The SSC has dedicated up to $15 million to fund new specialist-led Quality and Innovation Initiatives for quality improvement and to address care gaps. An Expression of Interest (EOI) submission is available to actively practicing in BC specialists to complete online until April 30. More information is available in the EOI information package and Frequently Asked Questions.
Spotlight on a Specialty: Respirology
Mar 14, 2014
Lungs – they breathe life into us and are one of the single most essential elements to our survival. They are responsible for a need so inherent we do it without even thinking about it. So what happens when disease strikes these vital organs?
ERAS - Turning Traditional Wisdom on its Head
Mar 14, 2014
A doctor picks up the chart of a patient scheduled for prostate cancer surgery that morning and the doctor’s orders do not say NPO. A head-scratcher for some, but for other doctors involved in the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) pathway - it makes perfect medical sense.
SSC – Collaborating to Enhance Specialist Care
Mar 13, 2014
The Specialist Services Committee (SSC) is one of a number of collaborative committees that make BC's health care system unique. No other province have collaborative committees of doctor and government members working together to improve the health care system.
SSC Supporting Patient Safety and Quality
Mar 3, 2014
The Specialist Services Committee (SSC) took part in the annual BC Patient Safety and Quality Council Forum February 27 and 28. The forum featured workshops and presentations on a variety of topics related to improving quality across the continuum of care. SSC conducted an interactive workshop, held a number of storyboard presentations, and also sponsored a number of specialists to attend the forum.
Have You Experienced That “Look”?
Dec 5, 2013
You know the look. You get it after you tell a patient “you have cancer.” The look takes on a myriad of forms such as fear, tears, disbelief and so on. It is in this state that patients are usually expected to listen to crucial information about their treatment options.
Shifting Landscape Reveals Care Gaps
Dec 5, 2013
The landscape continues to shift in relation to the lifespan of children with chronic care conditions. What was once fatal in childhood, no longer is. One of SSC’s sponsored initiatives is helping specialists in pediatric care and in adult care coordinate the transition of youth with chronic care needs into adult care.
Spotlight on a Specialty – Endocrinology
Dec 5, 2013
Hormones – the drivers behind every part of who we are, and how we function. And as part of one of the most complex systems in the body – the endocrine system – these hormones behave radically differently from person to person.
Telehealth Wound Care: Transcending Barriers to Care
Oct 17, 2013
In BC, all but two specialities now have a fee code for telehealth service. The Specialist Services Committee has funded three telehealth projects under the Quality and Innovation Initiatives.
Spotlight on a Specialty: Rheumatolgy
Oct 17, 2013
With more than 150 disease conditions that they diagnose and treat — including arthritis, lupus, gout, vasculitis, scleroderma and other systemic autoimmune conditions — BC's rheumatologists have "fascinating patients with complex problems that often require digging to solve a mystery," says Dr. Jason Kur, president of the BC Society of Rheumatologists.
Knowledge Seeker and Organic Farmer
Oct 17, 2013
Dr. Chester Morris knows about healthy eating and it’s not just because he’s a doctor. It’s because along with his wife, Nicky, and their nine year-old daughter, Mara, he runs Morris Farm in the Port Alberni area.
CHARD is discontinued
Aug 15, 2013
The Ministry of Health has made the decision to discontinue the Community Healthcare and Resource Directory (CHARD), effective immediately.
Hearing and Responding to Your Concerns
Apr 12, 2013
SSC conducted a survey and identified that Telephone Fees are easier for a Specialist to use when the primary physician sends over patient information to the Specialist’s office.
Specialist Participation at the Canadian Conference on Physician Leadership
Mar 8, 2013
Sponsoring Specialist Participation at the Canadian Conference on Physician Leadership, May 31 to June 1, 2013 in Vancouver
How can the Specialist Services Committee (SSC) best support you in improving the services you provide to patients across BC? In 2013 the SSC will be reviewing its current initiatives and creating a strategic plan for how to support specialists for the 2
Jan 1, 2013
A group of BC specialists and health care executives recently traveled to Cleveland, Ohio to find out the secrets of success at one of the US’s top medical centres. Organized by the Practice Suppo
G78717 Specialist Discharge Care Plan for Complex Patients Fee
Jan 1, 2013
(extra $75)
A reminder that this fee is available to bill for the most responsible specialist physician coordinating a complex patient’s hospital discharge.
SSC approves 21 Quality and Innovation Projects
Jan 1, 2013
The Specialist Services Committee has approved an additional $3M in one-time funding, bringing the total to $8M, to support 21 physician-led local projects over the next several years. A total of
How can the Specialist Services Committee better support you?
Jan 1, 2013
How can the Specialist Services Committee (SSC) best support you in improving the services you provide to patients across BC? In 2013 the SSC will be reviewing its current initiatives and creating
SSC Annual Report (2010-2012)
Dec 3, 2012
Download and read the Specialist Services Committee Annual Report, which covers two years, 2010\2011 and 2011\2012.
End-of-life discussions between doctors and patients are beneficial to both
Nov 9, 2012
This article, written by Ken Seethram, MD, FRCSC, FACOG, appeared in September 2012's issue of the BC Medical Journal.