Re: "Statistics don't tell B.C.'s real health story," Feb. 3.

Carol Pickup writes that the Canadian Institute for Health information has issued a report suggesting B.C. health authorities have been saving B.C. money. To clarify, CIHI has not written a specific report on this subject, but we routinely publish a variety of statistics which allow for comparisons between provinces and within provinces.

This information, as well as data and analysis on other aspects of health care, is available on our website at www.cihi.ca.

CIHI is an independent, not-for-profit corporation funded by the federal, provincial and territorial governments with a mandate to provide accurate, unbiased information on health care and the health of Canadians.

We're governed by a 16-member board of directors, the majority of whom are non-government representatives. Together, our board represents numerous health sectors and all regions of Canada.

Their strategic guidance steers the work we do.

Anne E. Cochrane

Canadian Institute for Health Information Ottawa