Victoria Primary Care Network Attachment Working Group

Volunteer Opportunity
It can be challenging to find a family physician. To help with this challenge we are creating an attachment process that will feed into the centralized waitlist called the Health Connect Registry. Join the Victoria Primary Care Network Attachment Working Group to have your input in to this process.

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Lead Organization/Department
Victoria Division of Family Practice

Aim
We are looking for lived experience from patient partners. We hope to better understand the barriers and challenges in seeking a new family physician. You will provide us with that lens and contribute to the conversation in helping us lead this work in a good way.

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
Open to patient partners:
• The Victoria area
• Who have an interest in, or experience with primary care
• That have access to a computer, internet, and are comfortable using Zoom.
• Please note:
– The placement process for this opportunity may include an informal interview between the volunteer and the health care partner.
– 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:
– Bi-weekly starting November 2021.
– 10am-11am on Thursday
• Location: Virtually over Zoom
• Commitment: November 2021 to March 2022 (5 months)

Reimbursement
No out-of-pocket expenses are anticipated for this engagement opportunity. However, if you meet the eligibility criteria but have concerns about your ability to participate, please contact Charmaine Niebergall cniebergall@bcpsqc.ca to see if support options are available. We are always seeking to better understand and reduce barriers to participation.

Background
Primary Care Networks understand the need for patients to find physicians in a timely fashion when they move to a new community, or their physician retires or changes location. The goal of the Health Connect Registry (HCR) is to assist with improving patient attachment and access to primary care services, and facilitating a learning and quality improvement approach in relation to attachment and access across the region and the province. Please visit this BC primary care webpage to learn more. Individuals and families access to a family physician and/or nurse practitioner for direct attachment is the key focus of this work. The working group will consist of 2 patient partners, Physicians, Nurse Practitioners, Indigenous community members, and Division of Family Practice Staff. Terms of reference will be provided to patient partners and all members of the working group.

The purpose of the attachment working group will be to:
• Systematically examine big picture questions and make recommendations to the Steering Committee in terms of how the Victoria Primary Care Network will use the Health Connect Registry to attach and prioritize patients.
• Determining how we will equitably attach prioritize populations and develop attachment protocols and processes before joining the HCR.

Health Care Partner Contact Information

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