A pilot program that provides after hours care for attached patients of family physicians and nurse practitioners in the Langley, South Island, South Okanagan Similkameen, Thompson Region, and Victoria Divisions of Family Practice is already showing results. The six-month pilot, a partnership between the Family Practice Services Committee (FPSC) and HealthLink BC and five divisions of family practice, was developed to reduce the challenges that family physicians face in providing patients with care outside regular office hours.
A revolutionary approach to health care is gaining recognition at the Murrayville Family Practice Group in Langley. A collaborative team of eight family physicians, three nurse practitioners, three registered nurses, and a clinical pharmacist works cohesively to offer timely and comprehensive medical services for the group, which has offices in Murrayville and Willoughby. Colin Fee, a clinical pharmacist with four years of experience at the practice, plays a crucial role on the team.
The Family Practice Services Committee (FPSC) is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year following a series of programs and initiatives that have changed the way patient care is provided across the province. FPSC – formerly the General Practices Services Committee – began in 2003 as a trial project bringing the medical association and the government together to improve patient care and draw more physicians to family practice amid concerns of low pay, morale, and job dissatisfaction.
Dr Shireen Alam suspected the rates of mental health diagnoses had risen during the first few years of the COVID-19 pandemic. Her clinic, the Shelbourne Family Practice & Maternity in Victoria, decided to investigate during recent panel management. Erika Patterson, a panel coach with the Family Practices Services Committee (FPSC), discovered many patients had been coded with a generic health diagnosis, and not flagged for mental health. Once the coding was corrected, the clinic’s mental health numbers skyrocketed.
On October 24, 2023, more than 350 primary care leaders from across the province came together at the FPSC Primary Care Partners Event in Vancouver to: