The Oceanside Primary Care Network is seeking general practitioners to work collaboratively in a team-based-care model with other health care providers as members of a new Priority Response Team (PRT). The overall aims are to prevent patients’ hospital admissions and to facilitate patients’ discharges from hospital.

We are hoping to attract one full-time, and up to two part-time physician positions within a group service contract. The physicians will join the PRT’s current compliment of two RNs and two Occupational Therapists who also support Oceanside clients in their homes. Physicians will not be expected to contribute any overhead to the position.

This team—which provides assessments, assistance, and referrals for existing and new clients who need to be seen within 24 hours-- will keep frail housebound patients out of hospital by ensuring adequate healthcare is delivered in the home. GPs and NPs will be able to refer to this service.

The PRT’s physician coverage will be provided for about 7 hours each day, 7 days a week, generally between 1000 and 1800. However, actual hours may vary as flexibility of hours may be necessary to ensure a priority response. The physicians will manage their shared schedule and hours to provide timely care for patients.

The team’s GPs will:

• Respond to emergent referrals or consults from primary care providers to assess and treat housebound patients, for acute assessment of patient home emergencies or acute decompensation of chronic conditions
• Respond to acute care hospital referrals for urgent follow up for at risk housebound patients post discharge
• Screen and triage patients referred for priority care
• Offer clinical assessments, to include examining patients and reviewing relevant patient medical records and treating patients with the intent of keeping patients home, if possible, with implementation of support services when required
• Diagnose and form treatment plans for acutely ill patients whom would otherwise be admitted to the acute care setting
• And more

The team’s RNs will:

• Initiate Home Support Services
• Assess needs for urgent Long Term Care placement
• Assist clients with imminent risk of acute care admission (short term)

The team’s OTs will:

• Initiate Home Support Services
• Assist existing clients with urgent equipment needs (i.e. recent falls)
• Assist short term clients with imminent risks of acute care admission
• Provide urgent after hours rehab for clients discharged from hospital
• Offer a limited number of short-term home visits per client

Benefits:

May be eligible for additional remuneration in accordance with the Rural Subsidy Agreement (RSA) including:

1. Recruitment Incentive = up to $10,000
2. Relocation Costs Reimbursement – up to a maximum of $15,000
3. Fee Premium = 4.62%
4. Annual Flat Fee = $5,318.28

Rural CME starting at $2,200/annum in years 3&4, then increasing to a maximum of $4,400 after 4 years in the community.

Additional Information:

Part-time position available (Full-Time or Part-Time available)

The PRT is an initiative of the Oceanside Primary Care Network—which is under development by the Central Island Division of Family Practice, the Qualicum First Nation, the Snaw-Naw-As First Nation, and Island Health. In a Primary Care Network, physicians (via patient medical homes), other primary care providers, allied health care providers, health authority service providers, and community organizations work together to provide all the primary care services a local population requires.

Community Information:

The friendly and beautiful cities of Parksville and Qualicum, population approximately 48,000, are picturesque scenic seaside communities located on the east side of central Vancouver Island. With its temperate climate, expansive sandy beach and easy access to a host of recreational activities, Parksville/Qualicum offers an enviable West Coast lifestyle. The major centres of Nanaimo and Victoria are readily accessible via the Island Parkway, and regularly scheduled ferry, air and float plane services from Nanaimo offer easy access to Vancouver.