July 2024

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

NEW: PHP-JCC Peer Support Initiative Seeking New Physician Organizations for 2024 Cohort 

Physician groups interested in establishing a local peer support program can now apply to join the 2024 cohort of the Physician Peer Support Initiative, from the Physician Health Program (PHP) and the JCCs. Any existing physician organization such as Medical Staff Associations, Divisions of Family Practice, Sections, hospital departments and others may apply. If you are an individual physician interested in getting involved, we encourage you to connect with your local physician organization to apply. Multiple organizations that serve the same physician population or geographic location may submit a joint application if they choose.

Since 2022, the Physician Peer Support Initiative in BC has seen 63 physician peer supporters receive training to enable a healthier workplace from peer support experts Dr Jo Shapiro, and Dr Maureen Mayhew. Organizations that are currently involved include the Vancouver Division of Family Practice, the BC Association of Pakistani Physicians, Prince George MSA, and many more. 

Supports provided include one-time start-up funding, sessional funding and CPD credits for physicians to attend peer support training, an implementation toolkit, and regular knowledge-sharing meetings hosted by PHP.

To apply, complete the Peer Support Involvement Request . If you want to learn more about the initiative, and the commitment required, you can read the Terms of Reference or visit the PHP website.

If you have any questions, please contact programs@physicianhealth.com.

FYI: FE Provincial Evaluation Update

Starting in July, FE evaluation consultants Ference & Company will be conducting a final series of virtual interviews with a small sample of MSA physicians, HA representatives, and MSA administrators, as part of the FE Evaluation 3.0 final phase. The main purpose of conducting these interviews is to collect rich, qualitative data on a variety of FE activities, processes, and outcomes – along with other 2023 and 2024 data to inform the final program evaluation report.

Currently FE is compiling a small, representative list of interviewees to contact for the interviews. If you happened to be selected, this is a great opportunity to have your voice heard and help inform future program planning.

For more information on the provincial evaluation and timelines, please refer to the Evaluation Overview.

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

FYI: Knowledge Sharing Alert

Knowledge Sharing Alert

New on the portal this month:

• Partnering with community to solve housing challenges and attract new doctors at Chilliwack General Hospital
• Increasing physician capacity through Associate Physicians at Kelowna General Hospital
• Preparing for emergencies through interdisciplinary simulations at Lions Gate Hospital
• Engaging physicians through planetary health initiatives with Vancouver Medical, Dental and Allied Staff Association (VMDAS)

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

FYI: Lunch and Learn Summer Hiatus

The monthly MSA Lunch and Learns are now on hiatus for July and August and will return in September.  New calendar invitations for the remainder of 2024 should start showing up in late August.

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

TIP: FEMS Tip of the Month

As part of the FEMS updates that occurred on April 1st, how suppliers are managed in FEMS has been updated.

For existing suppliers in FEMS, the first time they are used after April 1st, a pop up will occur to answer 2 questions for the supplier regarding their access to FEMS.  Once these questions are completed, the claim can continue to be submitted as usual.

For new suppliers in FEMS, their profile can be created with the same process as previously, but that profile will now require approval by an executive prior to any claims being available for approval.  

Supplier profiles that have been approved are locked so as to ensure the approved details are preserved.  Should an update be required to the profile, a ticket can be lodged with femssupport@doctorsofbc.ca to change the details.

For an overview of these processes, and much more, please visit the FEMS section on the FE website.

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

TIP: PM Helpdesk Lunch and Learn Library

The FE provincial office, in conjunction with the PM Helpdesk Consultant, Erica Kjekstad, have created a library document of all of the past Lunch and Learn sessions from 2022 and 2023.

The 2024 library document is now live and will continue to be updated each month with current information.  

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