Primary Care Network Update

The service plan for the Oceanside PCN was submitted on June 25 to Ministry of Health. The Division and Island Health then went through a process of questions and fleshing out the plans so all stakeholders better understood the future focus of the service plan. This occurred in July. Since then Ministry of Health has been quiet on next steps. I reached out to Julia McFarlane (M of H representative) recently to find out what to expect. Here are the steps that Julia outlined:

“Ministry of Health is working Oceanside’s approval through the first round of approvals. At this point I would tentatively predict a meeting at the end of September. Once we’re a little more certain we can discuss booking a time/place.
In these community meetings generally present are:
• Division ED
• Physician Lead
• HA Lead
• FN partner (sometimes FNHA)
• GPSC liaison

The meetings generally are face to face. We are still working out the details for this round, including the possibility of us being able to come to you.”
We have yet to schedule the above said meetings. If progress occurs, I will update membership through this newsletter. If you have any questions or concerns do not hesitate to contact me.
eclark@divisionsbc.ca
250-703-6159.

Port Alberni Outreach and Progress

The focus of the newly named Central Island Division of Family Practice in incorporating Port Alberni into the membership of the Division was in developing and solidifying relationships between Division staff and Board and Port Alberni members. To that end there were:

• Staff and member lunches with small groups of doctors and NPs in Port Alberni
• Visits from staff to reach out to MOAs and doctors in clinic in Port Alberni
• Outreach from the Board in having a “getting to know you” dinner in Port Alberni
• Invitations to MOAs to join the active MOA network
• Invitation to palliative care providers to join the active Palliative Care Network
• Clarity meetings between staff, Division leadership, Docs of BC and Residential Care providers to do with the Port Alberni Residential Care Initiative.
• Meetings with Nuu chah nulth Tribal Counsel to better understand the 6 families that populate the Alberni Valley and west coast and their involvement with the Primary Care Network
• Meetings with Island Health staff to discuss upcoming potential Primary Care Network in Port Alberni

Relationship building is imperative to strengthening our newly expanded Division and finding ways that we can work together to allow all of the physicians and NPs to have more efficient, effective practices and to have better work/life balance. Staff and Board will continue to reach out and find common ground. Thanks to everyone who has made themselves available to us. Thanks in advance for those we have yet to meet. We look forward to meeting with you again, and building a stronger network.

If you have any questions or concerns do not hesitate to contact me.
eclark@divisionsbc.ca
250-703-6159.

Oceanside Residential Care Initiative

The Central Island Oceanside Residential Care Initiative met recently to discuss upcoming Quality Improvement Projects in Oceanside.  If you are a member of the RCI and have an idea for a QI project that you think could really make a difference to patients in residential care, please watch out for the Expression of Interest, which will be distributed later this month!  The Residential Care Initiative is always looking for new members - we meet quarterly in a collegial setting for dinner, information, and ideas - join us in December if you want to take part!

Qualicum Medical Centre Changes

We can confirm that Dr. Haslett and Dr. Bartlett's replacement at the Qualicum Medical Centre, Dr. H. Putter, will be closing his practice in November.  Patients are being advised to contact the Ginger Goodwin Medical Clinic in Courtenay if they are willing to travel to see their family physician.

Ginger Goodwin Medical Clinic
Address: Unit 19, 1599 Cliffe Avenue, Courtenay
Phone: 250-871-3626 | Fax: 778-647-2003
NOTE: Will be relocating to Cumberland early 2020

Patient Medical Home Update

In September Dr. Biglow hired another Nurse in Practice. He has begun training with current NiP at the clinic. They will be offering support to other interested clinics in the Oceanside area. An engagement session will be held later this Fall to talk about the opportunity. The NiP is very excited about this opportunity to work in primary care and help the beginning of the work of the PCN by offering services to other GPs in the area.

Serious Illness conversation CME held in September in Oceanside. Successful evening and the launch of the Palliative Network meetings to begin November 6th.
MOA Network meetings began October 10 in Oceanside and will be offered in Port Alberni mid November.
First Nations outreach in Port Alberni with Jeannette Watts, Nursing Manager at Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council and the Health Directors from the 6 Nations that we will be working with in the upcoming PCN application.  They were very engaged and excited to be part of the process this early on. Gave lots of ideas already about care needs and gaps in their communities.
The staff at the Division also attended, along with members from Island Health and the Ministry of Health, a dissemination meeting by PhD student working with NTC on engaging patient voices and looking at individual stories of how First Nation community members interact with primary care providers and their experiences at the hospital. This was a very engaging event.

Consent to Care Facility Admission: New Requirements as of Nov. 4

On November 4, 2019, Part 3 of the Health Care (Consent) and Care Facility (Admission) Act will become law.  This may affect healthcare providers, as if an adult patient in a long term care facility  appears to be incapable of giving consent to remain in the facility, they must be assessed by one of the following:

• medical practitioner
• registered nurse
• nurse practitioner
• registered psychiatric nurse
• social worker
• occupational therapist
• psychologist

If you, as a healthcare professional are asked to provide an assessment, you may use this form:
Incapability Assessment Form

For more information, please click here.

Practice Improvement Series – Making Quality Improvement (QI) Work for You Small Group Learning Session Series with Dr. Hector Baillie

The Quality Improvement (QI) SGLS series focuses on practical quality improvement concepts and tools that can be taken back to your practice and utilized with the office team. The content highlights the importance of a quality improvement approach for successful and sustainable practice improvement.

Please click here for more information and to Register.

CME on the Run! 2019-2020 | VGH & Various Videoconference Sites

The CME on the Run sessions are held at the Paetzold Lecture Theatre, Vancouver General Hospital and there are opportunities to participate via videoconference from various hospital sites. Each program runs on Friday afternoons from 1 – 5 pm and includes great speakers and learning materials.

CME on the Run! 2019 – 2020
Oct 2019 – Jun 2020 (Fridays 1300-1700) | Vancouver General Hospital + 13 videoconference sites
Target audience: family physicians, nurse practitioners, residents & students
Up to 21.0 Mainpro+ credits (3.5 credits per session)

1.    Nov 22, 2019 – Allergy & Dermatology
2.    Jan 31, 2020 – Psychiatry
3.    Apr 3, 2020 – Infectious Disease & Travel
4.    May 1, 2020 – Prenatal, Pediatric & Adolescent
5.    Jun 5, 2020 - Internal Medicine
*Session topics are subject to change*

To Register please click here.
To view brochure please click here.

Dementia Management in Family Practice Small Group Learning Session

Please click here for an invitation to a small group learning session on Dementia for doctors in the Oceanside area for October 30th.

Thank you

Suzanne Beyrodt-Blyt, Coordinator Practice Support Program
250-802-7791
Suzanne.beyrodtblyt@viha.ca

EMR Connect Web Application

Hello,

Recently you received communication from Bindy Bains, the Director of Health Information Management, Island Health and the Co-Leads, Victoria & South Island Division of Family Practice, Transitions in Care Committee introducing the EMR Connect Web application to the primary care provider community.

I am supporting the EMR Connect Project at Island Health and I am hoping to take a moment of your time to connect regarding this initiative.
 
We are looking to support our shared patient population to connect the continuity of care between you and our Island Health facilities.

The EMR Connect Web Portal allows primary care providers to upload documentation through a web portal into Island Health’s Electronic Health Record (PowerChart). It will allow you to share information about your patients with hospital-based clinicians. For instance, you could send in a summary of your patient's longitudinal health record so that the physicians providing inpatient care have the most up-to-date, pertinent information for treatment and discharge planning. You can even send in summaries proactively for patients that you feel may be at risk for hospitalization in the near future, or to provide a patient's history if you need to refer someone to the Emergency Department.

Features include:

Easy to set up and use with no cost to you.
Retains document quality and provides status of document (which can get lost via fax).
Fast, flexible and secure upload into the patient chart (document can be uploaded at any time, anywhere).
Documents are uploaded right into PowerChart where they become immediately available to others who have access to the patient record.
We have been collaborating on supporting physicians to send in patient summaries with the South Island and Victoria Divisions. Many primary care providers and MOA’s have been using EMR Connect with great success. Patient Summary Templates will be available in Division of Family Practice Website.

Please click here for the EMR Connect Tri-Fold brochure about our initiative as well as provider testimonials.
There is some learning involved in using the web portal. It is easy to install and I can show you and/or your MOA how to use it in less than 30 minutes. Please let me know a convenient time for us to meet, along with your Office Manager and MOA’s. Or, if you would like more information or have questions, you can contact me by telephone at (250)713-9951 ext 52819 or by email at: jungmi.park@viha.ca
I look forward to hearing from you and thank you very much for your time,

Miya Park
Clinical Informatics Specialist

ECElla Study

My name is Michelle Chan, and I am currently conducting a study to examine provincial access and barriers surrounding the current prescription-only emergency contraception, Ella.

Please click here for participation information.

What’s involved: A one hour interview by telephone or a videoconferencing platform at your convenience.
Honorarium: Eligible participants selected for an interview will receive a $50 Amazon gift card for their time.
Eligibility: 

• Prescriber or Pharmacist
• Caring for reproductive-age people who are at risk of getting pregnant, 18-45 years old
• Practicing in British Columbia
• Working in a community pharmacy
• English-speaking

Michelle C. Chan BSc. MD, FRCSC
Advanced Training in Family Planning Fellow
Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology
University of British Columbia
michelle.chan1@cw.bc.ca

Data Tools Webinar Series

The Health Data Coalition October 23, 2019 at 8am

Please click here for PDF invitation.
Doctors and divisions are invited to participate in GPSC’s series about data tools that can sup- port physicians in their practices, and the development of patient medical homes and primary care networks.

This webinar features the Health Data Coalition (HDC), a physician-led organization, funded by GPSC, that supports and enables data analysis and sharing for primary care physicians to engage in individual reflective practice and quality improvement as well as collaborative quality improve- ment with trusted colleagues.

Currently in use by primary care physicians across BC, the HDC Discover software provides secure access to aggregated clinical data while maintaining both patient and physician confiden- tiality. The software can assist physicians in assessing their own practice in areas such as chronic disease management or medication prescribing. The 90-minute webinar will demonstrate how the HDC Discover software can help physicians:

Better understand their patient population and patterns of practice.
Explore data-informed learning based on physician interests in a safe, secure environment that maintains confidentiality.
Share and track progress with colleagues.
Inform valuable discussions with a practice coaching team in partnership with the Practice Support Program (PSP), as well as the peer mentoring program.
Implement practice improvements and provide data-informed care to patients.
Track improvements in patient care over time with HDC’s automatic data transfer and report- ing features.
Use collective HDC data to support PMH/PCN planning and decision-making.
For more info/questions, contact evaluations@doctorsofbc.ca.

Island Health Authority Document Display Name Changes in EMRs

The following has been sent on behalf of Dr. Mary Lyn Fyfe, Chief Medical Information Officer (CMIO).
Date: October 7, 2019
Re:Improving Island Health Clinical Document Display Names in Electronic Medical Records (EMRs)

As you know, providers have been receiving Island Health documents in private office EMRs with generic display names, making it difficult to quickly ascertain the document’s focus requiring documents to be opened, often renamed, and filed. An additional challenge is that many EMRs cannot display names beyond a set number of characters.

Working with providers, provincial colleagues, vendors and the Ministry of Health, we are hoping to improve this workflow through standardizing the display names of documents received in provincial EMRs.

Island Health documents will now display with more detailed names, indicating the focus of the document. However, given that many EMRs are limited to a set number of characters, you will notice that these specialty specific names are shortened in your EMR (e.g. Emerg Consult, Endocrin Note).

You may notice some differences between the nomenclature used in PowerChart and that used in your EMR. (e.g. Island Health authored Respirology documents will be received as Pulmonary documents and Island Health’s Operative Report will be received as Surgical Operation Note.

At this time, document names will not be changing in Island Health’s PowerChart.

This change will occur in a phased approach starting Tuesday, October 8th, with an anticipated completion date of October 30th, 2019.

Please contact your EMR vendor, if you notice a display issue.

For 24/7 PowerChart assistance, please call the Clinical Solutions Desk at local 18777 or toll-free at:1.877.563.3152, Option 3.

Nanaimo Orthopaedics New Referral Form

The orthopaedic redesign process in Nanaimo is now ready to move forward with the central referral intake on 3 September, 2019.
This is the culmination of 2 years of hard work, multiple meetings, amalgamation of our EMR's and setting up the workflow of the central referral clinic. The transition was supported by the Doctors of BC surgical specialist committee, who made a significant financial investment in the new process.
We therefore ask that you support this new process, as it is the only way that we can shorten wait times for consultations and surgery.
New referral form:
The new referral form is necessary to capture all patient related data, medical/surgical history
and medications in the electronic medical records. This information, should the patient come to
surgery, will be directly entered into Island Health's medical records
The more accurately this form is filled out, the better we can triage the patient for appropriate care and urgency. We acknowledge that it will take some time to get used to filling out the form. There have been a few of your colleagues who have been trialing the form over the last 6 months, expressing their satisfaction with the process.
Effective September 3, we respectfully ask that you use our new referral form for all of your patient referrals and Fax to us at our new central Fax intake line at: (250) 591-2641
The new referral form is in the process of being made available on your electronic medical records. It is also available on Pathways  as a fillable PDF, and on our website where it can be completed online, printed and faxed.

Nonsurgical flow:
We are employing non surgical physicians with special interest in orthopaedic assessment and treatment. These doctors will work under our direct supervision and will undergo special
training in orthopaedic assessment and treatment. These doctors have also expressed interest
to proceed with further studies in sports medicine.
We are also in negotiation with a sports medicine physician to join our group.

Surgical flow:
You will still have the ability to select the surgeon of your choice, but there will also be an option for "1st available physician". If you or your patient do not have a specific preference for a
specific surgeon, this is the option to check. It is not an urgency selection, but will get your patient to the first available surgeon who has openings for consultations.

What about the backlog for consultations?
These patients will be cared for through a combination of consultations with the nonsurgical doctors, as well as the orthopaedic surgeons, who will work through the current wait list.
Initially, we will have to deal with the current wait lists of each individual orthopaedic surgeon.
There will be a transition time of approximately a year, cleaning up the current wait list, while implementing and utilizing the new pooled referral system.
Over the last couple of years, there was an incentive and a mandate from the Ministry of Health to bring down the wait times for hip and knee arthroplasties. We have worked through most of our arthroplasty lists. Therefore the wait times for total joint replacements for some of our surgeons are now less than 3 months. With our new central intake program, combined with improved information sharing, we will be able to triage urgent surgical cases more effectively.
Thank you in advance, for working with us, to improve patient care and access to care with this new
initiative.

Dr Cobus Smith
Project lead
Nanaimo Orthopaedic Redesign Steering Committee

CRPS Physician Workshop

Please click here for more information. The CRPS Hope & Awareness Foundation is presenting a Physician Workshop on Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). This will take place on Saturday October 19, 2019 from 9:00 am-2:30 pm at Pacific Shores in Nanoose Bay. This workshop is open to all physicians on Vancouver Island and is free to attend. Physicians who do attend will be given a certificate and will receive 4 hours of MainPro+ credits. A light breakfast and buffet lunch will be provided.

This workshop will feature Dr. Alan Berkman, Dr. Aaron Rizzardo, Susan Schellinck (OT),and Ceri Jakobsen (PT), who each have a significant interest and years of experience working with patients diagnosed with CRPS. At the end of the day participants will be able to:

Recognize the signs and symptoms that are typically present in acute cases of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
Make more accurate diagnosis and timely referrals for newly developed cases of CRPS
Gain more in depth understanding of the differences between acute and chronic cases of CRPS
Understand the basic underlying mechanisms that are at play in cases of CRPS
Gain better understanding of the available treatment and symptom management options currently available in Canada
Greater understanding of the mental health effects of the disease
Learn a  more empathetic approach to supporting patients with CRPS
Effectively manage cases involving CRPS patients
To register physicians must email crpshopeandawareness@gmail.com.  Space is limited as the workshop only has room for 50 participants. Early registration is encouraged!

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Jennifer Morley
Vice-President | Treasurer
CRPS Hope & Awareness Foundation
crpshopeandawareness@gmail.com
www.crpshopeandawareness.com

Oceanside Hospice Society

The Oceanside Hospice Society serves individuals and families experiencing end-of-life, care-giving and bereavement in the area stretching from Deep Bay to Nanoose, and west to Errington and Whiskey Creek

OHS currently delivers the following services to the community:

• Medical Equipment Loan Program
• One to One Client Support Services
• One to One Grief Support
• Grief Support Groups
• Grief Walking Groups
• Self Care Fridays
• Caregiver Respite and Companioning
• Palliative Vigil Team
• Lending Library
• Community Networking , Education and Training
• Advance Care Planning Guidance

We strive to provide links in the continuum of care by supporting care giving at home, in hospital or the palliative care unit at Trillium and at community care facilities.
Please contact us at 250.752.6227 or visit www.oceansidehospice.com for further information.

Divisions in the News

See what is going on in other divisions around BC:

https://www.divisionsbc.ca/provincial/news-and-events/in-the-news