There are several vulnerable communities in rural BC that have repeatedly been in crisis, despite the best efforts of the JSC, health authorities, the Ministry of Health, and Health Match BC. The Rural Coordination Centre of BC (RCCbc), at the request of the JSC, has made interventions into, and a study of, several of these vulnerable communities. It has become clear that a fresh approach, with a conceptual “blank sheet”, should be undertaken to consider new and innovative ways to provide consistent, high quality health care to the public in these rural communities.
To be fruitful, a new conceptual should include:
- the incorporation of truly collaborative practice with nurse practitioners, enhanced role nurses, midwives, paramedics and physicians
- discussions on scopes and styles of practice unique to the rural environment
- physician compensation review for these difficult-to-serve communities
Vulnerable Communities pilot project
RCCbc will be working with stakeholders from one vulnerable community in each of Northern Health, Interior Health, Island Health, Vancouver Coastal Health, and First Nations Health Authority to develop new and unique approaches to resolving recurrent healthcare service issues. The learning and outcomes from each community will be compiled and brought back to the JSC, health authorities, the Ministry of Health and HealthMatch BC for consideration. The pilot will likely begin in 2015.
