The May 13th VMDAS quarterly meeting focused on three areas of importance to members. Association President Dr. Ka Wai Cheung reported on VPSA’s new strategic plan. Elizabeth White and Rachel Lee reviewed findings from the latest Doctors of BC Health Authority Engagement Survey. And VC Senior Medical Director Dr. Michael Norbury gave an update on activities in Vancouver Community.
VPSA Strategic Plan
Dr. Cheung thanked everyone for their contributions to VPSA’s updated strategic plan. The new plan outlines the association’s goals for the next three years and includes updates to the previous plan. Several months ago, all members were invited to participate in an online survey identifying priorities. VPSA also held one-on-one meetings with board members and staff and interviewed senior VCH leaders. These steps provided in-depth data and information that informed a retreat with key stakeholders last November. In the coming days, the plan will be circulated among members of VPSA’s task groups and committees so they can work towards objectives that meet the plan’s goals.
Dr. Cheung pointed out that VPSA was created 10 years ago through the SSC’s Facility Engagement Initiative with the aim of improving physician input with health authority leadership. To that end and by request from members, VPSA has recently created two new groups: the Substance Use Disorder Patient and Provider Experience Task Group and the newly formed IPU Implementation Focus Group.
Dr. Cheung encouraged members to bring forward other ideas they may have for task groups for consideration. She also emphasized the importance of taking the current physician wellness survey being run in collaboration with VCH. Results of the survey will guide VPSA in determining priorities.
Doctors of BC Health Authority Engagement Survey
Elizabeth White and Rachel Lee presented the results of last fall’s survey with a focus on VGH and UBC Hospital scores. This was the eighth year the survey has been conducted. The overall provincial rate of participation was 20 per cent. Close to 700 physicians in VCH took part (including those who work at PHC), with 242 of those working at VGH and 19 at UBCH. No physicians from GF Strong took the survey this time.
Positive trends at VGH included an 11 per cent rise in agreement to the statement, “I have adequate opportunities to improve patient care, quality and safety,” a seven per cent increase in the statement, “I have access to the facilities, equipment, and other resources I require to meet patients’ needs,” and a six per cent increase in the statements, “I have meaningful input into changes affecting my practice environment,” and, “This health authority values physicians’ contributions.”
The trends were not as positive at UBCH. There was a 38 per cent decrease in agreement to the statement, “I have meaningful input into changes affecting my practice environment,” a 27 per cent decrease to the statement, “Senior leaders’ decision-making is transparent to physicians,” and a 16 per cent decrease to the statement, “Senior leaders seek physicians’ input when setting the health authority’s goals.”
It was noted that the survey was administered just as CST was being implemented at UBCH and during the move of the UBC Student Health Clinic and several medical offices. Regardless, the results from UBCH are concerning and it will be important to see if these were a point in time or the beginning of a trend.
VC Senior Medical Director update
In introducing Dr. Mike Norbury, Dr. Cheung commented that Vancouver Acute works better when Vancouver Community works well; the two entities are intertwined.
Dr. Norbury went on to describe Vancouver Community’s work in delivering both episodic and longitudinal community-based services. VC has a budget of $980 million for the current fiscal year with about 5,900 full-time employees and over 500 medical staff. He went on to show how VC has grown over the past couple of years with the addition of two co-medical directors for Specialized Substance Use Services, and medical directors for Urgent, Intensive, Transitional & Outpatient Mental Health & Substance Use Services, Older Adult Services, Transitions & Flow, as well as for Homelessness, Supported Housing and Complex Community Rehabilitation, and for the Regional Medical Assistance in Dying Program.
Dr. Norbury reviewed a long list of successes VC worked towards in 2023/24. These included an expansion of its Intensive Health Outreach Team Program, the launch of its Mobile Crisis De-escalation Team, and enhanced capacity at Cambie Gardens. He identified several opportunities for 2024/25 including expanding the Longitudinal Family Practice model to long-term care settings, STAT centre relocation, and developing enhanced compensation models for the Intensive Health Outreach Team, Medical Assistance in Dying, Specialized SU services and Home ViVE.
Next meeting
The next VMDAS quarterly meeting will be Monday, September 23. Watch for details in upcoming issues of your weekly Checkup newsletter.