March 2026

The monthly E-News shares provincial program information and updates about the Facility Engagement program. This information will interest Medical Staff Association (MSA) support teams, but please feel free to forward the newsletter to your MSA executives as well. 

New MSA Administrator Process - Contractor Invoicing  

As we look forward to the start of the 2026-2027 fiscal year on April 1, we want to remind you that many MSA administrator contracts will reach their expiration on March 31, 2026. To ensure a smooth, efficient contract renewal process, we are introducing a best-practices resource designed specifically for our contractors and executives. This initiative is part of the ongoing commitment at Doctors of BC to enhance transparency and accountability in contractor deliverables and payments.

In the coming days, your dedicated Engagement Partners will reach out to discuss the contract renewal process and share updated contractor resources, including the new timesheet template required for all MSA administrator claims in FEMS. We have also added a new clause to all contract templates to support this requirement. Please see the clause noted below. If you already use a time-sheet template that provides the information noted on the FE template, please feel free to continue to use the template. Additionally, the linked template is provided as an editable form, so please feel free to adjust or add fields as needed.

The Contractor shall comply with all instructions contained within the Contractor Best Practices document and use the prescribed Contractor Time Sheet template (or equivalent) for submission of Services.

Thank you for your continued collaboration!

If you have any questions, please contact engagement@doctorsofbc.ca.

REMINDER: Financial Year-End Dates and Deadlines

**Important Dates and Actions for Fiscal Year Reporting**  

**ACTION: March 31, 2026**  
Mark your calendars! Tuesday, March 31, at 4 pm, is the final opportunity for MSAs to request a funding gate for the 2025-26 fiscal year. 

**ACTION: April 30, 2026**  
As we move into the new fiscal year, please ensure that the following documents are submitted by Thursday, April 30:  

• Physician societies are required to provide their latest society filings to the BC registrar, along with their current directors' insurance.  
• All MSAs should submit any updates related to workplace harassment and bullying, privacy, and conflict of interest policies that took place during the 2025-26 fiscal year.  
• Additionally, claims for the previous fiscal year can be entered into FEMS between April 1st and April 30th. Kindly ensure all claims and expenses with activity dates tied to the 2025-26 budget are entered before midnight on April 30.  

**ACTION: May 1, 2026**  
Please note that engagement activities from the previous fiscal year will conclude, and eligible claims from the 2025-26 fiscal year will contribute to the new 2026-27 fiscal year budget.  

**ACTION: June 1, 2026**  
Don’t forget! The deadline for physician societies to submit their year-end financial statements for the 2025-26 fiscal year is Monday, June 1. For gated funding requests to be processed, timely submissions are essential.  

Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to engagement@doctorsofbc.ca. 

FE Evaluation Survey Launch – February 25th  

On Wednesday, February 25, Facility Engagement launched an evaluation survey for medical staff and health authority partners as part of the provincial evaluation of the FE Initiative. The following groups were sent a personalized survey invitation from the external evaluation consulting firm, Social Research and Demonstration Corporation (SRDC):

• All medical staff members registered in FEMS (including physicians, dentists, midwives, and nurse practitioners).

• Local and broader HA partners who are actively working with MSAs.

MSA administrators were also sent an email from the provincial office that they can forward to their membership, reminding MSA members of the survey link and the March 18 deadline. We encourage MSAs to actively promote this survey to their membership and networks to capture broader perspectives, including those who may be less active in MSA activities.

The public survey link available for you to share is available here or see below QR code.

More information on the FE Evaluation is available here, and survey FAQs are available here.

If you have any questions, please contact engagement@doctorsofbc.ca.

Who is the Specialist Services Committee (SSC) Facility Engagement Working Group (FEWG), and What is Their Role?

The SSC FEWG consists of one health authority and one Doctors of BC physician representative from each of the 6 health authority regions, as well as one Ministry of Health and one Doctors of BC physician co-chair.

The group meets 5-6 times a year and provides provincial oversight and governance for the FE initiative. It oversees the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding on Regional and Local Engagement (MOU), reviews MSAs' annual review submission packages, advises on funding guideline changes, develops the FE Evaluation Program, facilitates health authorities' involvement in implementing the MOU, and more.

To keep you informed about what is happening at the provincial level and to better support your work and strategic decision-making, SSC FEWG meeting summaries are available on the FE website. These summaries provide insight into how and what decisions are being made at the provincial level for the Facility Engagement Initiative.

Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to engagement@doctorsofbc.ca. 

Save the Date: Facility Engagement Virtual Year-End Showcase

Wednesday, June 10, 2026, 6-8 PM

This year-end virtual showcase will provide an opportunity to share MSA successes from across the province, including those highlighted in annual review submissions. The evening will include engagement and connection, lightning talk presentations, recognition, and appreciation. 

MSA executives, MSA administrators, and their HA partners are encouraged to host their own in-person viewings and join us virtually to celebrate another year of Facility Engagement! 

More information to come!

Register here

If you have any questions, please contact engagement@doctorsofbc.ca.

Spring ISAR and Cultural Safety Learning Sessions

Speaking with Care: Culturally Safe Language in Medicine

Thursday, March 12, 2026 6:30-8:00 PM

This free, accredited webinar invites physicians to reflect on how cultural safety and anti-Indigenous racism intersect with clinical practice. Doctors of BC’s Indigenous Specific Anti-Racism (ISAR) and Cultural Safety Team, with JCC support, and UBC CPD developed the webinar series.

Register (login required)

ISAR & Cultural Safety | Spring Learning Sessions

The JCCs, a partnership between Doctors of BC and the BC government, are hosting Spring Community-Based Experiential Learning sessions in collaboration with Len Pierre Consulting. 

These sessions provide Cultural Safety & Humility teachings through immersive learning and provide opportunities for ongoing relationship-building with Indigenous communities. 

Sessional time, dinner, and mileage exceeding 50 km one-way are provided. We welcome registrations from interprofessional team members (ITMs) who comprise team-based care, and we offer a stipend to ITMs who are not salaried. Space is limited to 60 people.

Register and find more info via the links below:

Wednesday, April 15, 2026, 5-9 pm: Whistler

Wednesday, April 29, 2026, 5-9 pm: Westbank/Kelowna

Wednesday, May 13, 2026, 5-9 pm: Tsawwassen

Wednesday, June 3, 2026, 5-9 pm:  Burnaby

Wednesday, June 10, 2026, 5-9 pm: Quesnel

For further questions, please email the JCCs at jcc@doctorsofbc.ca.

Knowledge Sharing Updates

We hope your excitement is building for the June 10, 2026, Facility Engagement Year-End Showcase.

As we prepare, we invite you to reflect on the powerful work shared during a similar event, the 2023 IH FE Showcase. The innovation, collaboration and system-level thinking shared there continues to shape our collective practice today.

Showcase presentations and the Interior Showcase Summary might help spark reflection, reconnect with ideas that inspired us then and begin imagining what’s possible for June 10!

If you have any questions, please contact engagement@doctorsofbc.ca.

FEMS Tip of the Month

This month, we are excited to focus on best practices for a successful fiscal year-end!

1. As we embark on March, it’s a great time to collaborate with your MSA executives in planning budgets and activities for the upcoming 2026-27 fiscal year. For a thorough overview of the process, I highly recommend watching our recent Budget Workshop recording and utilizing the accompanying budget template.
2. Begin entering your approved 2026-27 activities into FEMS, but kindly hold off on adding any budgets until after April 1, 2026. Take a moment to review the 2025-26 activities in FEMS: identify which have been completed and can be closed, and assess which may require additional budget allocations to cover claims in March and April. Remember, it’s important to add budgets for these activities within March—adding budget after April 1, 2026 could lead to an imbalanced budget for the next fiscal year.
3. To ensure that we conclude this fiscal year smoothly, please encourage your MSA members to submit as many claims as possible into FEMS before March 31, 2026. 
4. April marks the accrual period, where claims for both the previous and new fiscal years can be entered into FEMS. It’s crucial during this time to ensure that the activity date on each claim is accurately aligned with the appropriate activity and fiscal year. For any claims related to the 2025-26 fiscal year, which ends on March 31, 2026, please ensure the activity date is March 31, 2026 or earlier. Conversely, for claims to be attributed to the new fiscal year starting on April 1, kindly enter April 1, 2026 or later dates.

If you have any questions or need further clarification, please don’t hesitate to reach out to femssupport@doctorsofbc.ca.

PM Helpdesk Lunch and Learn Library

We’re excited that the FE provincial office and PM Helpdesk Consultant Erica Kjekstad have developed a comprehensive library document featuring all MSA Lunch and Learn sessions from 2022 through 2026. The links are on the e-News and Lunch and Learns tab on the FE website.

The March session is scheduled for Tuesday, March 10, 12-1 pm. You should have the calendar invite in your inboxes now!

Should you have any inquiries, please don’t hesitate to contact engagement@doctorsofbc.ca.

In Case You Missed It - February

In case you might have missed it, the Facility Engagement provincial office released the following information to MSAs in February 2026:

• Facility Engagement - Evaluation & Quick Wins Workshops
• Enkel Fee Charges in FEMS
• FEMS Updates for 2026-27

Should you have any questions, reach out to engagement@doctorsofbc.ca.