More Than “Just a Family Doctor”
…views of BC Family Doctors. We share news written by or about family physicians to keep our members up to date on topics impacting our professional lives. Originally published in: CMAJ Blogs By Dr. Christine Hanna Christine Hanna is a family and emergency physician, the medical director/chief of the Division of emergency medicine at Quinte Health Care, and an assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine at Queen’s University. Whether…
Recent media about the family doctor shortage
BC is facing a shortage of family doctors doing community-based family medicine. Outdated working conditions and poor supports mean new to practice family physicians are not replacing those who are retiring. The result is a growing number of British Columbians are without a family doctor. BC Family Doctors Executive Director Dr. Renee Fernandez spoke to CBC’s Stephen Quinn on The Early Edition on November 1st, 2021. | Listen to the segment here….
Costly barriers to running clinics are a big reason why many British Columbians are without a doctor
…There are almost 900,000 British Columbians who don’t have a family doctor. Now BC Family Doctors is launching a campaign called ‘Everyone Deserves a Family Doctor’ to highlight the value of having a family doctor as well as ways to address the current crisis. For more information about the #EveryoneDeservesAFamilyDoctor campaign, click here….
How the new payment model could turn the tide on B.C.’s family doctor shortage
Dr. Melissa Duff There have been significant changes to primary care over the 17 years I have practiced family medicine. Yet the fee-for-service payment model has remained relatively static. Fee-for-service incentivizes seeing more patients, since we are primarily compensated by patient visits. Meanwhile, the reasons patients come to us for advice and help have expanded a lot. For example, fifty years ago people didn’t visit their family doctor f…
Fixing Canada’s doctor shortage: What needs to change
…Right now, millions of people can’t find a family doctor, and rural communities are feeling it the most. The good news? There are solutions. Here’s what experts say needs to happen. 1. Train more doctors Canada simply isn’t training enough doctors. Medical schools need more seats, and residency programs need more spots. Offering tuition support or loan forgiveness for doctors who work in high-need areas could also help bring care where it’s neede…
Notice of Results 2022-2023
…as the new Treasurer and an Officer of the Board. Dr Mitra has been a practicing family doctor for 5 years and recently served as the First Five Years of Practice Representative to the BC Family Doctors Board. Board of Directors 2022-2023 The delegates who were acclaimed in the recent nominations for Board of Directors are noted in orange below. The other Board delegates are continuing in their terms. There will be an election for District 7 (Fra…
Family Doctor Day
…the exceptional work that you do. We thank you for shouldering the responsibility of caring for British Columbians in these challenging times. Family doctors in this province are more than 6000 strong. In the past few months, we have seen the power of joining our voices together to speak about the crisis in family medicine and the value of having a family doctor. You are not alone. You are part of a community that is speaking out and working for…
Progress made on doctor shortage, but primary care crisis persists
…but still face challenges in delivering care. The Longitudinal Family Physician Payment Model, introduced in 2023, attracted over 800 new family doctors and reduced the number of British Columbians without access to a family doctor. While the new payment model slowed the exodus of family doctors, we continue to face a primary care crisis that extends beyond just recruitment. Family doctors are burdened by excessive administrative tasks, like unne…
The importance of having a family doctor
…hcare system, the impact is just as serious, with increased costs and inefficiencies straining limited resources. The reasons behind the crisis are no surprise: an aging workforce, fewer graduates choosing family medicine and the unsustainable pressures of the job. Here in B.C., the Longitudinal Family Physician (LFP) Payment Model offers one path forward. By valuing time spent on comprehensive, patient-centred care, it’s helping make family medic…
Solving the family doctor crisis: my journey back to practice
Dr. Shelly Eckland Jetzer My journey in family medicine started with a love for people and their stories. I was an Emergency and ICU nurse before becoming a doctor, so I was used to dealing with patients of all ages and backgrounds. When I moved into family medicine, I thrived on building relationships and getting to know my patients over time, caring for everyone in the family from “cradle to grave.” But as much as I loved it, the financial str…
Urgent care can’t replace primary care: my journey as a new‐to‐practice doctor
…have been caught early—overdue cancer screenings, uncontrolled chronic conditions, even early signs of dementia. It’s wild to see many preventable problems escalating to the point that they now need urgent specialist intervention. I started out in mechanical engineering, which is a lot like family medicine in its own way: cross-disciplinary, and touching on almost every other discipline. I always knew I wanted to attend medical school to combine m…
Meet the Board
Dr. Darren Joneson President Dr. Maryam Zeineddin Past President Dr. Birinder Narang President Elect Dr. Goldis Mitra Treasurer Dr. Karen Forgie Chair of Economics Committee Dr. Tahmeena Ali Board Chair Dr. Danette Dawkin Representative to the Statutory Negotiating Committee Dr. Jennifer Maxwell First Five Years of Practice Representative Dr. Jose Alvero FP Resident Year 1 Dr. Nicole Minielly FP Resident Year 2 District Delegates Please email hel…
How Do You Measure a Year?
One year ago, we launched the LFP Payment Model in British Columbia. One year ago, we shifted BC Family Doctors’ work to support the thousands of family doctors who chose en masse to move to a new compensation choice. One year ago, we allowed ourselves to hope. You told us “Everyone deserves a family doctor.” Today, we are a little bit closer to that reality. Thanks to your advocacy, feedback, and trust, we have accomplished much in the last year…
My Doctor Dumped Me. Here’s Why That’s So Common
…years now, there have not been nearly enough family doctors and nurse practitioners to meet demand. Nor have the models of how they practice delivered the quality and timeliness of primary health care we hoped for. When Dr. G. (I’ll call him) closed his practice, he moved to Telus Health, a private option that offers patients a LifePlus program for $4,650 a year. With that tacked on to the medical services plan fees they bill the government, Telus…
Celebrating You on BC Family Doctor Day
…Family Doctor Day, we’ve joined together with the BC College of Family Physicians to share a message of unity and hope. Watch the video below! We thank you for showing up every single day to care for your patients. For continuing to lead with compassion through an ongoing healthcare crisis. We know the work of being a family doctors remains challenging, and despite the challenges (and there are many!), it truly feels like things are beginning to c…
B.C. has more family doctors with new payment model, but issues still need addressing
Dr. Tahmeena Ali Two years ago, I thought about hanging a sign on my clinic saying “closed for good.” After more than 20 years in family medicine, I was at my breaking point. And I wasn’t alone. B.C. was facing a severe shortage of family doctors, with clinics closing due to unsustainable working conditions. Almost a million British Columbians were without a family doctor. Today, I’m happy to report that not only is my clinic still open, but I…
Shout out to you on BC Family Doctor Day
…Family Doctor Day, we’ve joined together with the BC College of Family Physicians (BCCFP) to share a message of inspiration. Watch the video! While you are passionate about your work, we know it’s not easy – resources are scarce, paperwork is heavy and changes are slow. Despite that, you continue to show up and speak out. It’s working. We’re building momentum and seeing results. Your voices are transforming our healthcare system. At BC Family Doct…
What you might not know about your family doctor
…making dinner (microwave…let’s keep this real), as we glance at our son smiling across the room, we might in that moment think about your son too. How he shines in a different way, how his struggles are some I see in my own home. And how I hope, in the end he will find his way again. When my husband flips me the bird and then smiles in a naughty way, your grandmother’s eyes play before mine. Her saucy saucy ways. The way she swears ’cause she…
‘In crisis’: Award-winning B.C. family doctor mulls giving up bursting practice
Dr. Tahmeena Ali, a BC Family Doctors board member, and family physician who serves the South Surrey-White Rock community is speaking out about her struggle to provide patient care in BC. She was named B.C.’s Family Physician of the Year in 2020 by the College of Family Physicians of Canada. She reached her breaking point after contracting COVID-19 a few weeks ago. “I don’t have any paid sick time, and if I don’t work I don’t generate income to p…
What’s really wrong: Insights from Ontario’s efforts to address the family doctor shortage
In his recent article for the Ottawa Citizen, journalist Mohammed Adam raises important questions about Ontario’s approach to solving the family doctor shortage. As Ontario brings Dr. Jane Philpott on board to address this issue, Adam argues that the real, underlying problems in family medicine remain largely unaddressed. Here’s a closer look at what he identifies as the core issues. “Make family practice sustainable and you have a healthy system…