Shared Care, Maternity Network, First Nation Engagement

Shared Care, Psychiatry:
Follow up with psychiatry shared care: Tina Biello has connected with 6 interested GPs  with a schedule for sessions with Dr. Saffy. These sessions started the beginning of 2021 and will now go until end of March 2022. Dinner meeting being planned for early March for providers involved.

Maternity Network:
Dinner meeting being planned for early March for providers in the Alberni Valley who have been part of the maternity network. Network will be looking at a communication system for all providers (GPs, NPs, Public Health, NTC nursing, midwives) involved in maternity care.

First Nations:
First Nation engagement sessions were held in collaboration with RCCBC, Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations and Central Island Division. Each session had 3 elders from Nuu-chah-nulth territories and 3-5 primary care providers.
Thanks to all who attended. We have now completed the video editing and we will begin sharing these here two at a time, as there are eight. The link is the short version. In the description below video, you will see link to longer video, if you have time and are interested in watching. Below are Sessions 3 and 4.

Thanks so much for all who came. Final gathering and feast to celebrate above that was planned for September is postponed until further notice due to Covid numbers. We will let you know when we have a date.

Session 3:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVWUD14dXxs

Session 4:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PA0yJYAhdlc

Similar cultural safety sessions are being planned for Oceanside First Nations and primary care providers.

RDN News, Rx for Health
In February 2022, The Regional District of Nanaimo Recreation Department will re-launch the Rx for Health program in Oceanside. The program has been a tremendous success since March 2017 and the support that we have received from the local medical professionals has been outstanding. The new program will have some minor adjustments and we welcome any feedback, suggestions or comments on how it can be improved. The Rx for health will still offer a $40 discount for recreation activities with the RDN and financial assistance is available for low income residents needing ongoing assistance. 

If you would like to provide feedback, ask questions of just be sure you are on the list for a package, please contact:
Jennifer Hopewell, Recreation Coordinator
jhopewell@rdn.bc.ca or 250-248-3252.

Clinical Governance Improvement Initiative - survey

Please find below the link to the Clinical Governance Improvement Initiative survey.
Additional information is available by clicking here (this information is similar to the Island Health intranet link). 

The current survey end date is set for January 28, but may be extended.

Please access the survey by clicking here.

If you have any specific questions, please reach out to:
aianna Marquette, Medical and Academic Affairs consultant at maianna.marquette@islandhealth.ca.

Please note that this information will also be shared with MSA’s.

BC Cancer - At-Home Cervix Screening Pilot Announcement

The BC Cancer Cervix Screening Program is conducting a pilot to assess and optimize how best to offer and deliver self-collection kits for HPV-based screening at home. Patients will be invited to participate in the pilot by mail. After a patient collects their sample, it is delivered to the lab where HPV testing will be performed. Several mailing strategies will be tested during the pilot.
The program will evaluate attendance at recommended follow-up through the pathways of care (follow-up Pap, colposcopy and/or treatment as needed) after a positive result. At-home cervix screening o ers an innovative approach to increase screening capacity within the system and has been shown to reduce barriers to screening.

Please click here to view the At-Home Cervix Screening Provider Reference Sheet

Phone: 778-238-6142
Email: javis.lui@bccancer.bc.ca
Web: www.screeningbc.ca

Respiratory Medicine Update | Virtual Conference | Jan 28–29, 2022

The Respiratory Medicine Update Virtual Conference is taking place Jan 28–29, 2022. We are offering two ½ days of learning with presentations geared towards Respirologists on the first day and Family Physicians on the second day.  We encourage attendees to register for both days as all topics will likely be of interest to both groups.

View the full agenda and register today!

For more learning opportunities, please visit us here. 

Medical Imaging Waitlist Policy

On July 13, 2021, the Ministry of Health issued the Medical Imaging Waitlist Policy to the health authorities of B.C.
The policy guides the management of patients waiting for an outpatient MRI or CT exam and aims to improve patient access to advanced diagnostic imaging services across the province. The policy standardizes medical imaging waitlist management across all health authorities.

Please click here to view the Waitlist Management Policy Physician Engagement Letter.

Medication Abortion Training for Community-Based Primary Care Teams

In collaboration with the Alliance for Healthier Communities, the National Abortion Federation (NAF) Canada has launched an online training course to help primary care providers who practice in community-based teams offer medication abortion to their patients. 
The live portion of the course will feature experienced medication abortion providers who work in community-based settings including Community Health Centres.  Discussions will focus on practical strategies for implemeting medication abortion care.

For more information and to register please click here.

AI Skills and Canadian Health Care: How will we close the knowledge gap?

AI has the potential to dramatically improve the quality of Canadian health care if practitioners are properly equipped to leverage the technology.  Join The Globe’s National Health Reporter Kelly Grant in conversation with medical professionals as they explore the skills and mindsets needed to close the AI knowledge gap in health care.

Date: Wednesday, January 26
Time: 12:30pm ET

Please click here for details and registration.

RoadSafetyBC looking for physicians to engage in January & February

RoadSafetyBC is looking to engage with physicians and MOAs to collect feedback on a new, electronic process for submitting Driver Medical Examination Reports (DMER).

These 1:1 online sessions will be 1-2 hours in length and you will be compensated for your time.

Please click here for further details and next steps.

RDN Social Needs Assessment Strategy Report

Please click here to view the report.

In-Person Events with Teepa Snow and the PAC Team Are Back!

Advanced and Enhanced Certifications are open for registration. 

Please click here for more information.

Self-Management BC: Upcoming Workshops for January 2022- Registration Open!

As a valued part of our health and wellness community, we invite  you to click here for a link to our monthly “Hot Sheet” that summarizes the upcoming remote workshops offered by Self-Management BC for January 2022.

Please feel free to print and post this sheet in an appropriate area of your office, or email/fax it to other health care providers/community partners who may be interested in referring their patients, clients, or colleagues to our programs.  If you would like us to send a selection of our brochures to display in your office, let us know by replying to this email.

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

Therapeutics Initiative

Please visit our website 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.

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