Recruitment and Retention – Locum Coverage

Recently, it has become apparent that attracting a locum to cover practices who bill under the Fee-For-Service(FFS) model is becoming increasingly difficult.

Feedback we are receiving from potential locums is that the new Longitudinal Family Practice Payment Model (LFP) is much more attractive for them from a compensation standpoint and so they are declining the FFS positions.

BC Family Doctors, Doctors of BC, and the Ministry are meeting to review and discuss this feedback.

This may be another good reason to make the switch to LFP to attract much needed holiday coverage!

Update on Internal Medicine in the Comox Valley

Comox Internal Medicine Referrals

Due to unforeseen situations affecting our physician staffing, and our already excessively long waitlist, we have had to make the difficult decision to TEMPORARILY DECLINE ALL NEW INTERNAL MEDICINE REFERRALS.

We do not take this step lightly, but our wait times have become unacceptably long, and we do not want this to develop into a patient safety issue. We will continue to work through our backlog of urgent referrals as quickly as possible. We understand this may make it more difficult in the short term for you to access proper care for your patients.

Please consider directing your referrals to other internal medicine specialists or directly to a sub-specialist, if appropriate. We are hopeful that with additional recruitment to our community and some time for our group to stabilize, that we will be able to return to providing an optimal level of service to you and your patients. We will communicate with you again as soon as we are able to open referrals again. Please note that Dr. Jean Du Plessis, co-located at our clinic is still accepting referrals, but only for Respiratory issues.

If your patient’s situation is urgent, please call the internist on call at the hospital for outpatient telephone consults (M-F 8am-4pm) to discuss the situation and make a plan for the patient to be assessed more urgently. For urgent referrals originating from the Emergency Department, please call the daytime internist on call for ER consults to discuss the case. We will still be accepting referrals to the Chest Pain Clinic using the current process. On behalf of the Comox Valley Internal Medicine Specialists, thank you for your understanding.

Please click here for more information.

Divisions Dispatch

The latest news from the provincial team and complementary organizations.
Please click here for updates including:

• LFP Payment Model updates
• April 2023 FPSC meeting summary
• Doctors of BC’s awards month: May 31 nomination deadline
• May 30 Business Pathways webinar | “Adapting to starting practice” with MD Financial and MNP
• Webinar recording: "Fundamentals of employment law for doctors
• New Compass toolkit: Self-injurious behaviours in children and youth with autism and intellectual impairments
• New web portal provides easy access to division logos
• June 9/10 event | Canadian Collaborative Mental Health Care Conference
• June 6 webinar | Ask the expert: Early psychosis intervention
• May 25 webinar | Considerations for stimulant use disorder care
• BCCDC launches BC SPEAK population health survey

Reminder for June's event - “Providers Thriving Together” Wellness Conversation Series

The Thriving Project supports and enhances the wellness of rural healthcare practitioners, including doctors, residents, nurse practitioners and midwives, from across British Columbia by facilitating wellness experiences and fostering connections for learning, support, solace and inspiration.

Please click here for more information and to Register.

Expanded BC Family Doctors Billing Tools

As a BC Family Doctors member, you have access to the most up-to-date billing tools and resources for family physicians working in both the fee-for-service and the LFP Payment Models.

Please click here for more information.

Go WILDE with The CARE Course from May 30 to June 2

Are you a rural doctor, nurse or pre-hospital provider looking for a unique learning experience to deliver emergency care in remote outdoor settings?
Sign up now for The CARE Course Goes WILDE!
Email: Click here
Online registration: Click here

What is The CARE Course Goes WILDE?
You’ve likely participated in The CARE Course—an immersive, super-positive, inter-professional, team-oriented learning experience that enhances teams’ delivery of rural emergency care. The CARE Course Goes WILDE extends the original curriculum to remote outdoor settings. So, whether you're hiking in the back-country, paddling on a canoe trip, broken down on a mountain highway, or alone at an outpost, you’ll be equipped with the skills and knowledge you need in remote outdoor settings.

What you'll experience
Up to 24 inter-professional participants will camp and learn together for three fun-filled days on a property just outside of Pemberton. You’ll supply your own camping gear. And hearty, healthy food will be provided.

Date
Tuesday, May 30 (starting at 2 pm) until Friday, June 2 (ending after breakfast)

Cost
Physicians: $2000 (few spaces left)
Nurses/NPs: $600 (few spaces left)
Pre-hospital workers: $250 (one space left)

Accreditation
The CARE Course Goes WILDE is eligible for:
51 Mainpro+ credits for family physicians (3 credits per hour)
14 EMALB credits for pre-hospital providers
17 Quality Assurance and/or Professional Development credits for nurses and nurse practitioners

More information & registration
To register for The CARE Course Goes WILDE, click here.
For more information about the course, email info@theCAREcourse.ca

The CARE Course Goes WILDE is being offered as a pre-conference course of the BC Rural Health Conference (RHC) 2023. For more information about RHC 2023, check out the conference program: Online version and register here.

Opening of New UVB-Phototherapy clinic in Port Alberni

We are pleased to announce the opening of our new Narrow-Band Ultraviolet B (NB-UVB) Phototherapy clinic in Port Alberni, BC. The clinic is located at 3855 9th Avenue, Port Alberni, BC.

To start, our hours of operation will be Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 845-1245 pm. As our patient base expands, we will increase hours as needed.

We are accepting self-referrals, as well as referrals from physicians, nurse practitioners and allied health service providers for phototherapy.

We continue to provide narrowband UVB Phototherapy treatment at our Courtenay, Qualicum and Campbell River locations.

Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us: 

Skin First Phototherapy
Tel : 236-655-5661
Fax: 1-236-581-2510
Email: admin@skinfirstphototherapy.com

Please click here for information.

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

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://divisionsbc.ca/provincial/news-and-events