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A partnership of Doctors of BC and the BC government
February, 2021
Sharing information, resources, and results from Shared Care GP/Specialist collaborative projects from across B.C. Please forward to others you think might be interested.
Committee Leadership Updates
Shared Care and Specialist Services align in
'Quality Impact' department
A recent reorganization within the Engagement of Quality Improvement (EQI) department at Doctors of BC has brought together team members from Specialist Services and Shared Care who primarily focus on quality improvement initiatives under one team led by Adrian Leung, whose title changes to Director, Quality Impact.
The reorganization of teams and staffing structures aim to better align the work to improve efficiencies and streamline the interface for physicians.
Margaret English has stepped into the role of Director, Joint Collaborative Committee (JCC) Alignment, to focus on the collaboration and strategic alignment of the JCCs.
The structure of the JCCs is unaffected, and implementation of JCC work plans will continue.
The committee thanked Margaret English for her commitment and impactful contribution to the Shared Care Committee, and wished her well in her new role.
Why Shared Care?
Dr Anthon Meyer joined both GPSC and the Shared Care Committee in June 2020 – a move that demonstrates his passion for quality improvement, and his willingness to "listen and learn" and contribute his perspective as a family physician.
Dr Meyer is a family doctor living and practicing in Fort St John.
We asked Dr Meyer three short questions about his thoughts so far as a member of Shared Care, including what he sees as opportunities for physicians to get involved.
"We have the ability to improve patient care in the province at a level that we would not be able to affect working separately."
Pharmacist, Charissa Tonneson and family physician, Dr Charles Helm
meet with a patient and family member for a medication review.
When you can reverse a diagnosis of dementia,
you know your work is having impact
Seniors in the Peace Region of Northern BC are seeing some life-changing benefits as a result of their participation in a Shared Care medication management project – and the team wants to spread the word.
Help shape the future of maternity care in BC
The Shared Care Committee is asking health care providers involved in maternity care to provide their input by completing a 2-4 minute survey on maternity care in BC.
Feedback will inform the strategic priorities of an emerging Maternity Community of Practice, resulting from the work of Shared Care’s Maternity Spread Network, which has grown to involve 25 communities/divisions since 2017.
The Community of Practice will aim to continue sharing resources and providing opportunities for all maternity providers to connect around key areas of maternity care in BC.
Spread Networks
Improving care for priority populations
A key focus of Shared Care’s work is spread of successful work.
The evolution of networks
Historically, many of Shared Care’s projects have been funded through the Partners in Care (PiC) and Transitions in Care (TiC) initiative – community projects which are co-led by family physicians and specialists to improve coordination of care among providers (PiC) and transitions between acute and community (TiC).
Divisions of Family Practice have most often been the main fund holders for SCC projects, with non-profits and other organizations also acting as fund holders when divisions are not involved.
As the number of projects increased through the PiC/TiC initiative, common themes started to emerge around projects aiming to improve care for specific populations and around issues that communities had identified and were keen to address locally.
Building on these common themes and successful past projects, and to accelerate health care improvements, Shared Care has developed spread networks to support communities to connect and learn from each other, and share strategies and resources.
To date, spread networks have been initiated for:
Collaborate on Health in BC is presented by the Joint Collaborative Committees (JCCs) – a partnership of Doctors of BC and the BC Government.
Collaborate on Health in BC - a new magazine featuring stories of physician-led innovation
This week, doctors will receive the inaugural print issue of Collaborate on Health in BC magazine with their Jan/Feb issue of the BC Medical Journal.
The new magazine shares stories from 2020 demonstrating the innovative ways doctors are working with health care partners to deliver the best care to patients across BC – all while navigating unusual and challenging times during a global health pandemic.
For nearly 20 years, doctors have been leading and advocating to improve BC’s health care system through the four JCCs: Joint Standing Committee on Rural Issues, General Practice Services Committee, Shared Care Committee, and Specialist Services.
Featured stories include:
- COVID-19 and mental health: Advocating for children and youth
- Patient care toolbox expands with virtual care
- Hospital at Home: Physicians lead the way to bring the program to others
Podcast: Putting Indigenous cultural safety into practice
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with family physician Dr Terri Aldred,
and Indigenous Cultural Safety Coordinator & Consultant, Len Pierre
Shared Care was fortunate to welcome Len Pierre to discuss Indigenous cultural safety and humility at a Physician and Project Leads Workshop last fall, prompting a follow-up visit to a recent SCC meeting. The sessions elicited many questions and requests for resources, and helped to further solidify Shared Care's commitment to address racism, and to formally integrate cultural safety and humility into all aspects of the work.
Then Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond's review of BC's health care system was released. The findings were clear: Indigenous people are continually subjected to widespread, systemic racism resulting in negative experiences at the point of care, inequitable medical treatment, physical harm, and even death.
To continue discussion on this important topic, Doctors of BC invited Indigenous family physician Dr Terri Aldred, and Len Pierre to participate in a DocTalks podcast to further explore cultural safety and humility, and to hear their thoughts on steps doctors and health care workers can take on the journey to address racism, both individually and system-wide.
Available for download on all podcast platforms or listen online.
Resources
New vaccine resource page
Given the importance of the COVID-19 vaccine roll out, Doctors of BC has developed a vaccine information hub on its COVID-19 Resource page linking to the following:
- a regularly updated FAQs for doctors – including responses to recurring questions about giving and receiving the vaccine
- an FAQs for patients for doctors to provide to their patients if they have questions
- a vaccine rollout toolkit for doctors' offices/clinics with information for signage, a voice message script, web copy, and a link to the regularly updated FAQs for patients.
- a Latest News page provides latest information being shared from our government and Provincial Health Officer.
If you have outstanding questions or feedback, please send them to covid19@doctorsofbc.ca
UPCOMING WEBINARS
COVID-19 update: Everything you need to know about vaccines
Webinar: Wednesday, February 10 | 18:30 – 20:00 PST
Doctors and health care providers are invited to an accredited session where a panel of highly experienced public health experts will answer questions about the COVID-19 vaccine rollout in BC. Participants are encouraged to submit their questions early. Register for a free webinar.
Related Resource::
Doctors of BC has released a new policy statement on Healthy Aging and Preventing Frailty with recommendations and commitments to address frailty to support BC doctors working in this specialty.
Frailty management in primary care: the CARES model
Webinar: Tuesday, February 16 | 18:00 – 19:00 PST
The CARES Model, led by Dr Grace Park, is a comprehensive assessment tool that aims to provide Community Actions and Resources Empowering Seniors.
Participants in the webinar, hosted by Shared Care’s Coordinating Complex Care initiative, will learn how to use the CARES tool at the primary care level to identify those most at risk of frailty, and how resources and coaching are helping patients stay well and independent in their communities. Register for a free webinar.
RECORDED WEBINARS
With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the need to support young people and their families is more important than ever. Shared Care's Child and Youth Mental Health and Substance Use (CYMHSU) Community of Practice have stepped up their activities and advocacy efforts, including bringing experts together for a webinar series on ACEs and associated topics for physicians and health care providers. The sessions have been recorded and are available to download and view at your convenience. See links below.
Providers who implement Touchpoints in their practice partner with families to lay the vital foundation for children’s early learning and healthy development.
1) Touchpoints overview: The How of Child and Family Engagement
2) Touchpoints resources: Provider Library
3) Touchpoints training: Individual Level Training Information
Shared Care meeting summaries
For short summaries of the Shared Care Committee's monthly meetings, visit our website here
About Shared Care
The Shared Care Committee is one of four joint collaborative committees funded in partnership by Doctors of BC and the BC government.
Sharing your knowledge is important - if you have stories to tell, information to share or feedback to give, please send us an email to: ldespins@doctorsofbc.ca
