Changes at Central Island Division

As our organization changes and grows, it is necessary to hire more staff to respond to those changes.  So, beginning right after the Christmas season:

Sharon Todd will be taking the position of Primary Care Network (PCN) Manager in Port Alberni. Sharon did an excellent job of doing the community consultation for the PCN Service Planning as well as coordinating the writing and submission of the plan to the Ministry of Health. Please join us in congratulating Sharon as she moves into this challenging position to roll out the Port Alberni PCN. Sharon can be contacted at stodd@cidivision.ca or 250-937-0611.

Stepping into the role of Operations and Recruitment Coordinator at Central Island Division will be Jennifer Taylor. Jennifer brings to the position a wealth of local knowledge about family practice in the Central Island region and excellent collaborative and organizational experience. The position of Operations and Reciruitment Coordinator includes network development, project management and recruitment and retention. Please join us in welcoming Jennifer to the Divison.
Contact: jtaylor@cidivision.ca

Regards
Evelyn Clark
Executive Director

First Nation Engagement and Shared Care

First Nation Engagement Sessions:

Port Alberni
Lunch and Learn and a BBQ were held in the past few months with Elders and GPs. These sessions are to bring Elders and Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council services, together with Primary Care providers to offer a continuing conversation about healthcare for Indigenous communities.

The November meeting was canceled due to inclement weather. We have rescheduled for February in Port Alberni. Please contact Tina Biello for more information. tbiello@cidivision.ca

Wednesday, February 1, 5:30 pm
4227 6th Ave. Port Alberni
All primary care providers are invited.

Links from the zoom sessions with Elders in 2021 can be found here:
https://divisionsbc.ca/central-island/resources/indigenous-health-resources-physicians/voices-elders

Shared Care Port Alberni

Shared Care project has begun in Port Alberni bringing together Specialists and GPs. This project will focus on offering support to remote First Nations surrounding Port Alberni and the West Coast.

For more information and if you are interested in participating, please get a hold of Tina Biello at tbiello@cidivision.ca

Inpatient Bridge Funding at West Coast General Hospital

Inpatient Bridge Funding at West Coast General Hospital

Family Practice Services Committee (formerly the General Practice Services Committee) has recently decided to expand inpatient care bridge funding to BC hospitals struggling to maintain inpatient care provided by community Family Practitioners. Many of these hospitals do not have an unassigned inpatient care network and are currently not receiving any bridge funding.

The FPSC has offered to provide funding to support the FP inpatient care services from November 2022 to March 31, 2024 – 17 months of funding.

Central Island Division of Family Practice hopes to assist in increasing local FP participation in the delivery of inpatient care services at West Coast Hospital to ensure that there is wide support for the local inpatient care approach. We will also work with FPSC and the Health Authority to assess the local inpatient care network needs and oversee the distribution of those funds.

Please note that the bridge funding is available for 17 months (Nov 1, 2022, to March 31, 2024) and is intended to help communities maintain current provision of inpatient care while a long term and sustainable model is developed.

It is expected that most of the funding will be used to fund inpatient care services provided by family physicians. A portion of the bridge funding may also be used to fund administrative supports for inpatient care.

The bridge funding may not be used to fund medical services provided by specialists or other health care providers. The bridge funding may not be used to fund equipment purchases or infrastructure upgrades. 

Please click here for a graphic of the funding breakdown and funding allocation

Dr. Greg dePape is currently looking for family practitioners who have an interest in assisting with in patient care at West Coast Hospital. We are hoping to launch this project early in 2023. If you have an interest in assisting, please contact:
Dr. dePape at Gregory.dePape@islandhealth.ca ; or
Evelyn Clark, Central Island Division at eclark@cidivision.ca  or by phone at 250-703-6159.

Invitation to the “Providers Thriving Together” Wellness Conversations Series

RCCbc is delighted to introduce the Thriving Project, a new wellness initiative for rural doctors, residents, nurse practitioners and midwives from across BC that facilitates wellness experiences, fosters connections, and builds a community of practice for learning, support, solace and inspiration.

In these times of significant upheaval and system transformation within rural medicine practice, many of us are experiencing uncertainty, exhaustion, frustration and grief. We may feel a growing sense of urgency and an instinct to slow down to understand. There’s deep value in coming together to connect around our experiences, recognize our common challenges, and share insights and practices that enable us to move through these times with support and wisdom.

The 'Providers Thriving Together' Wellness Conversations Series
You're invited to register now to join us for the Thriving Project's first offering—the 'Providers Thriving Together' Wellness Conversations Series. We'll come together monthly to connect and experience peer support and camaraderie in the service of activating our collective resilience.

What can you expect at a Providers Thriving Together session each month?
A peer will share a wellness practice, framework or idea that they’ve found useful. We’ll then have facilitated conversations about these themes in small and large groups.

When and where are the Providers Thriving Together sessions held?
Sessions will be held online via Zoom from 7–8:30 pm PST on the first Monday of each month, starting in January 2023. There’s no expectation to attend all sessions—come to those that inspire you and work in your calendar.

Share your experiences and wisdom with rural peers
Would you like to present a wellness theme at an upcoming Providers Thriving Together session in 2023? Send us a message.

Register for The Providers Thriving Together Series

Learn more about the Thriving Project

New Community Health Service programs provided by Island Health

Please click the links below to view/download new Community Health Service programs provided by Island Health.

The four pamphlets are:

1. Community Virtual Care Caregiver Program
2. Community Virtual Care one pager
3. Community Health Services Respiratory Therapist
4. Public rack card for Community Access Centre

Rx for Health

A great way to get patients started with physical activity and social connection. Ideal for the whole family, the Rx for health offers $40 off the registration of an RDN Recreation Activity or Active Pass..

Please click here for the RX for Health Package.

Please click here for a poster for your office.

Therapeutics Initiative

Please visit our website (click here) 

Therapeutics Letter (click here)

This is a bimonthly publication targeting identified problematic therapeutic issues in a brief, simple and practical manner. The process leading up to publication involves a rigorous, systematic literature review by different working groups of the Therapeutics Initiative, the creation of a draft which is circulated for comment among a sizeable group of over 100 local, national and international specialists with expertise in the particular therapeutic area and the commission of original artwork/illustration. The message is developed collaboratively by different working groups of the Therapeutics Initiative. The current Editor in Chief is Dr. Tom Perry, Chair of the Education Working Group of the Therapeutics Initiative.

Self-Management BC

Please note that workshops are scheduled on an ongoing basis throughout the year. For more information, please click here. 

In addition to our 6-week Self-Management Workshops, we offer the following:

• Self-Management Health Coach Program: this is a 1 to 1 telephone support program for individuals needing the extra support to achieve health goals. Each individual is paired with a coach and receives a weekly, 30-minute phone call for 3 to 6 months. Coaches are volunteers who may be living with chronic health conditions, and are passionate to help others to achieve wellness. For more information, please click here.  

If you have any questions regarding our programs, please email us at: selfmgmt@uvic.ca

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.
https://divisionsbc.ca/provincial/news-events/divisions-dispatch

Divisions in the News

See what is going on in other divisions around BC:
https://www.divisionsbc.ca/provincial/news-and-events/in-the-news