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Community InformationThe Queen Charlotte Islands, home to the Haida First Nations people for more than 8,000 years, mark the first location in BC that was discovered by Europeans in 1774. It is located approximately 120 km west of the outer islands of the northern BC coast, south of the Alaska panhandle. An archipelago of more than 150 islands, they have gained a reputation for their outstanding natural beauty and remarkable First Nations culture.
Queen Charlotte City is a small, yet thriving community of fishing and logging industries. Recreational opportunities in the area include camping, fishing, boating, hiking, biking and kayaking.
The relatively mild climate here is typical of a northern coastal location with summer temperatures averaging 18 degrees Celsius and winter temperatures averaging around 4 degrees. An average of 1250 mm of rain falls here each year, but snow is rare.
INDUSTRY:
Logging, fishing, tourism Population
Town Population: 852 (2016 Census)
Patient Catchment: 3,000
Ages of Population: 0-17: 21.9% 18-24: 9.4% 25-64: 57.2% 65+: 11.5% (BC Stats, 2010 Figures for Queen Charlotte)
Health Administrative Information
Health Authority: Northern Health
Health Service Delivery Area: Northwest
Regional District: Skeena Queen-Charlotte
Rural Designation: RSA community
RRP Designation: A
RRP Points: 51.25
Practitioners + Clinic information
General Practitioners: 4 (www.cpsbc.ca)
Clinic Queen Charlotte Medical Clinic Box 419, 3209 Oceanview Drive Queen Charlotte, BC, V0T 1S0 P: 250 559-4447
This is an eight bed hospital on the south coast of Graham Island, 500 miles North of Vancouver. The hospital serves a population of 3,000 – from villages to isolated logging camps.
The hospital provides acute and long term care services. Many islanders are employed in the logging or fishing industries and a significant proportion of our patients are Haida Indians. There are seasonal influxes of fishermen and tourists.
Contact Info
Queen Charlotte Islands General Hospital Box 9, 3209 Oceanview Drive Queen Charlotte City, BC, V0T 1S0 P: 250 559-4300 | F: 250 559-4312
Hospital Info
The physicians on staff are part of a community-run project in health care delivery, attempting to give a team approach to health care. They provide the following services:
- general practice
- normal obstetrics
- emergency coverage including closed reductions, minor surgery, and stabilization of trauma
- stabilization of critically ill patients for transport when necessary
There is a commitment to family-centered maternity care.
The physicians maintain a close relationship with other health care personnel such as the Alcohol & Drug Counsellor, Public Health Nurse, social workers and the Native community health workers.
Frequent telephone consultations are made and consultants regularly visit from Prince Rupert and the Lower Mainland.
Acute Care Beds: 8
Major Medical Centre: Transfer to Prince George (2,104 km)
Emergency Room
This community has a full service Emergency Room that is open 24/7.
Number of Visits Per Year: 3,039 (20097/2010 Statistics: NHA)
Travel distance to transfer hospital: 2,104 km to Prince George
Maternity
Midwife Celina Laursen, RM Box 13 Tlell, BC, V0T 1Y0 P: 250 557-2444
Lab services
Queen Charlotte Island General Hospital Box 9, 3209 Oceanview Drive Queen Charlotte, BC, V0T 1S0 P: 250 559-4321 | F: 250 559-4312 Hrs: Mon-Fri 8 am - 10 am, 1 pm - 2 pmBlood Bank
There is a blood bank in this community
Imaging services
X-Ray Queen Charlotte Island General Hospital Box 9, 3209 Oceanview Drive Queen Charlotte, BC, V0T 1S0 P: 250 559-4307 | F: 250 559-4312 Hrs: Mon, Wed, Thur 9:15 am - 4:30 pm. Tues, Fri 1:00 pm - 4:30 pm MammographyMammography services provided by BC Cancer Agency twice a year. See www.bccancer.bc.ca for details.
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BC Ambulance
BC Ambulance Service provides coverage to this community, including Air Ambulance services.
Pharmacy
Queen Charlotte Islands Pharmacy Box 748, 3209 - 3rd Avenue Queen Charlotte City, BC, V0T 1S0 P: 250 559-4310 | F: 250-559-4315
Extended Care
Queen Charlotte Island General Hospital (8 beds) Box 9, 3209 Oceanview Drive Queen Charlotte, BC, V0T 1S0 P: 250 559-4321 | F: 250 559-4312 In-community Queen Charlotte Islands Community Health Box 9, 3211 - 3rd Avenue Queen Charlotte, BC, V0T 1S0 P: 250 559-2350 Hrs: Tues-Fri 9 am - 4 pmHome Nursing
Queen Charlotte Islands Community Health Box 9, 3211 - 3rd Avenue Queen Charlotte, BC, V0T 1S0 P: 250 559-2350 Hrs: Tues-Fri 9 am - 4 pmDiabetic Nurse Educator
See Outreach Clinics for details.
Physiotherapy
Queen Charlotte Island General Hospital Box 9, 3209 Oceanview Drive Queen Charlotte, BC, V0T 1S0 P: 250 559-4300 | F: 250 559-4506
Mental Health and Addictions
Mental Health & Addictions Queen Charlotte City Health Centre Box 54, 302 - 2nd Avenue Queen Charlotte City, BC, V0T 1S0 P: 250 559-8765 CYMH 214 Oceanview Drive Queen Charlotte City, BC, V0T 1S0 P: 250 559-4403 Skidegate Health Centre Taaxwi Laas Native Alcohol & Drug Counselling 156 - 2nd Avenue Queen Charlotte, BC, V0T 1S0 P: 250 559-8372
Social workers
Queen Charlotte City Health Centre Box 54, 302 - 2nd Avenue Queen Charlotte City, BC, V0T 1S0 P: 250 559-8765
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BC Schizophrenia Society Mental Health and Addictions Box 175 Queen Charlotte, BC, V0T 1S0 P: 250 559-0058 | TFP: 1 877 559-0058 www.bcss.org Pre and Post Natal Services Queen Charlotte Islands Community Health 3211 - 3rd Avenue Queen Charlotte, BC, V0T 1S0 P: 250 559-2350 Hrs: Tues-Fri 9 am - 4 pm Nutritional Counselling Northern Haida Gwaii Hospital and Health Centre 2520 Harrison Avenue Masset, BC, V0T 1M0 P: 250 626-3918 | F: 250 626-3989 Hrs: Fri 8:30 am - 4:30 pm
Practice Site Information
Queen Charlotte City Medical Clinic, QCI/Haida Gwaii PO Box 9 Queen Charlotte BC V0T 1S0 P: 250 559-4447
Physician Site Coordinators
Dr. James Chrones, Dr. Andrea Wilhelm
Administrative Staff
Ellen Cranston
Practice Profile
The physicians are all friendly, young, and willing to teach. Multidisciplinary rounds are held every Friday morning during which time the clinic is closed. You may be asked to present a subject at rounds from time to time.
There is an ultrasound machine. There is no ultrasonographer but some of the doctors have some training in ultrasound and use it as an examination tool. There is basic X-ray. Local lab includes basic Chemistry, Hematology, ABGs, Coagulation, and Toxicology.
The hospital pharmacy serves as the community pharmacy. A small stock is held at the nurses’ desk for off hours. There is no surgery or anaesthesia. Obstetrical deliveries are offered to carefully screened low-risk patients. Air ambulance transfers to secondary or tertiary centres usually take between 3 and 5 hours to leave with the patient. There is usually single call bed finding through BC Bedline.
Shared office with your own desk and computer with internet at the clinic. You have someone designated as your preceptor each day. Clinic starts at 10:30 so there is a lot of time in the morning for hospital work. You see 3 to 4 patients per hour.
On-Call Schedule
1:3 to 1:4 with another doctor on as back-up.
Training Site Information
Family Practice Resident Site: Yes
Medical Resident: UBC
Students & Residents Perspectives
On the Community
“Very welcoming. Went to a potlatch my first weekend there (super cool). I enjoyed learning about the Haida culture and art.”
On the Experience
“Great docs; independent working with lots of support. You’ll be involved in outreach clinics to nearby villages. A beautiful and unique place to spend 2-4 months.” ” It is what you make it. I learned more in my two months than in my whole first year of residency. If you push yourself, you will have all the independence you want. You are appropriately supervised, but definitely have the opportunity to push yourself to basically be the 4th MD of the community.”
Challenges
“Getting there (took three days travel each way and ferry is very unreliable in the fall/winter due to the weather). ”
“Patient”
% Low: 20% % Medium: 70% % High: 10%
Patient Load
Practice per Day: 10 – 15
Office Set-up
Personnel in Office: Nurses, Public Health Nurses
Does your office have a surgical suite? Yes
Do you use a consistent charting system in your practice? Yes
Is there a problem list on each chart? Yes
Is there space for the resident to have an office an an examination room? Yes
Would you expect the resident to rotate offices on a regular basis? No
Technology:
Email Internet Medline
Educational Opportunities
Hospital Rounds: Yes
CME Teleconferences: Yes
Conferences: Yes, there are opportunities for conferences.
Journal Clubs/Reading: Yes, there are opportunities for journal clubs/reading.
Computer Based: Yes, there are opportunities for computer-based education.
CCFP Small Group Learning: No
Preceptor Physicians
Dr. Gordon Horner Dr. Tracy Morton Dr. Caroline Shooner
