Whereas the investment in primary care is consistent with the strategic direction of the Ministry of Health and supports a team-based primary care model; And whereas new physicians are choosing team based health and provincial incentives are targeting new graduates who want to work with teams of other clinicians; And whereas the approval of new Rural Growth Plans and expansion of their Primary Care Networks includes capital funding to help streamline access to primary care for patients and families: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM ask the Ministry of Health to provide additional funding, according to regionally defined needs, for expansion of existing Primary Care Networks to address regular health care needs closer to home.
Ministry of Health The Province is transforming everyday health care for more communities in BC and the Interior through Primary Care Networks, including the South Okanagan Similkameen SOS Primary Care Network PCN. SOS PCN is a partnership between the Ministry of Health the Ministry, Interior Health, South Okanagan Similkameen Division of Family Practice, Indigenous partners, patients, and other local community partners. Through the PCN, community partners work together to ensure tens of thousands of people have access to comprehensive, team-based primary care services for all their day-to-day health care needs in the region. For people and families in the networks new communities, it means better access to their primary care team or provider, as well as being connected to appropriate services and supports closer to home. In October 2022, the Province, Doctors of BC, and BC Family Doctors co-developed a new payment model for family doctors to help protect and improve BCs health-care system, supporting continued quality health care for patients. The Ministry is also improving access to primary care through the Longitudinal Family Practice LFP Payment Model that launched February 2023. The LFP model allows greater flexibility for people to access their primary care provider in-person or virtual, and it means people can discuss multiple issues or concerns during a single visit. Additionally, on July 1, 2023, with new family doctors and nurse practitioners ready to accept patients, the Province expanded the Health Connect Registry, hosted by HealthLink BC, from select communities to all communities throughout BC. These actions are part of BCs Health Human Resources Strategy. The strategy, announced on September 29, 2023, puts people first by ensuring they get the health services they need and are cared for by a healthy workforce, now and in the future. The strategy focuses on 70 key actions to recruit, train and retain health care workers while redesigning the health care system to foster workplace satisfaction and innovation. The Ministry will continue working with PCNs to understand and address community primary care needs as they evolve over time.