2026 AGM Highlights

The Annual General Meeting of the Central Island Division was held on September 16 at the Beach Club Resort in Parksville.
A total of 14 Division members attended.

The formal 2026 Annual Report was presented, and the auditors, Chan Nowosad and Boates, reported on the official audited financial statements for the 2025–2026 fiscal year. View the 2025–2026 Audited Financial Statements.

Nominations/Elections Committee Report

At the start of the nomination period, there were three Board Director positions available.
The nomination period for Board positions was August 4–21, 2026, during which four members were nominated.
As the bylaws allow for a maximum of 12 Directors, the Board agreed that all four nominees could stand for election. As a result, all four nominees were acclaimed.
The Board of Directors for the 2026–2027 year are:

Dr. Mark Morris
Fran Chiste, NP
Dr. Edward Aasman
Dr. Ashraf El Karsh
Dr. Robert Tremblay
Ms. Adele Kristalovich
Mr. David James
Ms. Lori Camire
Ms. Susan Roth

Dr. Vervaeck Walk-in Clinic

Effective October 6, 2026, Dr. Vervaeck's walk-in clinic will be relocating and will operate at the following locations and times:

Tuesdays and Wednesdays: 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Parksville Pharmacy and Compounding
Address: 383 Alberni Hwy, Parksville, BC
Phone: (250) 586-2625

Thursdays: 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Union Bay Pharmacy
Address: 313 McLeod Rd, Union Bay, BC
Phone: (250) 335-4590)

Since opening in February, Dr. Vervaeck has seen a great response to the walk-in clinic and is hoping to connect with physicians who may be interested in providing occasional coverage.

If you are interested in learning more about this opportunity, please contact us at jskuse@cidivision.ca

Pathways Pearls Newsletter: Supporting Menopause Care

The latest Pathways Pearls Newsletter focuses on supporting menopause care and highlights resources available through Pathways, including menopause consultants and clinics, community supports, and the Menopause & Perimenopause Primary Care Clinical Pathway. It also features information about the upcoming From Pathway to Practice: Managing Menopause in Primary Care webinar on October 6.

View the Pathways Pearls Newsletter

Opening the Doors to Community Health on Pender Island

The RCCbc’s Rural Voices Initiative recently contributed to the Pender Islands Health Care Society’s second annual open house,  welcoming more than 120 community members to explore their local health care facility, meet the people behind the services, and learn more about the care available close to home. This community-led initiative, designed to bring people together, is a fantastic example of what the Rural Voices Initiative is designed to support.

Read the full story

Access to LTC Infographic for Physicians

The Access to Long-Term Care infographic was developed alongside the Comox Valley Division who wanted a single-page visual to help explain the LTC application process to physicians and nurse practitioners. There are plans to create a similar resource for the public.

The document can also be found on Pathways.

Join us for BC Rural Health Research Exchange on Nov 24, 2026

The BC Rural Health Research Exchange (BCRHRx) is a free, virtual half-day event filled with brief rapid-style presentations designed to inform, engage and share current rural research in British Columbia. We’re welcoming researchers, clinicians and trainees (students) to present their ongoing and/or completed rural health research at this year’s event.

Registration is now open for both presenters and attendees.

Register for BCRHRx 2026

RCCbc grants of up to $10,000 open for applications on Sept 1

The Rural Physician Research Grant Program (RPRGP) and Rural Global Health Partnership Initiative (RGHPI) will both begin accepting grant applications from Sept 1 – Oct 31, 2026.

These grants support rural physicians and/or trainees to pursue innovative rural research projects and global health partnership projects, with grants available for up to $10,000.

Apply for a RPRGP grant
Apply for a RGHPI grant

BRIGHT SPOT: Catching Cancer Earlier – Prince George Screening Efforts

When stories began emerging of late-stage cancer appearing in patients admitted to emergency rooms, a group from seven clinics in Prince George knew they needed to act.  Over the course of six months, the group focused on three key screening areas: breast, colon, and cervical cancer. The initiative was book-ended with two in-person learning sessions, where clinics examined workflows, implemented new strategies, and through their improved process were able to reach hundreds of patients.

Within HDC Discover, the Prince George Cancer Screening group aggregate data was viewable to all members. They used it to track progress, easily seeing positive changes well beyond the end of formal small group sessions.  The results show how the power of connection, peer learning and common goals, with meaningful community support, can positively impact patient outcomes and sustained practice change.

Read More

Is your clinic on the Private Physician Network (PPN)?

The Provincial Health Services Authority announced the PPN is being decommissioned. All clinics using the PPN must transition to a new provider for internet, security, and managed network services as soon as possible in order to access electronic medical records. Clinics that have not yet completed the transition should contact the Provincial Health Services Authority at PPNUpdates@phsa.ca. FPSC has resources available to support and advise impacted clinics through their transition.

What you need to know:

• Clinics must transition from the PPN, or risk service disruptions and loss of access to clinical systems.
• This isn’t as simple as purchasing internet service. New networks must be properly configured with the required security measures to protect against cyber threats and privacy breaches. 

Does your clinic need help transitioning off the PPN? 

The Practice Support Program and Doctors Technology Office offer practical guidance to get you connected with IT services to manage the transition. Reach out to psp@doctorsofbc.ca for support with a safe and efficient transition off the PPN.

Learn more

LFP Payment Schedule: Effective September 1, 2026

An updated LFP Payment Schedule is now available. Please ensure you and your EMR provider are using the latest version of the LFP Payment Schedule.

Key changes include:

• Effective September 1, 2026, a new $50 LFP interaction code supports billing for additional patients seen at the same home location during the same attendance, with clarification on when the existing $100 home visit code applies.

Learn more about the changes (BC Family Doctors login required)

Mental Health Commission of Canada: Mental health in primary care survey

In response to growing pressures on primary care providers to address mental health needs, the Mental Health Commission of Canada is exploring how best to integrate mental health care into primary care across Canada through a short survey. 

The survey takes about 5 minutes; participation is voluntary, and responses will remain confidential and be reported only in aggregate form. Your insights are vital to strengthening mental health care across Canada. 

Take the survey

Chilliwack PCN clinical pharmacist revolutionizes a family doctor’s succession plan

As Chilliwack family physician Dr Cameron Ross’ retirement grew near, his desire for a seamless transition for his patients turned into a success story for patient-centred, team-based care. 

With support from the FPSC Practice Support Program, Ross undertook a systematic medication review for a select group of his patients to build a framework for ongoing collaboration between primary care providers and clinical pharmacists within the Chilliwack PCN.

Read the story from the Chilliwack Division of Family Practice

PHSA: Digital Referrals & Orders program restarts

Following a pause, the Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA) is restarting the Digital Referrals & Orders (DRO) program, which enables physicians to send, receive, and track referrals, diagnostic orders, and Special Authority requests electronically. By reducing reliance on fax and paper-based processes, DRO aims to improve visibility, coordination, and efficiency throughout the referral process and support more timely, coordinated patient care.

Onboarding will occur in phases, starting on Vancouver Island and expanding across the province over the coming months. Community-based primary care and specialist clinics in all regions of BC can submit an intake form now to express interest in onboarding. Planning is also underway to support implementation in BC health authority settings, with an initial focus on high referral volume areas within BC Cancer, Labs, Medical Imaging, and Primary Care.   

Interested in what the DRO restart means for your practice? Join an information session on October 14 to learn more about the program, its phased implementation, who can participate, and how to get involved.

Register here

LFP Time Code debiting issue: What you need to know

Since February 4, a Teleplan system issue has been preventing physicians from debiting LFP Time Code claims. This affects all LFP Time Code claims, including claims submitted before February 4, regardless of whether they were submitted using the generic LFP Time personal health number (PHN) or a patient’s PHN.

When a physician attempts to debit a claim, this will result in a refusal with explanatory code D2: “No match found for debit request record”. This type of refusal won't appear on the bi-monthly remittance statement; it can only be viewed in the nightly edit reports available through the physician’s EMR. 

How to manually debit claims
Until the issue is resolved, you must send debit LFP Time Code claims manually by sending a fax request to Health Insurance BC (HIBC) at 250-405-3593. Include “LFP Time Code debit request” in the header and provide:

• PHN
• Date of service
• Data centre
• Claim sequence
• Referred practitioner (for LFP Locum time codes)
• Facility number
• A brief reason for the debit

There is currently no estimated resolution date. For questions or support regarding manually debiting an LFP Time Code claim, contact HIBC Practitioner Account Services at 1-866-456-6950.

Still relying on manual lists for patient recalls?

Manually tracking which patients need follow-up can take time and make it harder for your team to stay on top of what’s due.

FPSC’s practice supports can help you use your EMR tools to create more consistent recall processes and make patient follow-up easier to manage.

FPSC also offers practical support for other aspects of running your practice. Whether you’re choosing or switching EMRs, integrating an AI scribe or other digital tools, or looking to make administrative tasks more efficient, you can get practical guidance tailored to your practice.

Get connected to a team member

Thinking about enrolling as an LFP locum? Get started here

This short, self-paced online course, designed for family physicians and office staff, covers key information about working as an LFP locum. It takes about 30 minutes to complete.

FPSC’s Billing Support team is working to develop more LFP Payment Model courses. If you have any feedback on this course or suggestions for other topics, please email fp.billing@doctorsofbc.ca.

Start the module now

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
• Webinars and continuing medical education (CME)

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