Purpose
To compensate physicians at the sessional rate for participation in time-limited, project-based, system redesign work within a health authority or community with health authority involvement. The focus of the work is on changes to acute and community-based health initiatives or programs within a health authority or the health authority component of a provincial or inter-health authority project. See Overview and FAQs.
Sizing it Up
Physicians play an important role in influencing, developing and implementing redesign plans, therefore SSC funding is allocated to compensate specialists participating in health system redesign initiatives led by the health authorities. Health System Redesign is a joint initiative of the Specialist Services Committee, Shared Care Committee, and General Practice Services Committees (collectively the Joint Clinical Committees).
Things to Know
Funding is intended for time-limited system redesign projects and broad scale physician engagement to assist health authorities to receive physician input and engagement in acute and community-based system redesign activities and projects. Funding is not intended for ongoing program administration, committee work, or staff positions, or for clinical compensation. Physicians are already responsible and compensated for hospital administrative duties. Please note: Depending on contract terms of time and /or deliverables, a physician on service contract may be eligible. Alternatively-paid physicians may be eligible for funding should the services fall outside the scope of the contract in hours and deliverables.
Funding 2019-22
For the 2019-22 fiscal years, a three year agreement was introduced allowing health authorities to improve their strategic focus and to facilitate longer term projects to continue their work and carryover funding into the next fiscal. The total funding budget for the next three fiscal years is $1,205,000 per health authority and will be released in six phases based on health authority spending.
Funding Criteria
In determining that a particular activity is appropriate for Health System Redesign funding, health authorities should apply the following criteria:
- Funding is to be aligned with the Ministry of Health priorities.
- Funding is intended to assist health authorities to receive meaningful physician input and engagement in acute and community-based service redesign activities and projects.
- Physician input and engagement should reflect appropriate application of the IAP2 Core Values and Spectrum of Engagement1. Identification of the level of engagement anticipated in projects and activities supported through HSR funding should be clearly outlined for each project or engagement activity funded.
- Funding is applied for time-limited redesign projects and broad scale physician engagement in health authority service redesign activities, recognizing that these may be several years in duration.
- Funding is not intended for ongoing program administration, standing committee work or to cover the cost of staff positions.
- Funding is intended to cover physician participation beyond hospital administrative duties for which physicians are already responsible and compensated; and
- Funding for physician engagement in Health authority HSR projects should not be applied where funding responsibility for physician engagement rests else
- where, regardless of whether funding for those activities is considered inadequate. This is to avoid overlap and duplication of funding from multiple sources.
Access Support
Funding is administered by each health authority. Please contact your health authority to learn more about how to access this support:
Vancouver Coastal Health
Laura Muljiani Laura.Muljiani@vch.ca
Eva Jackson Eva.Jackson@vch.ca
Interior Health
Atsuko Tanahara Atsuko.Tanahara@interiorhealth.ca
Fraser Health
Jag Sandhu Jag.Sandhu@fraserhealth.ca
Island Health
Deborah Bartley Deborah.Bartley@viha.ca
Northern Health
Janice Paterson janice.paterson@northernhealth.ca
Provincial Health Services
Yuriko Ryan yuriko.ryan@phsa.ca
FAQs
Physicians invited to participate in Health Authority initiated projects relating to system redesign will be compensated at the current sessional rate for their participation.
- What types of Health Authority activities are funded to support physician engagement?
- To ensure physician perspectives are captured in the health system redesign activities taking place across Health Authorities, a limited amount of funding has been made available to engage physicians in approved Health Authority System Redesign projects. The scope of successful projects and initiatives include projects that identify goals of improving health outcomes for priority patient population with complex needs, seniors, mental health and substance abuse, surgical care, end of life care, improving patient experience of care and projects that reduce waste and improve patient safety, quality and better outcomes.
- How do I participate in an approved project?
- Health Authority staff will connect with physicians in redesign activities for designated projects. If you are interested in participating in projects, you may make your interest known through your department heads.
- I am a contracted or salaried physician, am I eligible to receive payment for the redesign work I am engaged in?
- Yes, where the project work you are involved in is outside the scope of your contract, whether outside of the specified hours or deliverables.
