy Development and Project Management Division is to facilitate and support the development, implementation, coordination and review of policy initiatives in consultation with other divisions and ministries, and relevant stakeholders. In addition, the division coordinates and manages cross-ministry issues for the ministry of Health including child health and health goals, and manages special projects such as the implementation of the Health Authority Appointment process.

The Communications Branch is responsible for overall planning, implementation and evaluation of the ministry's communications activities. Services provided by the branch include issues management, communications, project planning and management, media and public relations, advertising, and the development and execution of a wide range of health education and prevention initiatives.

The Office of the Provincial Health Officer is legislated by the Health Act to report independently to the Minister of Health, the ministry and the public on health issues in British Columbia. The functions of this office include advising on health issues; producing an annual report on the health of the population and speaking out on public health issues; reporting on progress towards the health goals for the government of B.C.; assisting the major divisions of the ministry with issues management and program and policy development; working with the B.C. Centre for Disease Control and the Medical Health Officers to fulfill the legislated health protection and disease control mandate; chairing the minister's Communicable Disease Policy Committee and being a member of the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Advisory Committee on Population Health.