Member, Kootenay Boundary Patient Advisory Committee (PACC Committee)

The Patient Advisory Committee and Community (PACC) works with the Kootenay Boundary Division of Family Practice, Interior Health and other health care partners to contribute to real and constructive change in the region. The goal of the PACC is to strengthen patient and family engagement in the Kootenay Boundary region, increase patients’ influence on health care system change, and educate and empower people to be more knowledgeable and effective partners in health care at all levels. By having more patients participate in the PACC, we can better represent the diversity of patient voices in our communities.

Number of vacancies: 4
Date/Time: Meetings are scheduled on a weekday at a consistent, mutually agreed-upon time.
Location: Virtually using Zoom with option of 1+ in-person meetings per year in Castlegar
Commitment: 1 meeting per month for approximately 2 hours.
Between meetings, there may be requests for input by email or by phone. It is anticipated that this work will continue for over a year.

You will be on a committee with 8-12 other people and receive support from a small team from the KB Division of Family Practice and Interior Health.

Reimbursement
Mileage (for in person meetings) and out-of-pocket expenses will be reimbursed by the Kootenay Boundary Patient Advisory Committee and Community. And, if you meet the eligibility criteria but have concerns about your ability to participate, please contact Jen Schmidt, Program Manager, PACC@divisionsbc.ca to see if additional support options are available. We are always seeking to better understand and reduce barriers to participation.

Background
By joining the PACC Committee, you will be part of a passionate group of volunteer citizens who meet to help make a difference in health care in the KB region. The PACC is an ongoing committee that recruits new patient partners from time to time to maintain a strong representation of the Kootenay Boundary population.

The PACC Committee advances its strategic goals for strengthening patient engagement; provides feedback on questions from health care providers, researchers and leaders; and has opportunities to participate in learning events. The PACC Committee is a working group of the Kootenay Boundary Collaborative Services Committee (CSC), composed of representatives from the KB Division of Family Practice, Interior Health, patients and First Nations and tasked with transforming the regional and local health care system into an integrated system of care. The PACC Committee provides input into decisions and discussions of the CSC and programs and projects under its umbrella.

The PACC Committee has been providing input on health care in the Kootenay Boundary since 2019. In 2024, it developed a 1-year strategic plan that includes navigating the Committee through a transition year that aims to grow in diversity and stabilize the Committee. The more voices there are on the PACC Committee, the better the PACC can represent what people need from their health care providers and the health care system.

The PACC’s contributions include initiatives such as the rollout of the KB Primary Care Network (PCN), meeting access to care needs for all patients through virtual and after-hours care, and the development of the Patient Experience Survey. The PACC also partners with the Selkirk College Pre Med Program to strengthen the knowledge base about patient engagement in our region.

In addition, you may have seen our Empowering the Citizen Patient Campaign that includes 11 educational articles, to date, covering topics from caregiving to supports for patients without a primary care provider. In the coming year, we’ll be developing navigation maps to help people prepare for surgery.

Much of the PACC’s work relates to primary care but, given the PACC’s relationship to the KB Collaborative Services Committee (CSC), the scope of questions and input could include acute, community or long term care settings.

You will be on a committee with 8-12 other people and receive support from a small team from the KB Division of Family Practice and Interior Health.

For more information, please check out our website: https://kbpacc.ca/

PACC Ground Rules
PACC Terms of Reference

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Level of Engagement

This opportunity is at the level of Collaborate on the IAP2 Spectrum of Public Participation.

Eligibility

• Previous committee/working group experience
• Have access to technology and the internet to participate in the engagement opportunity
• Comfortable using technology to attend online/virtual meetings
• An interest in improving health care services
• The time to participate in the engagement opportunity
• Open to patient partners from the Kootenay Boundary, specifically residents: of the Lower Columbia, Arrow Lakes, Slocan Valley, East Shore, Boundary, or North Kootenay Lake OR who are First Nations, Metis, or Inuit or members of an underrepresented ethnic or identity-based group (from anywhere in the KB)Respects diversity and differing opinions, privacy and confidentiality
• Comfortable providing constructive advice and collaborating with health system partners
• This opportunity is not open to staff members or patient partners who are currently employed by this health authority.

Patient Partners ARE NOT required to be PVN members to participate in this engagement opportunity.

Health Care Partner Contact Information

Jen Schmidt PACC Manager, PACC | Kootenay Boundary Division of Family Practice (604) 992-7966 PACC@divisionsbc.ca

Interested?

Apply by January 10, 2025.

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