Jump to Navigation

What can we help you find today? Type what you’re looking for in the space below.

Close
  • About Us
    • Committee Members
    • Reports
      • Evaluations
      • Years in Review and Annual Reports
      • Archived SSC Co-Chair Report
      • Meeting Summaries (The Wrap)
  • Programs and Initiatives
    • Develop Physician Capability
      • Physician Quality Improvement Initiative
      • Physician Leadership Training
      • UBC Sauder Physician Leadership Program
    • Engage Physicians & Health Partners
      • Facility Engagement
      • Improving Specialist Job Satisfaction
      • Supporting Community Based Specialists
    • Transform Care Delivery
      • Enhancing Access Initiative
      • Spreading Quality Improvement
      • Perioperative Clinical Action Network (PCAN)
      • Quality and Innovation Projects
      • SSC Fees
      • Health System Redesign
      • Specialists Team Care
  • News
    • SSC Focus newsletters
    • Videos
  • Contact
  • The Exchange
  • Main Menu
  • search

Recognition is the first step

Posted on Jun 12, 2018


As our seniors’ population grows, so does the prevalence of dementia. Dementia impairs cognitive function and can be the result of many diseases - the most common being Alzheimer’s Disease.

Recognizing early the symptoms, and providing appropriate and timely care is a crucial part of Drs Peter O'Connor and Leena Jain’s enhanced approach to dementia care – which launched in Fraser Health in 2015 with funding from the Specialist Services Committee (SSC) Quality & Innovation initiative.

Evidence suggests that dementia, especially in early stages, remains under-detected, under-diagnosed, under-disclosed, and under-treated/managed. While there is no known cure, we do know that timely diagnosis and access to community supports can positively impact disease progression and quality of life.  

“Every day in our practices we see that dementia is a complex disease, best managed collaboratively with the client, their family, primary care providers, and community-based services” says Drs Peter O’Connor and Leena Jain.  “Our goal is better dementia care that benefits clients and their families by improving access to timely diagnosis and services, in a culturally-sensitive way.” 
Key priorities and activities have included:

  • development of a Dementia Collaborative Practice Pathway to guide the interdisciplinary team through early diagnosis and referral to community supports, 
  • Dementia Education Mentoring Program, which groups Specialist Mentors and Primary Care Provider Mentees in an eight-month mentorship cohort, and
  • a multi-faceted public awareness campaign and partnership with Alzheimer Society of BC and iCON to enhance dementia knowledge and care among the South Asian community, where this issue may be magnified due to cultural context, misconceptions about aging and dementia, social stigma, and unavailability of language and culturally-sensitive services and resources.

This three-year initiative is in partnership with Fraser Health, Divisions of Family Practice, Alzheimer Society of BC, UBC Continuing Professional Development, and UBC Intercultural Online Health Network (iCON).  To access the clinical tools and resources developed through this initiative, visit UBC-CPD. To refer patients and clients, please call the South Asian Dementia Helpline at 604-449-5003 (Toll-free 1-833-674-5003).
 

  • SSC Focus newsletters
  • Videos

What’s New

Mar 17, 2023

Development of HIV/STI guidelines on partner notification through Health System Redesign project improves patient experience journey

Jan 24, 2023

Spoken interpretation services available to community specialists

Nov 25, 2022

Health System Redesign Project leads to improved cancer care for BC patients

Three physicians compare and discuss notes
Nov 24, 2022

SSC Supports Physician Leadership to Improve Health Care in BC

View all News

About Us

  • Committee Members
  • Reports

SSC Fees

  • Advance Care Planning
  • Discharge Care Planning
  • Group Medical Visits (GMV)
  • Multidisciplinary Conferencing
  • Patient Follow-up Fees
  • Specialist Advice Fees
  • FAQs
  • Labour Market Adjustment Fees

News

  • SSC Focus newsletters
  • Videos

General Contact

Specialist Services Committee
sscbc@doctorsofbc.ca
604-638-4853  

The Specialist Services Committee acknowledges that we work on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of many different Indigenous Nations throughout British Columbia.

Acknowledging that we are on the traditional territories of First Nations communities is an expression of cultural humility and involves recognizing our duty and desire to support the provision of culturally safe care to First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people in BC. 

Government of BC   Doctors of BC

Specialist Services Committee © Doctors of BC

  • About Us
    • Committee Members
    • Reports
  • Programs and Initiatives
    • Develop Physician Capability
    • Engage Physicians & Health Partners
    • Transform Care Delivery
  • News
    • SSC Focus newsletters
    • Videos
  • Contact
  • The Exchange
  • Main Menu
  • search