What’s New

Dr. Carolyn Shiau, a pathologist working out of Royal Columbian Hospital (RCH) was tired of hearing “because that’s the way it is always done” when looking to make improvements.  In April 2015, she joined the Physician Quality and Regional Safety Team (PQRST) – an initiative funded by SSC to support physician engagement through quality improvement in Fraser Health.

For most, spring means blooming flowers and blossoming trees. But for the 20% of the population who suffer from allergies, the season means sneezing, congestion, itchy eyes, even asthma. While many allergies can be controlled with the occasional use of an over-the-counter medication, some can interfere with day-to-day activities, can decrease a person’s quality of life and in certain circumstances even be life threatening. That’s where an Allergist or Immunologist comes in.

Desire – it’s the key ingredient to make change happen. The Enhanced Recovery Collaborative is a collection of physicians, nurses, administrators, and allied health care providers with the desire to build the Enhanced Recovery capacity in BC’s surgical programs. Enhanced Recovery protocols are multi-modal perioperative care pathways designed to achieve early recovery after surgical procedures.

It took two external evaluations, along with consultations with individual specialists, two-thirds of the specialist sections and a number of other stakeholders to identify ways to improve the SSC fees. The enhanced fees focus on increasing Specialists' capacity, improving coordination of care, and improving patient access to Specialists’ expertise. The fees become a reality in the next month or so.

We’ve seen television shows like ER glamourize the life of an emergency room physician. Depicting a scene of coordinated chaos in which everything – more or less – always goes according to plan. But the reality is much different. From minor cuts and bruises to traumatic life and death situations, ER physicians never know what will come through the doors. Every shift and every patient is like a game of chance.

Therefore, ER doctors must be prepared for all situations and be able to function under some of the most extreme circumstances – all while performing at the top of their game.

It’s no surprise that it is important to keep a laser-focus on quality and safety to ensure patient care is maintained and enhanced.
 

When the first round of SSC Quality and Innovation Initiative funding became available, Drs Jonathan Down and Gudrun Aubertin knew what they wanted to do. Both Victoria-based physicians, Dr. Down, a developmental pediatrician and Dr. Aubertin, a clinical geneticist saw a great need to develop a multidisciplinary Fragile X and Related Conditions Clinic.

The new Physician Master Agreement (PMA) has brought something original to Canada. Funding that enables facility-based doctors to be more effectively engaged to contribute their voice in Health Authority decisions. The goal of this new funding is to seek collaboration on mutually agreed upon priorities that improve patient care and the health care system. The Specialist Services Committee has the responsibility of overseeing this initiative and distributing funding.