News

A new Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA) program to deploy eReferrals, a digital tool to support electronic referrals and written advice, has launched in 20 early adopter clinics across Vancouver and Burnaby. The goal is to facilitate community-to-community connections between family doctors and specialists and help reduce administrative burdens. Supported by Doctors of BC and …

Digital Referrals & Orders program launches eReferrals early adopter clinics Read More »

While the media tends to centre discussions on substance use around Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside (DTES), the public health crisis is in no way limited to Hastings & Main. The East Kootenay Division of Family Practice—along with community partners, Ktunaxa Nation, and Shuswap band—are helping to address similar concerns in their own backyard. Started in 2022, …

East Kootenay prescribes additional resources, strategies for substance use care Read More »

“They feel alone, ashamed, and hopeless”. While these words specifically describe Riley—a 16-year-old patient who visited his doctor following experimentation with drugs including cannabis, Adderall, psilocybin, and Xanax to cope with a lack of focus and other mental health concerns—they speak to the complexity of pediatric addiction medicine. UBC CPD hope to help physicians navigate …

UBC CPD develops clinical care pathway for child and youth substance use Read More »

Over the next two years, physician members from various disciplines in Victoria will collaborate on a quality improvement initiative to help opioid users move from the ED to services such as family medicine and community addictions medicine.   The Shared Care Initiative, which includes new ED protocols such as universal screening for Opioid Use Disorder …

Opioid use disorder program improves care for patients Read More »

On March 1, over 130 family physicians, specialists, health care providers, Ministry staff, and Doctors of BC staff came together at the Sheraton Wall Centre in Vancouver for an annual gathering focused on improving the quality of perinatal care throughout BC. PRESENTATIONS See below for a short summary of the day’s events. You can also …

Perinatal Community of Practice Engagement Event: Summary Report Read More »

Despite its impressive beauty, the Sea-to-Sky region is not a paradise for all. The region’s limited health care services, especially when it comes to cancer patients, leave a lot to be desired. But the Rural and Remote Division of Family Practice is hoping they can change that. Following her work in providing oncology services in …

Pemberton Valley oncology project seeks to improve continuity of care for cancer patients Read More »

Few things are as difficult to hear as a cancer diagnosis. But hearing that it could’ve been caught earlier with proper testing can be far worse. This is exactly what physicians out of Burnaby are hoping to prevent. The Improving Access to Screening for Early Detection of Metabolic Conditions and Cancers for Unattached Patients project is currently …

Burnaby Division explores screening for cancer, metabolic conditions for unattached patients Read More »

Since 2015, the Specialist Services Committee (SSC) has supported staff members working within each health authority (HA) to support SSC initiatives. While the specific work undertaken within each HA differs, support may link to the work of Physician Quality Improvement, Spreading Quality Improvement, Health System Redesign, Physician Leadership initiatives, Facilities Engagement, and others. Now, the …

SSC Leader role expands to include support for Shared Care Read More »

Thanks to a collaboration between the East Kootenay Division of Family Practice, Shared Care, and East Kootenay physicians, expectant parents in Cranbrook and Kimberley will benefit from improved access to comprehensive pregnancy care at Encompass Pregnancy Care Cranbrook (EPCC) EPCC, which was created in response to the community’s needs, offers an innovative approach to team-based care. Encompass …

Cranbrook and Kimberley’s push for improved pregnancy care Read More »

As the days get shorter and the weather gets colder, mental health care heads into what is arguably its most challenging season. But education on community resources and a more collaborative approach to care can make all the difference, at least according to the Burnaby Division of Family Practice. Their Shared Care project, “Supporting a Patient-Centered …

Burnaby Division develops new pathways for mental health care Read More »