Posted on: March 4, 2024
The following has been sent on behalf of Dr. Ben Williams, Vice President, Medicine, Quality, Research & Chief Medical Officer.
March 4, 2024
Dear Colleagues,
Doctors of BC recently released results from the 8th annual Health Authority Engagement Survey. This survey measures BC physicians’ level of engagement with their respective health authorities and hospitals/sites. The survey is an important pulse check for physicians throughout Island Health and provides data to help us improve, together.
In September, I sent a note to all medical staff encouraging completion of the survey. I am grateful that 583 of you took the time to provide your feedback and thoughts – the second highest response rate in the province. While the survey results showed an overall decrease in the nine core questions, the response rate demonstrates your firm commitment to help shape a work culture in which you feel safe and heard.
Your feedback is clear – we need to do better.
You've told us about your shared priority on improving psychological safety in the workplace, and we've been partnering with the Medical Staff Associations on improvement strategies. You've shared your feedback on improving physical safety, and we are bringing in designated resources to address this fundamental issue. You’ve told us that your teams require additional support, and we are bringing in new types of team members so that you can continue to provide excellent patient care in a very challenging health human resource environment.
We understand that to achieve results and affect the necessary changes, we need to strengthen our partnership with you. We know that if we all show up to the table ready to co-create innovative solutions, we can make a difference in this shared work.
As I communicated to you in the fall, we plan to do things differently this year:
- We have published Island Health’s survey results and created a summary for quick absorption. Click here for Island Health’s results. Results for the province are found on the Doctors of BC webpage.
- We are convening with you as a group via the Medical Staff Forum on March 6th 7:30 - 8:30am to openly discuss the survey results. Questions are encouraged pre Forum via Sli-do Medical Staff Forum (sli.do) and during the Forum via Zoom chat.
- We will act based on survey findings, and in conjunction with Doctors of BC and the Medical Staff Associations, to make tangible improvements and report back to you on progress.
Key survey findings indicated that we need to increase medical staff involvement in decision-making and that culture change is needed at both the site and regional level. We also need to strengthen communication pathways so you feel heard and informed, while not impeding your clinical work.
The past few years have been difficult for most of us in healthcare. These results demonstrate the strain many of us are experiencing, both professionally and personally. However, I remain hopeful in our ability to work collectively to rebuild and create a positive culture shift.
While the survey results indicate that there is much work to do, I am optimistic about the future and the improvements we will make together. You continue to show up for each other and for your patients, and I am confident that is a foundational aspect moving forward.
I am eager and committed to continue this important conversation with you. If you have suggestions or feedback, please consider reaching out to medstaffcommunications@islandhealth.ca so we can continue to follow your input.
Thank you for your feedback and ongoing dedication. It makes a difference.
With thanks,
Dr. Ben T. Williams, MD, CCFP
Vice President, Medicine, Quality, Research and Chief Medical Officer