Read on to learn more about PCN Governance changes, a refreshed Learning Lab, a diverse offering of Cultural Safety Talking Circles and more!
No images? Click here
Welcome to the September 2023 edition of the PCN Newsletter. Read on for an update on PCN Governance changes, a refreshed Learning Lab, a diverse offering of Cultural Safety Talking Circles, a streamlined format for the PCN Quarterly report and more!
PCN Dashboard Update
The PCN Dashboard is an internal website with easy access to information & resources about our PCN.
Recent updates to the Dashboard include:
- Staff and provider updates, including new hires, on the homepage.
- A page with information about the PCN Optimization process, including a recording of the June 29th summary presentation and the full report.
- A new page with information about the refreshed PCN Learning Lab (read more about the exciting changes below)
Be sure to visit the Dashboard on a regular basis for more updates.
PCN Governance Refresh Update
The Family Practice Services Committee (FPSC) co-chairs recently provided an update on the PCN Governance refresh changes, which can be found on this website or in this PDF. More information will be shared by the FPSC in the coming months, including at the FPSC Primary Care Partners Event in October, which will be attended by KB PCN leadership. While the PCN governance refresh may eventually result in adjustments to our PCN, no immediate changes are being made at this time. We will share more information as it becomes available. In the meantime, if you have any urgent questions or concerns, you can contact Julius at juliushw@kbdivision.ca.
Learning Lab Update
Learning Lab Refresh
The Learning Lab is at the heart of our PCN’s culture of interdisciplinary learning, and is the primary vehicle for continuous improvement within our PCN. The PCN optimization process identified several ways the Learning Lab could be restructured to better respond to the learning needs of PCN members and teams. The result of this evaluation is an invigorated format that brings a variety of learning opportunities under the refreshed Learning Lab umbrella, including network-wide events (e.g., All Member Learning Lab and Cultural Safety Talking Circles) and area-specific opportunities (e.g., PCN staff Learning Lab and MOA Learning Lab).
For more information about our refreshed Learning Lab format, please visit the PCN Dashboard.
NEW All Member PCN Learning Lab
These interdisciplinary learning events will offer a consistent chance for members of the KB PCN (including primary care providers; nursing, Allied Health, and Aboriginal Wellness team members; clinic managers and MOAs) to foster the network's success through the exchange of homegrown insights, strategies, innovations and best practice.
Join us for our first PCN All Member Learning Lab on Nov 2nd from 8:30-9:30 am on the topic of direct referrals to PCN. Sessionals available.
NOTE: at minimum, PCN clinic leads, clinic managers, PCN staff, and members of the PCN Steering Committee and PCN Change Team should prioritize attending.
Register now for each session:
Health Connect Registry Update
On July 1, 2023, the Ministry of Health expanded the Health Connect Registry (HCR) from select communities, including KB, to all communities throughout B.C. This province-wide HCR launch brings improvements to the program to better coordinate attachment of patients with family doctors who have capacity to expand their panels, and to understand capacity in the system and measure our progress.
A recent Doctors of BC communication highlighted some of these changes:
- Panel Registry: Family physicians providing longitudinal care will be asked to submit patient panel information to populate the panel registry and to identify if they are able to take on new patients.
- Clinic and Provider Registry: Medical directors will be asked to provide basic information about their clinics to better understand the current medical care provided in a community and to identify care gaps to support future planning.
- Over time, primary care clinics will be asked to discontinue the use of individual local clinic patient waitlists and refer to the HCR as the source to attach patients from.
Furthermore, it is stated that no family physician will be forced to take on more patients or increase their panels. The final decision on whether a new patient is a good match is left with the physician and the patient.
Cultural Safety
Cultural Safety Talking Circles: 2023-2024 Dates
The Cultural Safety Talking Circles have been running since January 2021 as a place for PCN members to find support on their learning journey towards providing culturally safe care. Each Talking Circle has a theme (not a presentation) as a starting point for sharing and discussion. Sessions run on the 2nd Tuesday each month from 12:00 - 1:00 pm.
Upcoming Sessions:
- Oct 10: Aboriginal or Indigenous? Which term do I use?
- Nov 14: Use of Ceremony in Hospital Settings
- Dec 12: Exploring the Use of Narratives (Case Studies) in Indigenous Health
- Jan 9: Reconcili-ACTION What work? Whose Work?
- Feb 13: Indigenous Approaches to Planetary Health
- Mar 12: Cultural Safety and Humility Foundations
- April 9: Understanding the Harm Report Process - Interior Health
- May 14: MMIWG and 2SLGBTQIIA+ in Canada
- June 11: Announcing - Aboriginal Summer Book Club
Come every month or drop in when you can. Register for upcoming sessions via Zoom. You will receive a confirmation with a calendar placeholder following your registration.
COINS Celebrates 10 Years
Congratulations to our partner COINS on their 10 year anniversary! The society, which now has 26 staff members, and offices in both Castlegar and Grand Forks has grown significantly in the last 3 years and offers over 10 different programs for Aboriginal individuals and families in both the social and health sectors. Learn more about COINS by visiting their newly redesigned website.
Events to commemorate Orange Shirt Day &
National Day of Truth and Reconciliation
September 30th is Orange Shirt Day & National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, in honour of the children who never returned home and Survivors of residential schools, as well as their families and communities. Public commemoration of the tragic and painful history and ongoing impacts of residential schools is a vital component of the reconciliation process. Check out this list of events happening in communities around the region and online.
NEW! Quarterly Report Dashboard
Check out the newly refreshed Quarterly Report Dashboard for Q3 and Q4 2022/23. The streamlined dashboard replaces the previous narrative report format, making it easier to find information about key activities and outcomes associated with PCN implementation, including attachment and encounters.
Finding Your Way in Teamwork: Online Workshop
Check out the new two-hour virtual workshop, "Finding Your Way in Teamwork: Team Coaching Principles," offered by the Rural Coordination Centre of BC for rural healthcare teams on October 10 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm Pacific Time via Zoom. Participants will gain insights into the attributes, skills, and tools of effective interprofessional teams and will leave with a tailored action plan for reinforcing psychological safety within their own teams. Learn more and register here.