Over the last five years, the Specialist Services Committee (SSC) and Shared Care Committee (SCC) has funded BC doctors to attend the Institute of Healthcare Improvement’s (IHI) annual forum in Orlando, the world’s premier healthcare event that attracts thousands of health care participants from across the globe, providing them with inspiration, networking, and knowledge sharing opportunities. Adapting to the travel and gathering restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the event was hosted virtually last December (6-9) with 128 participants from BC sponsored by SSC and SCC.
Introducing the new SSC Co-Chair, Dr Ahmer Karimuddin
Feb 11, 2021
Representing Doctors of BC on the Specialist Services Committee (SSC) as the new Co-Chair, Dr Ahmer Karimuddin, a general and colorectal surgeon, is a familiar face on SSC, the Joint Collaborative Committees (JCCs), and Doctors of BC.
Registration open for online course on Finding and Creating Joy in Work
Feb 9, 2021
Given the popularity of the course on Finding and Creating Joy in Work among the participa
Physician project cuts patient wait times by half
Jan 29, 2021
Patients who are getting bloodwork done at the outpatient lab in the Gordon and Leslie Diamond Health Care Centre are no longer facing lengthy wait times, with the introduction of new online booking system that allows appointments to be made ahead of time. The project is another example of advancements supported by the Physician Quality Improvement (PQI) initiative, to improve the quality of health care for British Columbians.
Helping to change the paradigm of treatment for alcohol use disorder in BC
Jan 28, 2021
When Dr Jeff Harries first read in a 2003 Lancet article about a pharmacotherapy that helped some patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD), it began a change in how he understood AUD.
Funding support available for BC doctors to attend Quality Forum
Jan 19, 2021
BC doctors are invited to join the annual Quality Forum on February 25 and 26, 2021.
Leveling the playing field for osteoporosis care
Dec 11, 2020
A Canadian study conducted in 2014 found that more than 320,000 hip fractures occur in North America each year and the death rate within a year of surgery ranges from 14 to 36 per cent -- fractures
Specialist Services Committee Backs Expansive Strategy For Improving Cystic Fibrosis Patient Care
Nov 4, 2020
This article was first published in the BC Medical Journal's November 2020 edition.
COVID-19 Office Safety Plan Support Grant for BC’s Community Physicians
Nov 2, 2020
Doctors with community offices in BC have invested time and expense to re-open their practices in a way that ensures safe in-person care for patients.
To help offset some of these costs, the Joint Collaborative Committees – a partnership of Doctors of BC and the BC government - are reallocating funds to provide a $1,000 grant to each eligible physician who has implemented COVID-19 Safety Plan in their community practices.
Spotlight on a Specialist – Dr Tiffany Chan
Nov 2, 2020
Campbell River’s colorectal surgeon, Dr Tiffany Chan, chose her path by following this piece of advice: pick a speciality with the kind of people you like to hang out with because they will be your colleagues, mentors and advisors for the rest of your career. Dr Chan found that colleagues in colorectal surgery were her kind of people.
Doctors unite to fight incorrect diagnoses of penicillin allergy
Oct 30, 2020
Approximately 10 per cent of patients in BC’s medical system believe they’re allergic to penicillin, but 90 per cent of those patients are wrong.
“It’s a big problem because people are getting antibiotics that aren’t optimal for their therapy, and it’s costing the health care system quite a bit of money,” says Dr Tiffany Wong, an allergist in the Division of Allergy and Immunology at BC Children’s Hospital.
BC specialists and family doctors sponsored to participate virtually at the IHI National Forum
Oct 30, 2020
The Specialist Services and the Shared Care Committees are pleased to sponsor 100 specialists and 100 family physicians in BC
Island Health blazes a new trial by cutting back on MS patients’ need to travel for care
Oct 1, 2020
The success of Island Health’s RuralHealth TeleMS program can be measured in kilometers not driven, time not spent commuting, gas dollars saved, and energy retained by patients whose Multiple Sclerosis (MS) already depletes their resources.
Community Specialists: We are looking for your input
Sep 9, 2020
Various community-based specialists have approached us at the Specialist Services Committee (SSC) about the hurdles that you encounter as you work to provide the best possible patient care. To ensure we have a broad understanding of these challenges, we need your input. Please fill out this five-minute survey by September 25,2020. The survey outcomes will be used to inform our ongoing work and will help us address your needs, so that together we can help improve patient care in BC.
Teamwork is delivering powerful changes for newborns
Aug 28, 2020
Dr Sandesh Shivananda, Medical Director at the BC Women's Hospital Neonatal program has seen many significant changes in quality of care and teamwork since moving in the new Teck Acute Care Centre in 2017 – a centre with 70 beds that provides birth and post-birth care for mothers and new born babies.
Registration open for online course on Finding & Creating Joy in Work
Jul 10, 2020
Given the popularity of the course on Finding and Creating Joy in Work among the participants over the last year, the Specialist Services and Shared Care Committees via their Physician Leadership S
Spotlight on a Specialist - Dr Carol Ward
Jun 29, 2020
Dr Carol Ward, a geriatric psychiatrist chose her specialty for the opportunity to connect with people. “I love stories. I love to hear people’s stories. And the longer you live, the better the story.” Growing up in the Maritimes, Dr Ward was surrounded by good story-tellers – “Generally speaking I find older folk are grateful and very appreciative of being able to share their lived experience.” Knowing her patients’ stories is her way to helping them. Dr Ward finds that it’s like being a detective – pulling all aspects of medicine and a person’s background together.
How is Facility Engagement making a difference?
Jun 26, 2020
A new publication brings together just a few of the many great examples of Facility Engagement activities across BC MSAs and health authorities. Each provides insights into engagement processes t
Vernon PQI project allows pediatric diabetes clinic to launch virtual consultations
Jun 26, 2020
Diabetes care for children is team-based, says Vernon general pediatrician Eiko Waida.
“There are a lot of people involved. We have the patient, the patient’s family, sometimes multiple families, the nurse, the dietician, administration, different pediatricians – industry is the other big thing. We have pump trainers out in the community. It’s a lot of players,” she explained.
Island Health PQI project aims to relieve the stress of pandemic health care workers
Jun 25, 2020
For health care providers, extreme stress is an expected side effect of working on the front lines during a pandemic. In addition to the stress of treating patients with so many unknowns, concerns about contracting the virus and spreading it to others is profound in the medical community.
Victoria psychiatrist Dr Joanna Cheek recognized early on that frontline workers would need a psychosocial response to this stress. Already working on a Physician-Led Quality Improvement (PQI) project, she was able to work with PQI manager Jennie Aitken to pivot, create a new team, and create a Stress First Aid and Peer Support virtual workshop that was supported by PQI and the Specialist Services Committee (SSC).