Doctors of BC in the Media

Dr Birinder Narang spoke to Global News about the collaborative digital referrals and orders work between Doctors of BC, PHSA, and Providence Health care to help digitize the data flow in the health care system. With OceanMD e-referrals, physicians can easily search for clinics, streamline data entry, integrate provincial forms, and much more. Currently, a number of early adopter clinics are using the new system, but "the goal is to scale up eventually, and to include all of the hospital systems." Watch the interview.

President of Doctors of BC urged nervous parents – and even unvaccinated adults – to talk to their family doctor or a trusted health-care professional about the risks, which are few, and the benefits to the shot.

President, Dr Ahmer Karimuddin, spoke at the Ministry of Health news conference supportive of the milestones the Longitudinal Family Practice model has achieved in one year, but acknowledging there are still access issues, including patients waiting for specialty care.

Last year, the BC government introduced changes to the way family doctors are paid and a local physician says he’s already noticed an improvement.

BC is the first province to sign an individual health deal with the federal government over three years. President of Doctors of BC, Dr Josh Greggain weighed in on the deal and the impact it will have on health care in the province. "We believe a further investment into healthcare from the federal perspective into our province's health care system is a good thing."

BC could soon see physician assistants hired to help doctors in emergency departments such as the one at Saanich Peninsula Hospital, where staffing shortages have led to closings. Doctors of BC president Dr Joshua Greggain said the association has been pushing for physician assistants since 2013. “We’re very thankful that’s being done now — the sooner the better,” said Greggain.

Dozens of foreign-trained doctors are now working under special licenses requiring supervision in BC hospitals, while more are being recruited for deployment as family doctors in urgent care centres, CTV News has learned. Health Minister Adrian Dix confirmed that the province has employed “associate physicians” in acute care, with 120 more positions posted. The president of the Doctors of BC pointed out that other parts of Canada have “clinical associates” who also work under the supervision of physicians, and recognizes the potential pressures and precarity of the jobs.

Doctors in BC say they’re still waiting to get paid agreed-upon fee increases. The province says both the Ministry of Health and Doctors of BC “are undertaking a multi-step process per the terms of the PMA to allocate the funding to individual physician fees. Approval on the allocations is expected soon.” However, the situation is not sitting well with many physicians. The delay is causing frustration for doctors who are already under financial stress. “It definitely doesn’t bode well. The (Physician) Master Agreement and the negotiated (Longitudinal Family Physician) agreement were really trying to help make sure that medicine in British Columbia — both family practice and specialty care — is something that everyone wants to do and is sustainable, and this is definitely a step in the wrong direction,” Doctors of BC President Dr Joshua Greggain said Friday. 

Starting Thursday morning, British Columbians will be able to book appointments online with pharmacists to access prescription medication for several minor ailments and illnesses.

British Columbians will be able to book appointments with pharmacists in person or by phone.

Doctors of B.C. president Dr. Joshua Greggain said the province is experiencing a crisis of primary care access — and pharmacists can be a valuable tool in combating that.

"I think nobody feels the [issue of] access to family doctors more than the family doctors or the physicians of this province. Specialists, patients, family doctors are all trying to get different access to care than what we currently have," Greggain said. "As there's an opportunity to add further team players, I think that's generally a good thing. However, how it's done— ensuring that it's done safely and ensuring it's done collectively and collaboratively — is really important. The last thing we need is further fragmentation."
 

Surrey Memorial Hospital will undergo an expansion to increase capacity for inpatient and outpatient care, surgeries, and clinical programs, according to Health Minister Adrian Dix. While details of the expansion are yet to be revealed, Dix announced several immediate and medium-term measures to address the hospital's current challenges. Read more.

Health Minister Adrian Dix is on the defensive after dozens of BC physicians have penned letters outlining unsafe conditions in hospitals they say are putting patients at risk.

Dr. Joshua Greggain, president of Doctors of B.C., confirmed there’s been an increase in patients being admitted to hospital with no doctor attached.

“That’s not a safe way to provide care,” he said. Greggain said while a shortage of hospitalists is one factor putting stress on emergency departments, other factors include the number of people coming to emergency rooms because of the opioid crisis, the mental health crisis and the shortage of family doctors.