June 2025

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. 

Reminder: Financial Year-End Deadlines

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

**ACTION: ASAP**  
Please ensure that the following documents are submitted ASAP:  

• 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 2024-25 fiscal year.  

**ACTION: ASAP**  
The deadline for physician societies to submit their year-end financial statements for the 2024-25 fiscal year was Friday, May 30th.

For gated funding requests to be processed, the timely submission of all documents is essential.  

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

FEMS Post Claim Survey

As of July 2nd, 2025, we will be reinstating the physician post-claim survey in FEMS. This survey asks three questions (two mandatory and one optional open-ended question) about FE’s key outcomes and provides critical information for FE’s program evaluation while addressing the increasing need for impact measures.

The toggle to deactivate the survey will no longer be available to MSAs in FEMS. To minimize the burden, survey frequency will be limited to a maximum of five instances per physician per quarter, with only one survey appearing per activity. For example, a physician who submits 20 claims in Q1 across 10 different engagement activities will receive the survey 5 times. In comparison, a physician who submits 20 claims under just one engagement activity will only receive the survey once. When prompted to complete the survey, the physician must do so to submit their claim successfully. Otherwise, their claim will remain in draft status.

MSAs will be able to request their survey reports as desired.

Thank you for your cooperation and for recognizing the importance of this information in supporting the ongoing success of the Facility Engagement Initiative. 

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

SEAT Database Updates and Reminders

Thank you to everyone who shared their latest engagement activity updates via FEMS for the newest SEAT (Site Engagement Activity Tracker) April 14^th deadline. The SEAT database has now been updated to include the latest data.

The database now includes over 3,200 activities across the province! There are several excellent activities happening that haven’t been shared, so please remember to include activities in SEAT (by moving the SEAT toggle in FEMS from NO to YES) that build engagement and communication with medical staff colleagues and/or the hospital or health authority; contributes to physician wellness, leadership, redevelopment, training and/or technology; and/or seeks to improve patient quality.

As the Facility Engagement Initiative continues to evolve and we begin preparing for the subsequent program evaluation, it is becoming increasingly important to ensure that the Results/Impact of Activity fields are completed meaningfully and thoroughly. We expect to report more extensively on the program’s impact in the future, and we ask that you help by completing this field in full. Below are a few great examples of results/impact from your peers:

• This project resulted in the development of a new lung cancer pathway that reduced time to treatment for patients from 55.7 days to 34.5 days. The multi-disciplinary group laid out a visual pathway of existing steps to identify delay, barriers, flagged mistaken assumptions, and increased everyone's knowledge about respective roles and requests. Physicians saw the impact of their decisions on the overall patient journey, and the group identified where small shifts in roles could make a difference.
• Nine CME and engagement sessions have been held so far in the 2024/25 fiscal year. Evaluation form responses (n = 39) indicate strong satisfaction, with 100% of physician attendees reporting they were satisfied with the events. On average, 95% agreed that the topics covered were relevant to their clinical practice, reflecting the continued value and impact of these sessions in supporting professional development and engagement.
• 96.5% of participants reported they would be likely to reach out to colleagues in the other department, now that they have connected through these Interdepartmental meetings.  Key takeaways included “more comfort approaching colleagues, more confidence in tackling some grey areas” and the “importance of interprofessional collaboration”.  As shared by one respondent, “Just meeting makes all the difference, coming together to share our concerns, curiosities, questions. These interactions build fabric and trust.”

The next deadline for SEAT submissions is October 15, 2025. However, you can add to SEAT via FEMS at any time before the deadline.

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

REMINDER: Facility Engagement Quality Improvement Training for FE Administrators 

Facility Engagement (FE) is excited to be collaborating with the provincial SSC Physician Quality Improvement (PQI) team a second time to offer FE MSA administrators complimentary access to PQI Level 1 training via the online Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) Open School platform.

What you need to know:

• Training is a complimentary professional development opportunity. 
• Those interested must complete the form below by June 15, 2025. They will be granted access shortly after that deadline via email instructions.
• Training subscriptions are available until April 30, 2026, meaning that you must complete your training before that time.
• Seats are limited and offered on a first-come, first-served basis.
• PQI Level 1 Core Modules take approximately 4-5 hours of self-directed learning time* and include the following modules:

• • QI 101: Introduction to Health Care Improvement 
  • QI 102: How to Improve with the Model for Improvement 
  • QI 103: Testing and Measuring Changes with PDSA Cycles

• Once you have access to IHI Open School, you will also have full access to many other resources, templates, papers, and other self-paced courses available on IHI. 
• If physicians are interested in the training, please direct them to quality@doctorsofbc.ca to receive access and instructions for sessional payment (5 hours) upon completion.

*Contractor time to participate in training and professional development should not be compensated from Medical Staff Association (MSA) Facility Engagement budgets. The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) outlines certain entitlements under the Employment Insurance Act, Canada Pension Plan, and Income Tax Act for employees versus self-employed workers (i.e. contractors). See here for more information about employment status indicators, including training.  As independent contractors, FE MSA administrators are responsible for the cost of acquiring the necessary training to deliver the services needed for their contracts.

To access this complimentary training, please complete this form by June 15th: click here.

 If you have any questions, please get in touch with your Engagement Partner or contact engagement@doctorsofbc.ca.

The Physician Health Program is Now on the Doctors of BC Website

Members seeking support from the Physician Health Program (PHP) can now access its services directly from the new PHP webpage on the Doctors of BC website. Physicians, medical students, residents, and their families can expect the same confidential support and referral assistance from PHP’s expert team, now available in a convenient location with a refreshed look. 

New resources for MSAs:

• The PHP team is working hard to increase awareness of services available to physicians for their mental health and well-being. They offer presentations to physician groups and leadership, and longer physician wellness workshops. 
• Physical PHP posters, info cards, and postcards that can be shared with physicians are also available. To request a package in the mail, please email  programs@physicianhealth.com.

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

FEMS Tip of the Month

As we approach the end of quarter one of the fiscal year on June 30th, now is a good time to start reviewing engagement projects in FEMS to gauge spending rates and remind physicians to complete all sessionals and expenses for the past three months.

Our budgeting throughout the year resource on the FE website will help guide you through the common steps and processes of quarterly financial and budget management.  

If you have any questions or seek further clarification, please feel free to email us at femssupport@doctorsofbc.ca. We’re here to assist you!

Knowledge-Sharing Highlights

1. On April 30^th, the Physician Health Program’s Physician Wellness Network held a Virtual Spring Gathering on Physician Engagement: Building Connection, Belonging, and Equity. The next network gathering will be in person on Tuesday, October 7^th, in partnership with the 2025 JCC Conference. In the meantime, encourage your MSA to engage with the network by learning more and registering here.
2. Civility Matters events continue to happen throughout the province. On May 12^th, the Vancouver Physicians Society Association hosted the event, “Why Civility Matters in a Complex World,” with Dr. Chris Turner.  A recording of that session is available here. To learn more about Civility Matters, see the 60-second story on the Knowledge Sharing website

Should you have any questions, reach out to engagement@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 2025. The links are on the provincial webinars tab on the FE website.

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