2023 Annual Report
Abbotsford Division of Family Practice
April 1, 2022 - March 31, 2023
A Message from our Board Chair
Over the course of 2022, rebuilding emerged as a key theme for the Abbotsford Division of Family Practice. Perhaps that was fitting in a year that saw us chart a new path forward, alongside other Divisions in British Columbia, enjoying the measured return of key in-person programming and building upon crucial partnerships to strengthen our work. As the challenges of COVID-19 became more navigable, we were pleased to welcome everyone back, to see you all in person, while also utilizing the technological skills and resources we gained through the pandemic to respond to community needs with a proactive approach. I stepped into the Board Chair position during a time of transition and with the knowledge that some exciting next steps were on our horizon. We spent almost 9 months without an Executive Director, and I want to recognize the excellent leadership Gene Patterson provided during this time. I also want to commend the efforts of our outstanding staff team to prepare for this transition while maintaining the high standards to which our members and community partners are accustomed. As we look ahead to our next chapter, we can reflect with pride upon our legacy of helping physicians reach their potential.
Thank you for your continued support of the Abbotsford Division of Family Practice as we seek to serve you and our community on an even wider scale.
- Dr. Richard Welsh
Your 2022-23 Board of Directors
Dr. Hardeep Aujla
Dr. Holden Chow
Dr. John Dickinson
Dr. Beth Gallagher
Dr. Saurabh Vaish
Dr. Richard Welsh
Dr. Michael Yatscoff
Your 2022-23 Division Physician Advisory Council (DPAC)
Dr. Kathleen Ennis
Dr. Mathews Manampuram
Dr. Jenessa Nyvall
Dr. Jennafer Wilson
Dr. Monika Wojtera
A Message from Sheri Josephson, Executive Director
Moving forward together, with focus and courage.
The most important things in life—most enduring, meaningful, and impactful—seem to start with an intentional choice.
Our efforts begin with a deliberate action we believe will get us to where we want to go. When the Division Board asked me to join you at the end of 2022 they were very clear about what they saw as the way forward: intentional leadership.
When we make conscious decisions, act with purpose, and keep our eyes focused on the kind of healthier community we want to build, we will not only reach our objectives, but quite likely surpass them.
That’s why this year we are going to be intentional about:
• People: People are the heart of our plan. We will promote a culture of connection, engagement, belonging, and opportunity. We want you to thrive.
• Growth: Evolving to effectively address emerging needs is a deeply imbedded part of our culture. We will continue to grow, responding to new opportunities and embracing change to help us meet our goals.
• Relationships: Unified by shared goals, the Division’s governance family, leadership team and membership will move forward together, ready to meet the challenge.
• Focus: To deliver on our promises, we must remain focused on the strong operational performance of our existing programs and services while simultaneously looking to meet the emerging needs of our community.
Your Board took the gutsy first step; welcoming me, your new Executive Director, with an eclectic history of community engagement and leadership, and asked me to forge a new way forward for the Division in Abbotsford. I’m grateful for the strong foundation that’s been set and for the openness with which you’ve generously shared your reasons for doing what you do every day. I’m ready, I know you’re ready- So, let’s go!
We welcomed the following new Physicians this year!
Dr. Diane Bosc
Dr. Clare Chiu
Dr. Val Danescu
Dr. Vahan Hakobyan
Dr. Amit Johal
Dr. Ravi Mineni
Dr. Vishesh Oberoi
Dr. Liesl Rossiter
Dr. Jordan Tran
Dr. Lubimor Vlcek
A Message from our Treasurer
The Division continues to operate from a strong financial position. With funding from the Physicians Master Agreement (PMA), managed by Family Practice Service Committee (FPSC) at Doctors of BC we received funds for both our infrastructure and targeted work in support of projects like the Long Term Care Network, physician recruitment and retention, PMH support and patient attachment. In addition, we received the funding to explore the interest in specialized projects around communication between Family Physicians working in Patient Medical Homes and the Emergency Department, as well as creating the framework for Indigenous Cultural Safety and Humility in Primary Care. The Division continued to offer services focused on the needs of family physicians in primary care, and this year saw the return of in person events and work to re-engage our physician community after the isolation brought on by COVID.
I am pleased to say we have satisfied our Auditors with a final report, finding no issues in our operations or policy. We have managed our funds carefully and although we did offer in person events which increased some expenses, we also spent eight months without an Executive Director. This staff shortage, along with a negotiated rent reduction due to a temporary change at the Division office, resulted in an overall reduction in actual expenses over budget. We received approval to carry-over these funds into the 2023-2025 funding cycle. We welcomed a new Executive Director in mid-November! We want to take this opportunity to thank Gene Patterson for his leadership and the entire Division staff team for their dedication and commitment during the transition. We look forward to what the new year brings.
- Dr. John Dickinson
The Division welcomed the following UBC Practice Resident's as Associate Members:
Year 1
Dr. Arjun Arora
Dr. Anika Constantinescu
Dr. Nicole Krysa
Dr. Abnashi Randhawa
Dr. Michael Wollin
Dr. Maria Zhu
Year 2
Dr. Harpreet Brar
Dr. Justin Dhinsa
Dr. David Kim
Dr. Satvir Pandher
Dr. Gursimran Rekhi
Dr. Noah Reich
Dr. Lorenzo Smith
Dr. Raiya Suleman
From Patient Partners to the Patient Advisory Council
This year saw the reformation of the Patient Partners group to the Patient Advisory Council. This new group was created to better represent the diverse patient population in Abbotsford and to lend a patient safety lens to projects and initiatives at the Abbotsford Division.
Check out some of the standout social and educational events
the Division brought to you last year.
QI Forum - June
Abbotsford Airshow - August
R1 Residents Welcome Breakfast - July
AGM & Members Appreciation Dinner - Sept
LTC Demystifying Capacity Assessments with Dr. Nick Petropolis - November
MNP and MD Management Game Changers Event - November
Hockey for the Holidays - December
1st Five Years: Member Meet-up & Foundry Tour - January
Regional MOA Network Event - Positive Approaches to Difficult Behaviours - February
All Member Dinner & Appreciation Event - March
Creating Welcoming Communities: Newcomers' Experience in the Medical System - March
PCN Update
As you may recall, the creation of Primary Care Networks (PCNs) throughout the province has begun over the last few years to help address some of the gaps in our primary healthcare system. Abbotsford’s current waitlist of approximately 14, 000 individuals seeking a family physician is a testament to this gap locally (see below).
While the DoFP in Abbotsford has chosen to pause twice previously in our process of becoming a full PCN community, this year we have seen several important pieces come together including some changes in proposed PCN governance from the Ministry of Health, as well as increased community partnerships including the Semà:th and Màthxwi First Nations. As a result, the Abbotsford DoFP has officially submitted our expression of interest (EOI) to the Ministry of Health and we are awaiting their response. Upon formal approval, which also comes with implementation funding, our Division will begin assessing and developing the regional PCN plan by collaborating with Division members as well as other healthcare and community stakeholders.
As we await this next phase, we continue to learn from our pre-PCN pilot program which involves a collaboration between 5 allied healthcare providers (dietician, social workers, and clinical counsellors) and 5 pilot clinics. These learnings will help us more effectively shift to the active phase of the PCN upon final approval.
Another PCN-related change towards which Abbotsford is working is the consolidation of our region's family physician waitlist to the provincial Health Connect Registry waitlist. This will allow individuals seeking a family physician to have a single registration and access point and further streamline the process of connecting them where capacity exists.
Sincerely,
Trent Loewen
PCN Physician Lead
THANK YOU to all those who continue to attach patients!
0
Patients Attached 2022 - 2023
0
Patients Waiting for Attachment*
*Data as of March 31, 2023. This number is currently higher.
Long Term Care Initiative
Dear LTC Members,
We would like to start off this year's letter by acknowledging all of our Long-term Care physicians. We recognize your hard work in all of your clinical roles and thank you for providing exceptional care to our 900+ Long-term Care residents and support to the staff at our 11 LTC sites. It is a privilege to have such a dedicated and passionate group of LTC care providers in Abbotsford.
This past year, changes to the family physician payment model and the Physician Master Agreement brought about concerns regarding Long-term Care Program remuneration and posed challenges in recruitment. The FPSC LTCI grant offered interim support, fostering positivity as we continue to make positive strides forward. As we look ahead, we are pleased to inform you that additional compensation for the LTCI program is on the horizon.
Some of our accomplishments this year include successful recruitment of multiple physicians, providing a physician voice during meetings with other stakeholders, collaborating with other Divisions at the Interdivisional meetings, hosting a Capacity Assessments education session lead by Dr. Nick Petropolis, hosting a very successful all members meeting, maintaining the on-call program, and new member orientation and support.
We would also like to extend a special thank you to our LTCI Team Leads, Drs. Shelley Bhalla, Ken Dueck, and Sarah Pawlovich, for their guidance, support, and work as we continue to recruit into the Physician Lead and Team Lead roles.
In the next year, we hope to continue to improve on the patient-provider and provider-site experience. One of our main focuses will be to continue to push for better EMR systems so our physicians have all the information they need to make the best decisions for their patients. In the meantime, we are working on SBAR communications and network opportunities.
If you have any feedback or comments, please don't hesitate to reach out to Jasmine Sekhon at ltc@adofp.ca.
Sincerely,
Abbotsford Division of Family Practice Long Term Care Leadership Team
A big thank you and best wishes for a happy retirement to these
dedicated physicians who've served our community for years.
Dr. Rajinder Bhatti
Dr. David Froese
Dr. Daniel Milne