VMDAS/VPSA board and staff meet regularly with VCH senior leaders to develop a collaborative relationship between medical staff and the health authority. The February meeting included follow ups on items from December’s meeting as well as the continuation of the Doctors of BC Facility Engagement annual review.
Follow ups/old business
VPSA Operations Director Andrew Pinfold met with UBC Hospital Operations Director Tracey Taulu to review the space being considered for a Medical Staff Hub. A project manager provided a quote of $160,000 to make the requested renovations. As this amount exceeds funding possibilities, discussions will continue, and expectations may have to be changed.
Vancouver Acute Vice President Michelle de Moor has delegated VCH Operations Director Cori Ross to investigate if CPAS team members can use a corporate credit card to provide complimentary TV access to marginalised substance use disorder patients.
Doctors of BC annual review process: Sustaining initiatives
The February meeting was an opportunity to brainstorm ways to enrich collaboration between VPSA and VCH.
VPSA has acted as an incubator for several initiatives that VCH has later taken on. An example is the Resident Appreciation Event. This began as a VPSA event and is now largely coordinated by VCH, with VPSA assisting with registration and funding for food.
Participants discussed the evolution of the CST Task Group into the new VA Digital Health Committee. VCH is hoping VPSA will continue to fund physician time for members who are part of the committee until the next fiscal year. VPSA’s board is currently determining its principles for supporting initiatives. VPSA would like physician members of such committees to represent the needs of members; how their time is funded may influence this.
VP de Moor outlined the process for transitioning projects to VCH and the need for sustainable operational funding. This can depend on the magnitude of the ask; if it requires a large investment, a briefing note is required for ongoing channels of funding.
Vancouver Community’s Interim Senior Medical Director Dr. Vandad Yousefi suggested that this issue is broader than partnerships between VCH and VPSA. It concerns other Doctors of BC initiatives, such as the PQI program. He pointed out that it is not always clear what the mandate of different programs is. Leaders are needed to sustain projects after funding ends but, at this time, funds often end up being diverted from clinical programs to support physician leadership.
VPSA Project Manager Annapurna Chavali pointed out that VPSA will only fund projects when a health authority sponsor can be identified. Some projects have evolved into VPSA task groups including the Engaging Physicians in Indigenous Cultural Safety Task Group and the IPU Implementation Focus Group. Creating such committees gives the members a greater advocacy role.
Doctor of BC Engagement Partner Russell Stead has committed to taking these challenges back to his organization. He will investigate how Doctors of BC can make things easier and align so they don’t become make-work projects. The goal could be for the different funding streams to collaborate more and be less siloed.
Current VPSA-VCH collaborations
VPSA President Dr. Ka Wai Cheung spoke of the collaboration between VPSA and the VGH Simulation Centre to offer basic life support and advanced cardiovascular life support training sessions at reduced costs. More information on these is available here.
VPSA is also working with the VCH violence prevention team as this is a priority for members. More information on that collaboration is available here. VPSA is hoping to host a Vancouver Police Department self-defence workshop later this year. Details will be included in upcoming issues of your weekly Checkup e-newsletter.
Next meeting
The group next meets on March 13. If you have an item you wish to be brought forward at these meetings, please contact VPSA Operations Director Andrew Pinfold.