A GP for Me

Primary health care is front-line care and often the first point of access for a patient to the health system, in most cases through their family doctors. Currently, however, there are approximately 400,000 British Columbians who either do not have a family doctor or they don’t have a strong attachment to a family doctor. They may use walk-in clinics or wait until they are very ill, and then use emergency services.

Recent research has shown that the strength of the bond between a patient and a family physician is directly related to better health outcomes for British Columbians, greater satisfaction for physicians, and lower overall costs to the health care system (Hollander, 2009). In fact, the same research indicated that if 5% of citizens with two or more chronic diseases - who don’t currently have an ongoing relationship with a family doctor - were to have an improved experience with primary care, the province would save over $85 million annually in health care costs.

A GP for Me is a new initiative that is funded through the General Practice Services Committee, a partnership between the British Columbia Ministry of Health Services (MoHS) and the British Columbia Medical Association (BCMA). A GP for Me aims to ensure that access to and benefits of primary care are available to all British Columbians, including those who may be hard to serve in traditional practice settings. The initiative also aims to better support and reward family physicians who are committed to delivering long-term care for their patients. Ultimately, the aim of this initiative is that by 2015, everyone in British Columbia who wants a family doctor can have one.

View the A GP for Me Attachment Initiative presentation video below.

 

See video

 

Physicians in local Divisions of Family Practice will lead this work to ensure residents of their community have access to the benefits of primary care. Because the work will be done at the community level, this access may look different in each community, depending on the needs in that region. Additional support is available for local Divisions through the Provincial Divisions of Family Practice team, local health authorities, community partners, and the Ministry of Health Services.

Three initial Division prototypes have been selected to undertake A GP for Me: Cowichan Valley Division of Family Practice, Prince George Division of Family Practice, and White Rock-South Surrey Division of Family Practice. It is expected that up to 12 additional Divisions will be part of the initiative by the end of 2010, and up to 36 Divisions will participate in A GP for Me by March 2015. 

Initially, A GP for Me will focus on high-needs populations such as seniors, individuals with a chronic illness, and those with mental health or substance use issues. Each participating Division will work closely with its regional health authority, municipality and community groups to create locally-appropriate, collaborative strategies to ensure that all residents of a community have access and deeper attachment to a primary care provider.

For more information on A GP for Me, contact:
Kyle Pearce, Executive Lead, Attachment Initiative
General Practice Services Committee, Divisions of Family Practice
E-mail: kpearce@bcma.bc.ca



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