February 2012
The latest news from the provincial team and complementary organizations is in this issue
of Divisions Dispatch. We encourage you to share it with your members.
1. Ministry of Health PHCSS Contact List
2. Collaboration between PITO and PSP in White Rock-South Surrey
3. Check out our case study on health integration
4. Read the results of Langley Division’s manpower report
5. PITO support initiatives for EMR adopters
6. Nominate your colleague for an award
7. NASA astronaut and BC doctor supports Be Active Every Day initiative
8. Reminder about the BCPS Referral Survey
9. Step-by-step guide to obtaining CME accreditation from the College
10. Direct Credit Entry now available for CME providers
11. Staff changes on the provincial Divisions team
1. Ministry of Health PHCSS Contact List
A contact list for the Primary Health Care and Specialist Services Branch within the Ministry
of Health is included with this issue of Divisions Dispatch and can also be found on the
forums on the Divisions of Family Practice website. The list outlines the roles and
responsibilities of the ministry representatives who are available to divisions for
consultation.
2. Collaboration between PITO and PSP in White Rock-South Surrey
In White Rock-South Surrey (WR-SS), the Division of Family Practice and Fraser Health
Authority (FHA) are demonstrating that divisions are a natural place for collaboration and
integration between existing physician support initiatives like PITO (Physicians Information
Technology Office) and PSP (Practice Support Program).
PITO and PSP support physicians province-wide to achieve practice efficiencies and
enhanced clinical care for their patients. Divisions of Family Practice are working on similar
things at the community level. The foundation for successful integration of these initiatives
has been recognizing their complementary goals.
PITO is focused on helping physicians optimize their EMRs, while PSP supports a broad
range of practice improvement, aided by in-practice coaching as well as the development
and delivery of teaching modules on topics like chronic disease management, which requires
information technology components that can be delivered by EMR technology. Brenda
Hefford, Division board member and physician lead for A GP for Me, says that helping family
physicians (FPs) benefit from these kinds of supports is one way to enable those who
provide longitudinal care to enhance the efficiency of their practices so that FPs who wish to
will have the capacity to treat more patients. Read the full story on the Divisions website.
3. Check out our case study on health integration
The provincial Divisions communications team has prepared a case study on how local
Divisions of Family Practice collaborated with the Fraser Health Authority in redesigning its
Home Health services, which has improved access to community home health services for
patients.
Health integration
As a concept, healthcare integration is very popular but it’s the implementation process
where many organizations struggle. General practitioners (GPs) were disconnected from
Home Health case managers who coordinate care for people with complex care needs
requiring ongoing support to live at home independently. Prior to 2010, when it came to the
home care of elderly or disabled people, both groups were feeling out of the loop with each
other when it came to the care of their patients. The Fraser Health Authority (FHA)
recognized the disconnect and began collaborating with the Ministry of Health and the
Divisions of Family Practice to create an initiative that integrates the work of the health
authority and the GPs. As a result, the Home Health case manager-GP partnership initiative
was created. Click here to read the full case study.
4. Read the results of Langley Division’s manpower report
Division members may be interested to read the results of a manpower report
commissioned by the Langley Division of Family Practice. Although the report focuses on the
Langley area, it also covers other content areas relating more broadly to the provincial
picture and identifies other resources. As is the case in most areas of BC, there is a
significant need for new physicians in Langley, both in the short and long term. The Division
commissioned the Talent Management Strategy Report 2011 in an effort to capture this
need in writing, with the support of facts and figures. The LDFP Board is currently reviewing
the report, with a view towards further concrete action. The report is attached to Dispatch
and can also be found on the Langley Division’s website.
5. PITO support initiatives for EMR adopters
PITO is expanding support for emergency medical record (EMR) adoption, transition and
optimization. With almost 65 per cent of eligible physicians having adopted an EMR in their
practice in BC, there is a large group of physicians keen to make the most of their EMR to
improve clinical care and make the most of their EMR investment. PITO, physicians and the
many stakeholders from EMR vendors to the Practice Support Program (PSP) are working on
three related priorities:
1. enhancement of EMR functionality related to chronic disease management and
quality improvement
2. helping physicians with advanced training and support to fully adopt and make the
most of this advanced functionality, and
3. establishing advanced mechanisms to exchange data between physicians in support
of shared care.
An overview of these initiatives is included within this issue of Divisions Dispatch, or you can
find it in the forums on the Divisions of Family Practice website. If you have any questions
about the scope, timelines or participants in any of the projects mentioned in the overview,
please contact Nick Baldwin nick.baldwin@pito.bc.ca.
6. Nominate your colleague for an award
Every year the BC College of Family Physicians (BCCFP) recognizes family physicians from
across the province with an awards program. Consider nominating your Division of Family
Practice colleagues for awards in the following categories:
 Community Family Physician (any FP involved in clinical practice)
 Rural Family Physician (specifically in a designated rural area)
 Family Physician Teacher (exemplary teacher: UG, PG or CPD)
 Family Physician Researcher (exemplary activities in the research domain)
 Awards for Exceptional Contribution for individuals or groups who are not
necessarily family physicians.
 Awards for Medical Students and Family Medicine Residents
 Reg. L. Perkin Family Physician of the Year Award (outstanding BC FP)
The awards will be presented in Vancouver on October 13 or 14, 2012 and include
complimentary registration to the BCCFP Family Practice Update for both the winner and the
nominator of the award. Office staff at the College will provide any support the nominator
needs. The Family Physician of the Year award is presented at the national Family Medicine
Forum in Toronto from November 15-17. Recipients will receive complimentary registration
and $1,500 to offset travel and other expenses for attending the FMF. Nomination forms
may be found here and the deadline is May 31, 2012.
7. NASA astronaut and BC doctor supports Be Active Every Day initiative
The third annual Walk with your Doc will be gearing up soon for 2012 and this year the
program will be expanding to include a month-long children’s exercise challenge called Be
Active Every Day. If you would you like to be an ambassador for your local school or see
your children more active, volunteer with the BCMA. The association is looking for
physicians to lead elementary aged children in an exercise program throughout the month
of April and into the week of May 10 – Move for Health Day, which Walk with your Doc
supports. This would require a few hours of your time in April to help the kids get started,
and the week of May 10 to wrap up the program. As a bonus, NASA astronaut and BC
doctor, Robert Thirsk, strongly supports this event and will be involved. If you would like to
participate or receive more information, visit Be Active Every Day or contact Erica
Timmerman at 604-638-8744 or etimmerman@bcma.bc.ca.
8. Reminder about the BCPS Referral Survey
This is a reminder that the BC Pediatric Society (BCPS) is still seeking responses to its
survey about family physicians’ methods of referral to pediatricians. If you haven’t already
completed the short online survey, why not take a minute to complete it here. The survey
arose out of anecdotal information that indicated many GPs think all pediatricians have
exceptionally long wait lists. BCPS would like to check the validity of the anecdotal
information. If the information is accurate, it will take steps to better connect patients with
pediatricians who have capacity to welcome new patients.
9. Step-by-step guide to obtaining CME accreditation from the College
The provincial Divisions office has put together a step-by-step guide to help you obtain CME
Accreditation (MainPro Credits) from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. The
guide can be found on the Divisions website.
10. Direct Credit Entry now available for CME providers
Direct Credit Entry (DCE) is a new opportunity for CME providers. The organization
presenting the educational event has a number of responsibilities, including:
 Ensuring the event is accredited by the College of Family Physicians of Canada
(CFPC) as Mainpro-M1 or Mainpro-C.
 For DCE, the event organizers must collect the attendee’s first name, surname, and
CFPC ID and forward it to the CFPC CPD department.
 Monitoring attendance and submitting the data within two weeks of the event.
 For a more detailed outline of what is involved, see the document included within
this issue of Divisions Dispatch, or find it in the forums on the Divisions website.
If you are interested in this activity, please contact the CFPC CPD Department. This has
been piloted for a few providers. For new participating organizations, the volume and
frequency of credits submission will need to be determined. Contact Margaret Cheung at
mcheung@cfpc.ca
12. Staff changes on the provincial Divisions team
Tina Chen has chosen to leave the Divisions provincial team to pursue other opportunities
and her last day as the Web Development Specialist was February 21. We would like to
thank Tina for the support she provided over the past year to many divisions and the
provincial team. This has provided an opportunity to reflect on the current team’s needs as
they relate to the Division IT strategy and support work that Mylo Riley oversees. As a
result, the web development specialist role will be redesigned, and replaced by two
positions. One role will attend to strategic issues and will be filled in the near future. In the
meantime, Physician Engagement Leader Afsaneh Moradi will provide Mylo with additional
support. The second role will focus on design and delivery and will be entitled Software
Support Specialist. This new role interfaces with all 29 Divisions of Family Practice across
the province and supports their Divisions IT training and problem solving needs. Robin
Hussen will fill this role effective March 1 and relocate from her current position as
Assistant to the Professional Relations Practice Support and Quality department.
The Provincial Divisions Team
F 604 638 2916 E divisions@bcma.bc.ca www.divisionsbc.ca