Member, South Island Primary Care Network Steering Committee

Volunteer Opportunity
Building responsive primary care to support health care close to home is critical to receiving care that matters to you. The Primary Care Networks in the South Island are seeking two patient partners to be a part of this important work.

RSVP Now

Lead Organization/Department
Island Health, Primary & Community Care

Aim
Our goal is to work as part of a larger geographical Primary Care Network (PCN), connecting with other clinics, health authority (HA) services (such as public health clinics, mental health and substance use services and community services) to make sure that patients have seamless access to all the care they need.

Patient Partner are a valuable member and voice at the table in making resource decisions, reviewing health care models, and determining strategy for the Primary Care Networks implementation in the South Island.

Level of Engagement
This opportunity is at the level of collaborate on the spectrum of engagement. The promise to you is that the health care partner will work together with you to formulate solutions and incorporate your advice and recommendations into the decisions to the maximum extent possible.

Eligibility
• Adult with experience with Primary Care on Saanich Peninsula for two or more years and a desire to improve health care in Primary Care
• Experience in the BC Health System is a plus but not required, and experience as a patient or family member or a person with complex care needs is also helpful
• Please note:
– RSVP follow up might include an informal conversation about the opportunity and determination of the best fit for both patient and health care partners prior to placement
– Applicants must have previously attended a PVN orientation session and completed the Volunteer Agreement. If you have not attended an orientation session but you are interested in this opportunity, please contact Charmaine Niebergall directly to see if accommodations may be possible

Logistics
• Number of vacancies: 2
• Date/Time: Meetings occur monthly on the first Wednesday of every month from 5:30-7:30pm
• Location: The in-person location is in Victoria BC however during COVID restrictions, these meetings will take place by Zoom call
• Commitment: Over a year

Reimbursement
There are no expenses anticipated at this time. The meeting is local to the Saanich Peninsula region and parking is free at the meeting location, if meetings transition back to in-person. This can be discussed if there are any expenses identified.

Background
The Government of BC’s Primary and Community Care Strategy is focused on improving the everyday health care services that British Columbians rely on. Through interdisciplinary team-based care, the Ministry of Health will fund and recruit more health care professionals into the health system and ensure patients are at the centre of health care delivery.
The strategy includes, where feasible, interdisciplinary team-based family practices and primary care clinics for patients located throughout the province, where physicians and nurse practitioners work alongside other health professionals to provide complete care to patients. These practices and clinics – called patient medical homes – will work as part of a larger geographical Primary Care Network (PCN) – connecting with other clinics, health authority (HA) services (such as pubic health clinics, mental health and substance use services, and community services) to make sure that patients have seamless access to all the care that they need. Interdisciplinary teams may not be co-located, and delivery models may be adapted accordingly.
Governance and management of primary care implementation is structured across local, regional, and provincial levels. The bulk of the work will be performed at the local level, between the physicians, other health care providers, local divisions of family practice and health authority teams. To provide clarity and consistency as PCNs and other primary care models get off the ground and being implementation, a collaborative governance and management approach has been developed.
The PCN Steering Committee is co-chaired by (i) a representative of the health authority and (ii) a Physician representative from the Division. A local First Nations representative is also invited to co-chair the PCN Steering Committee.
The Steering Committee is comprised of local patient representatives, local First Nations partners, physician representatives from local primary care practices, and family/caregiver representatives. Additional groups may also be invited to sit at the steering committee to ensure that the PCN is representative of the community and of the health care providers delivering services.
Patient participation in this process is essential to ensure a person-centred approach for implementing and sustaining the Saanich Peninsula Primary Care Network.

Health Care Partner Contact Information

Charmaine Niebergall
Engagement Leader, Patient & Public Engagement | Vancouver Island
778.700.2064
cniebergall@bcpsqc.ca