Simplifying the Journey

A goal to ‘simplify the journey’ is easy to state, but when it comes to health care – nothing is easy to do. On March 1, about 400 physicians, health authority administrators and allied health care professionals came together to help transform health care and move it closer to a cohesive quality care system for all who are touched by it.

The Joint Collaborative Committees, a partnership of Doctors of BC and the Ministry of Health, hosted the event. This pre-forum event was part of this year’s BC Patient Safety & Quality Council Forum.

After the welcome prayer by the Chinook Songcatchers, Doctors of BC President, Dr. Alan Ruddiman opened the day by challenging everyone, “don’t be afraid to bring your local issues to the table – we are stronger people of influence when we are part of a network.” Developing those networks - means identifying and understanding local, as well as provincial issues.

And networking was a key part of this day. With the high attendance, there was a real opportunity to discuss, strategize, and gather greater understanding of each other’s challenges. At the heart of it all is the patient and family, and the health professionals who provide care across the province.

The day was built around a number of interactive workshops in the morning that focused on primary care, surgical care, rural health, telehealth, quality improvement and pooled referrals for improved patient care.  The afternoon brought everyone together to develop action plans for moving forward. 

As Shared Care Co-chair, Marilyn Copes said, “there are pockets of brilliance out there in different communities – we have to find ways to identify and spread these brilliant ideas.” 

The JCCs are about being catalysts for health care improvement. This JCCs event allowed for discussions on what to change, how to change and when to change – at the same time, acknowledging change happens slowly - if it is to be valuable and sustainable many years down the road. For examples of the JCCs’ work, please visit: RXinnovate.ca.