No Images? Click here Thompson Focus May 1, 2017Question of the Quarter: We want to hear from you!Seniors Health and Wellness Centre is now open and accepting referrals!The Seniors Health and Wellness Centre is now offering a new service to our community to help both the patient and the provider optimize the health of patients with moderate to significant medical complexities and frailty. They also provide support to their family and care team. Why would you refer your patients here? If you have a patient that meets the centre's criteria, the patient would receive a comprehensive assessment, possible short term treatment, and interventions with support from the Geriatrician and team of clinicians. More information including the referral form are available on pathwaysbc.ca. SHWC Open House: Drop in anytime on May 19 between 4:30-6:30 PM to meet the team, see the Centre, and enjoy snacks and refreshments. The clinic is now open at 61-700 Tranquille Rd. in Northills Centre! RIHPA Successes: New Specialists RecruitedYour hospital colleagues have formed the Royal Inland Hospital Physician Association (RIHPA) as part of the Doctors of BC Physician Engagement strategy to improve healthcare delivery through collaboration and to address critical issues with in RIH. RIHPA has already had several significant successes, including the general agreement with Interior Health to build tertiary medical services with the recruitment of specialists to subspecialty programs at RIH. With this model of recruitment, we're pleased to announce that several internists and cardiologists will be arriving. Dr. Gurbir Sekhon has joined the community in General Internal Medicine, and Drs. Remy Wong, Lisa Nguyen, and Megan Fong are expected over the next few months. Dr. Shawn Pun is the most recent member of the Cardiology team, and will be joined by Drs. Murgur Nicolae and Karen Chu later this summer. Several of you met Dr. Pun at the successful Beer With Cardiology event on April 19. We hope we can continue to connect with and provide a warm welcome for our specialist colleagues! Our Impact: Bladder Scanner prevents trip to ERAs part of our GPSC Residential Care Initiative here in the Thompson Region, Residential care facilities were able to purchase bladder scanners, an area the team identified last year which would support care at the homes. Approximately one week after receiving the first bladder scanner, Berwick on the Park had a resident who presented with non-specific abdominal pain. This resident had significant cognitive challenges and was not able articulate the type of pain being experienced. After assessing, there was no obvious cause of the pain. They did not immediately suspect a urinary concern because the resident had been voiding routinely. Since their new bladder scanner was available and is a non-invasive tool, they proceeded with a bladder scan. The results showed 999+ mL (the maximum capacity of the scanner to measure volume). An indwelling catheter was inserted per the physician’s order and a total of 2.4L of urine was drained within the first hour. Following this, the resident’s abdominal pain settled and the resident was much more settled and comfortable. The bladder scanner prevented a trip to the emergency room for this resident. The nursing staff and residents of Berwick on the Park wish to extend their appreciation for this valuable piece of equipment. April Engagement Event HighlightsBeer with Cardiology On April 19, 24 family practitioners, ER docs, and specialists gathered at the Noble Pig Brewhouse to chat about cardiology services while enjoying local food and beverages. Thanks to your input, we heard comments and suggestions about diagnostics, inpatient care, outpatient care, and VIP and Heart Function clinics. A special thanks to Drs. Kobus Steyn, Steve Chow, and Shawn Pun for organizing and leading the discussions. Primary Care Obstetrics With the leadership of Dr. Grant Del Begio, the Division hosted a member engagement event to discuss the current state of primary care obstetric patient coverage. The evening brought together 22 providers, including family physicians practising obstetrics, obstetricians, midwives, and IH managers. Great discussion occurred, along with some tangible next steps. The Division will be pursuing and Expression of Interest for funding to explore this work further. Click here to read the full engagement report. Nurse in Practice and Population Based Funding Last week on April 26, the Division hosted representatives from the Ministry of Health, Interior Health, and GPSC to discuss two areas of interest: Population Based Funding (PBF) and Nurse in Practice (NiP). At the first session, attendees heard an overview of PBF including the pros, the cons, and how a physician practice or network could show interest and take steps to get started under this funding model. During the Nurse in Practice portion of the evening, differing funding models were discussed to support having a nurse in practice, and updates were shared on the Ministry’s NiP contract. These include a real emphasis on access to Family Physicians as opposed to strictly attachment and highlighting a Quality Improvement approach to bring a nurse into practice under this model. For those physicians who have shared input (a lot of input!) along the process, much of your feedback has been incorporated into the latest updates. Physicians in Kelowna and Williams Lake will be moving ahead with this contract as their foundation. If any member is interested in learning more about PBF or the Nurse in Practice contract and next steps please connect with Monique Walsh at mwalsh@divisionsbc.ca. New Faces at the Division Office!We are pleased to welcome Jennifer Baldes as our Office Administrator! Jennifer will be the big smile as you walk in the door, your contact for Bookkeeping and support for upcoming events. Jennifer Baldes has a 12 year history with not-for-profit service providers and a strong background in bookkeeping, organization and office administration. Jennifer enjoys time with her husband, son and rough collie, and renovating her home and property. We are also joined by Maren Luciani as a Project Lead. Maren has been a leader in the planning and development industry in both the United States and Canada for the past ten years. She is a multi-faceted professional and brings enthusiasm and innovative thinking to each project before her. Her experience and skills are focused on land use planning, community/stakeholder engagement, sustainable development, and policy development for local governments. Maren has participated on a number of Kamloops Council Committees as a planning advisor including the Seniors Advisory Committee and the Mayor’s Advisory Committee for People with Disabilities. As such, Maren received the Making Kamloops Shine Award from the City of Kamloops in 2014 for her efforts. Maren is also trained through the International Association of Public Participation and is an established public speaker with over 15 years of experience. Welcome Jennifer and Maren! Updates from your PSP TeamEMR Panel Management and EMR Functionality PSP and the Division would like to thank the physicians and their office staff who participated in the panel management pilot. Panel management involves supporting physicians to review and clean up their patient panel data as well as promoting standardized coding practices. PSP supports physicians in developing their knowledge and skill with the EMR by facilitating and coordinating training opportunities. If you would like more information about these services or interested in participating, please contact Jo Styles. Small Group Learning Sessions (SGLS) PSP is looking for physician champions who would be interested in delivering/facilitating the following Small Group Learning Sessions (SGLS):
Interested physicians will receive 2-3 hours of training via WebEx from PSP Central Office. Local PSP Coordinators will provide additional support. If you would like more information regarding these sessions or interested in participating, please contact Ron Gorospe. Are you looking for a locum?The Thompson Region Division of Family Practice attended the Rural and Remote Course in Calgary in April 2017. We were able to connect with a number of candidates who are interested in the Kamloops area. If you are going to be away and are interested in finding a locum, please post your opportunity to the https://www.divisionsbc.ca/thompson/work website, or give Christine Matuschewski a call at 250-372-1621. Our recruitment website has had a site refresh! Check out the new look and feel online now. Our Impact: Thompson Division doctors prioritize improvements to residential careFor Thompson Division of Family Practice doctors, improving residential care has three elements: streamlining communications with facilities, creating opportunities to enhance skills and increase the scope of diagnostics that can take place at care homes. “When GPSC funding created the opportunity to resource residential care improvements, there was strong support from our region’s doctors, who are committed to providing residential care as a core patient service,” says Dr. Phil Sigalet, a Kamloops family doctor who is also medical director at the residential care facility Pine Grove Care Centre. “In collaboration with facilities’ staff, we identified our priority opportunities for improvement.” Looking for Kamloops-based Medical Leadership!We have a unique opportunity to position medical leadership in Kamloops and influence change in our Health Authority. Two positions are open (and both can be done from the Thompson Region!) - Emergency Network Medical Director and Executive Medical Director. We encourage you to apply if you're interested! Have you signed up for Pathways yet? Pathways is a tool built for Family Physicians and their staff to access Specialist and specialty clinic services, contact information, wait times and various resources all by accessing this comprehensive web-based resource. Physicians can currently access over 1300 resources and 1600 referral forms across BC. PLEASE NOTE: we’ve changed our Pathways contact email. You can now contact your Division administrator at thompsonregion@pathwaysbc.ca or call 250-372-1621 Interior Health and Community Partner UpdatesBugs & DrugsThe Bugs & Drugs® resource is now available online for BC users. Bugs & Drugs® is the recommended reference for management of infectious diseases and appropriate antimicrobial use. It is peer-reviewed, evidence-based, and frequently updated. Bugs & Drugs® is supported by the Do Bugs Need Drugs?® program and is funded in BC by the BC Ministry of Health, Pharmaceutical Services Division. Mind, Exercise, Nutrition...Do it! (MEND)Health weights in children and youth remain a public health concern. Early intervention is the best solution - MEND is an evidence-based early intervention program in BC that you can recommend to your patients. Find out more online or read the letter to physicians. Updates from Interior Health
ResourcesUpcoming EventsRae Fawcett Breast Health Clinic - May 15, CSB RIH
Seniors Health and Wellness Centre Open House - May 17, SHWC 61-700 Tranquille Rd.
Upcoming CME and Webinar OpportunitiesThompson Region Division of Family Practice
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