Member, West Coast General Hospital Ambulatory Care Redesign Initiative

The West Coast General Hospital care team is revamping ambulatory care services to better meet the needs of, and treatment environment for our patients; also to improve the work environment for our staff and physicians. We are seeking patient partners, preferably with previous patient experience in ambulatory care, to help us design a functional, efficient, user-friendly environment.

Open to: Patient partners in Port Alberni and area

Lead Organization or Department

Island Health, Community Health and Care

Aim

The goal of this initiative is to create a safe, efficient and effective ambulatory care service area that will support quality patient care, reduce service duplication and improve patient care outcomes through a team-based approach to redesign including the engagement of patient partners.

Level of Engagement

This opportunity is at the level of involve on the spectrum of engagement. The promise to you is that the health care partner will involve patients in planning and design phases to ensure ideas or concerns are considered and reflected in alternatives and recommendations.

Eligibility

• Ability to look at the big picture while bringing your own or another's experience to inform discussion and decision-making
• Comfortable with communicating in a group setting
• Enjoy working in a multidisciplinary team
• Ability to understand simple data
• Resident of Port Alberni or area
• Please note:
  • This opportunity is not open to patient partners who are currently employed by Island Health.
  • 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 Ryan Sidorchuk directly to see if accommodations may be possible.

Logistics

• Vacancies: 2
• Meetings will be held at the West Coast General Hospital in Port Alberni
• Meetings will be approximately every 3 weeks lasting 1-1.5 hours
• Duration of project will be approximately 6 months to 1 year
• Working group/committee meetings will be in person
• Specific dates and times to be determined in the first meeting, in April

Reimbursement

Local travel (mileage/parking) expenses as applicable according to Island Health rates will be reimbursed.

Background

Ambulatory care is any same-day treatments or procedures that are done on an outpatient basis in the hospital. Currently the ambulatory care area is used for a multitude of treatments and procedures with physician oversight from the emergency department. Service providers recognize that an opportunity for improvement exists, and health system redesign funding has been obtained to support initial physician engagement for this initiative. Currently local residents have limited access to outpatient IV therapy and wound care is offered only in the community. There is no coordination between community and ambulatory services and at times patients are required to visit both sites in order to receive full services. There is no room in the community for service expansion, so we are looking to ambulatory services to see where improvements can be made. There are no foreseeable risks to this initiative. Redesign of services to better meet patient needs will have a positive impact on acute and community services and patient experience within the system. Terms of Reference have not yet been developed.

Health Care Partner Contact Information

Ryan Sidorchuk
Engagement Leader, Patient and Public Engagement | Central & North Vancouver Island
250.951.4850
rsidorchuk@bcpsqc.ca