Because your voice matters.

Patient Partner, Substance Use Physician Quality Improvement Projects

Posted • Last updated

Closed

Commitment: Long-term

Connection method: Virtual

Open to Fraser – Vancouver Coastal

Last updated

Volunteer Opportunity
Understanding how to increase access to care for people who use injection drugs involves learning from those who have been there. St Paul’s Hospital, Vancouver General Hospital and Vancouver primary care clinics are seeking a patient advisor to participate in physician led projects.

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Lead Organization/Department
Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) / Providence Health Care (PHC), Medical Quality Leadership and Practice Leadership

Aim
There are three quality improvement projects:
• Improve engagement in service of LGBT and substance users who have HIV at the John Ruedy Clinic (JRC).
• Increase the number of patients who are supported with substance use resources from the emergency department at Vancouver General Hospital.
• Increase attachment to primary care clinics for people who live in shelters, SRO’s, MHSU supported housing, or those who are unhoused.
Patient advisors will brainstorm potential solutions and provide their opinion on how to best implement the solutions. Having a patient partner in these improvement projects can help us ensure that the potential solutions are appropriate and effective from a patient perspective.

Level of Engagement
This opportunity is at the level of involve on the spectrum of engagement (www.iap2.org). The promise to you is that the health care partner will work with you to ensure that your ideas and concerns are reflected in recommendations and provide feedback on how your input affected the decision.

Eligibility
• Lived Experience of using injection drugs
• Preference given to individual living with HIV, who experienced being unhoused and have worked in the health care or non-profit sector (for example: as peer workers).

If you have a strong interest in this work but have not yet completed a PVN orientation and Patient Partner Commitment, are unsure if your experience is a good fit, please contact Jami Brown directly. There will be an informal conversation about the opportunity. The goal is to find the best fit for all involved.

Logistics
• Number: 1
• Date/Time: To be determined in consultation with the patient partner.
• Commitment: Four hours per month, three meetings per months on weekdays between 8am and 5pm. There may be opportunities for more hours for in-person workshops.
• Location: Zoom meetings.

Reimbursement
No out-of-pocket expenses are anticipated for this engagement opportunity. Recognition for time will be provided according to the health care partners’ organizational policies at 25$/hour, for an average of 4h/month.

Contact
If you have additional questions about this volunteer opportunity, please contact:
Jami Brown | BA, MAPC (she/her/hers)
Engagement Leader
BC Patient Safety & Quality Council
604.510.0449
jbrown@bcpsqc.ca

From Our Community

Karla Warkotsch

Patient Experience Consultant – Interior Health

Karla Warkotsch

The question I like to ask health care employees is ‘Who is this for?’ and ‘Do we have the right people at the table?’ As a health care employee, I see how easy it is to fall into doing for, rather than doing with patients. The voices of the patient, family and caregiver are essential to ensure the patient is central to the direction and focus of the work being done.

Members of the BCPSQC pose for a team photo at the Quality Forum 2019.

Health Quality BC administers the Patient Voices Network. Using evidence-informed strategies, the Council shifts culture, improves clinical practice and advances person- and family-centred care to support high-quality care for every person in our province.