AGM Announcement and Call for Directors

AGM Announcement and Call for Directors

In accordance with the Constitution and Bylaws of the Central Island Division of Family Practice, notice is hereby given of the Society’s Annual General Meeting to be held at 5:30 pm on Wednesday, September 20, 2023.

Seeking Nominations

With the upcoming AGM, the Division is seeking nominations for the Board of Directors. Candidates with a record of leadership and experience in governance are ideal. 

There are two positions available on the Board of Directors in 2023.

All interested candidates should complete the Application for Directorship and submit to Jill at jskuse@cidivision.ca no later than 4 PM, August 25, 2023.

A link to the application is available by clicking here
Should a vote be required, our members will exercise their voting privilege by voting anonymously using an online tool. Details will be forwarded to members following the nomination period.

Payment policy for sessionals and reimbursements

Due to the inefficiency of distributing cheques and the potential risk for loss and destruction, Central Island Division of Family Practice will be switching to a "no cheque" policy starting December 31, 2023. All members and partners who claim sessionals and reimbursements will be paid by direct deposit starting on that date. The vast majority of people are already registered for direct deposit, and you are required to do nothing. But if you are one of those people who are still accepting cheques, please be aware that this practice will cease. If you would like to sign up for direct deposit, please contact Jill Skuse - Division Coordinator to assist you with this. She can be reached at jskuse@cidivision.ca or 250-937-9079. Thanks for your assistance in making this transition.

Evelyn Clark
250-703-6159

Qualicum Place

Over the last few weeks, a development proposal forwarded by Bruce Mclay (local land developer) was presented to the Division for their feedback. The development is slated for First Avenue in Qualicum and has yet to receive permits and/or rezoning from the Town of Qualicum Beach.
Mr. Mclay contacted the Division to tell us of his plans to build a large clinic attached to a multiple unit apartment building. They were looking for feedback from Division about clinic potential and design, as well as offering two lower cost two-bedroom units for the use of "new" family practitioners who want to work in Oceanside. I will say, I believe Mr. Mclay is sincere in his intent in assisting our medical system here in Oceanside.

To that end, Division pulled together a sub-committee (made up of board and family practitioner members) to meet with developers and offer practitioner feedback about the project. After a few meetings and frank discussion the sub-committee communicated this to the stakeholders. The Division sub-committee met again to further discuss the above topic and "what's next" on our part.

After some excellent discussion a few things were decided:

• It is clear that many people do not understand what Divisions can and cannot do, and we would like the chance to rectify that.
• Our Division is a member-driven organization that is in service to our family practitioners, specifically those in Central Island.
• Divisions are not in the position to endorse or help develop private enterprise clinical spaces, although individual physicians can act as advisors without representing Division.
• The Division CAN facilitate a task force to further look at the development and start the conversation about community consultation but cannot be the lead in that. It must be (in our opinion)  a grassroots consultation involving all key stakeholders. 

The sub-committee feels strongly that while we think this is a great opportunity, that there is an expectation being put on the Division that is far outside our mandate. What we CAN do as well, is to work hard to recruit GPs/NPs/allied health to a brand-new space. But that is pretty far into the future.

To that end, our Divison is hoping to pull together a core group to find a way forward that works for all stakeholders. We think that core group should consist of the Division sub-committee, development representatives, Town representatives and provincial representation. We look forward to exploring next steps in this project and clarifying Divison's role within it. If you have any questions or concerns do not hesitate to contact me about this.

Evelyn Clark
250-703-6159

Partnership Opportunity! Improving OAT in Primary Care with CATs

Community Action Teams
Partnership Opportunity! Improving OAT in Primary Care
Connect with your local prescribers to apply now

Learning about Opioid Use Disorder in Primary Care (LOUD in PC), is a one-year collaborative starting September 2023, designed for physicians, nurse practitioners and nurse prescribers of OAT, together with their clinical teams. Use this opportunity to partner with your local prescribers, engaging with your CAT to improve OAT access.

Get started by downloading the LOUD in PC one-pager and reach out to a potentially new or existing OAT prescriber in your community. CATs could support local primary care providers who participate in this collaborative by:

• Mapping community resources
• Relationship-building with local services (pharmacy, housing, OPS and more!)
• Outreach support for OAT education, appointments and medication delivery
• PWLLE team members and peer navigators

Funding is available for a limited number of teams. Participating in LOUD in PC can enhance your community's efforts to provide OUD care through access to mentorship, quality improvement expertise, and curated resources.

Click here - Apply by August 11 to participate.

If you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact me, Colin O'Neill at substanceuse@bcpsqc.ca. Health Quality BC is the new name for the BC Patient Safety & Quality Council.

MOA Opportunity

Panel management training for medical office staff: Applications open

FPSC is accepting applications for medical office staff to take the Panel Management for Family Practice program through the University of Fraser Valley. The program consists of seven modules with a final quality improvement project implemented in-practice. It offers practical, skills-based training designed to meet the competencies of a panel manager, including basics of the patient medical home and primary care network, empanelment, registry-based care, and proactive and preventative care.

• Next course: September 6 to December 13 (Wednesday evenings)
• Apply for the course (Deadline: Friday, August 11).
• Visit the FPSC website (click here) for more information about panel management.

Update: Transition Pharmacist in PCN Program

On behalf of the Ministry of Health(the Ministry), we are writing to you today to provide an update on the transition of the Pharmacists in Primary Care Network (PCN) Program.
Please click HERE for more information on Transition of Pharmacists in Primary Care Network Program

Don’t Use Alone! Program

Help Stop the Dying! – The Poisoned Drug Crisis continues to take victims in our communities. The person most likely to die from an overdose is a man, between 20 and 55, who lives in a single-family residence. 75% of deaths fit this profile.

The Port Alberni Community Action Team is driving a specific initiative to help you with patients that fit the demographic of people most impacted. Don’t Use Alone features harm-reduction tools for your patients that may be using substances recreationally or regularly.

In the next few weeks, you will be receiving handout cards (bus card-sized) and information that you can distribute to patients you feel may be at risk. These cards include links to apps or 800 line that patients can use to make sure someone is monitoring them during the most critical period of using a substance.

The Apps recommended are the Brave App – https://www.brave.coop/
The Lifeguard App - https://lifeguarddh.com/
The apps can be downloaded from the Apple Store or Google App Store for Android
Or Call NORS at – 1-888-688 NORS (6677)

For additional cards or further information, email - ptalbcat@gmail.com

The 36th Annual Chronic Pain Management Program

Please join us for the upcoming educational offering from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC. The 36th Annual Chronic Pain Management program will be delivered virtually on September 15th & 16th, 2023.

Registration
More Information

This program is designed to assist clinicians in successfully managing patients with chronic pain, anxiety, and substance use.

The objectives of the course are to build:

• Knowledge regarding the effective treatment of chronic, non-cancer pain and anxiety disorders
• Tools for assessing risk in prescribing psychoactive medications
• Interview skills for this challenging group of patients
• Awareness of personal factors that affect effectiveness and impact practitioner wellbeing

During this workshop, participants will work in interactive large-group sessions and also have customized training in small groups.

The course will provide the participant with the knowledge and the skills to address some of the key issues that practitioners face in their practices.

• Limit setting with opioid prescribing and tapering opioids
• Non-opioid therapies for chronic pain
• Diagnosis and oversight of addiction and diversion
• Self-care and stress management strategies
• Coaching on insomnia and sleep management

Who should attend:

Clinicians, administrators, and regulators interested in the management of chronic pain. Because clinical practice is best implemented within a system, some groups attend as clinical teams: physicians, nurse practitioners, administrators, pharmacists, etc.

Registration
More Information

Health Data Coalition

Making Connections, Working Together

For many, summer time in BC is a time to relax, unplug and recharge. But as many physicians and healthcare workers know, there are no seasonal breaks when it comes to patient care. After attending two in person events in Vancouver last month, the Quality Forum and OSCARCON’23, we’ve been talking a lot about the value of connection and supporting one another as we navigate change toward team-based care in our industry. Please click HERE to continue reading.

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 Dispatch

The latest news from the provincial team and complementary organizations.

Please click here for updates including:

• LFP Payment Model updates
• Updated BC Cancer screening report titles
• Divisions invited to meet with BC Cancer Cervix Screening Program to prepare for transition from cytology to HPV primary screening
• East Kootenay family doctor develops guide to reducing environmental impact of health care
• July 19 webinar | Antidepressants and substance use
• July 20 webinar | Updates on risks and harms of alcohol use
• Opioid use disorder training for doctors and their clinical teams: LOUD in PC Collaborative
   

Divisions in the News

Divisions in the News
See what is going on in other divisions around BC:

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