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Please select from the drop-down menu, which allows us to deliver your message to the right member of our team.
Please provide as much detail as possible so that our team can best support your needs.

Privacy Statement: We are committed to keeping your e-mail address and personal information confidential. We do not sell, rent, or lease our contact data or lists to third parties, and we will not provide your personal information to any third party unless required to do so by law.

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PCN Community Link Worker Connects Patient to Life-changing Support

PCN Community Link Worker Connects Patient to Life-changing Support

Social Prescribing in Richmond connects patients to meaningful community resources that improve their health, well-being, and social connections. Through Richmond’s PCN Community Link program, family doctors can link patients to tailored services, whether it’s volunteer opportunities, fresh food delivery, or support navigating essential systems, helping them thrive

How the Program Transforms Lives

Sometimes, it’s a few new walking buddies, delivery of fresh veggies, a volunteer opportunity, or someone to help with taxes that turns a life around.

Richmond’s PCN Community Link Worker connects your patients to special services throughout our community, and it’s having a profound impact on their ability to thrive. Patients are reporting improved physical and emotional well-being, social connections, and ease of navigating essential systems. This program, sometimes known as social prescribing, has received more than 200 referrals since the program started in October 2022.

In the year they have been working together, Community Link Worker Sean Canasa has formed a strong bond with Anthony Yip. Read Anthony’s story.

“I invite doctors to send more patients to Sean because he is so kind, and because so many people need this kind of support,” says Yip. “Without him, many people wouldn’t know how to find out these things.”

Through the Community Link Worker, the Richmond Division and Richmond Primary Care Networks have had the opportunity to develop strong relationships with key community partners throughout Richmond.

PCN Community Link Highlights from 2023–24:

  • Beyond providing direct client care, the program has become a respected platform for collaboration, outreach, advocacy, and engagement with other many community organizations throughout Richmond.
  • 100+ client outreach appointments have been completed in the community, many of them with life-changing results.
  • The program is scheduled to deliver several community workshops about the PCN, accessing care, finding a family doctor, and accessing community exercise programs. Workshops are booked with SUCCESS Richmond, the South Arm Community Centre Seniors Program, and the Richmond Community Respiratory Program.

Richmond’s Social Prescribing program demonstrates how connecting patients to community resources can transform lives. By partnering with the PCN Community Link Worker, family doctors can enhance patient care, improve outcomes, and foster stronger community ties.

Learn more about Richmond Primary Care Networks.

Richmond Division of Family Practice Unveils New Website

Richmond Division of Family Practice Unveils New Website

The Richmond Division of Family Practice has launched a new website to better serve family physicians, medical office assistants, partners, and patients. Designed with streamlined navigation and comprehensive resources, the site highlights the Division’s commitment to team-based, preventative care and strengthens connections across Richmond’s Primary Care Networks.

Launch of the New Richmond Division of Family Practice Website

The Richmond Division of Family Practice launched its new website today to strengthen communication for member Family Physicians, Medical Office Assistants, partners, and patients.

“The new website is the culmination of almost a year of dedicated effort,” says Richmond Division Executive Director Jennifer West. “We have connected with our membership and community stakeholders to ensure that we create a communication tool that is useful, adds value, and reflects the diverse services and supports offered by the Division.”

Since inception, the 35 Divisions of Family Practice throughout the province have operated under the umbrella website provided by the Family Practice Services Committee.

“Richmond was among the first communities selected to implement a Primary Care Network in B.C.,” says West. “During the last four years, we have outgrown our website and platform. Our new site, developed with leading edge technology, will better support the dynamic PCN team’s robust information needs.”

Enhancing Communication and Resources for Members and Patients

Visitors can expect streamlined navigation, a wealth of resources, and clarity around the organization’s scope and mission. The site also includes an education section for patients and providers to learn how Richmond’s Primary Care Networks are shifting the focus to preventative, team-based care.

“It’s a first and critical step,” she adds. “We now have more and better tools available to connect with people. The many stakeholders in our health care system have shared goals to promote health system evolution and better patient care for Richmond residents. The Richmond Division is proud to present our new website for our members and community.”

Richmond’s new website provides members and the community with easy access to educational resources, program information, and updates on local healthcare initiatives. By centralizing information and offering tools for both providers and patients, the site enhances communication, supports professional collaboration, and promotes better patient care throughout Richmond.

Explore the new Richmond Division of Family Practice website to discover its features—whether you are a current member, looking to start a healthcare career in Richmond, seeking more information on the PCN, or searching for a family doctor.

 

 

Richmond MOA Network Surpasses 170 Members

Richmond MOA Network Surpasses 170 Members

The Richmond MOA Network is transforming the professional landscape for Medical Office Assistants in Richmond. With over 170 members across 60 clinics, the Network provides skill-building, professional development, and community connections that enhance both MOA performance and patient care, while supporting family physicians throughout the region.

Richmond MOA Network Surpasses 170 Members in 2023

The Richmond Division of Family Practice’s MOA Network surpassed 170 members in 2023, solidifying its role to elevate the profession for local Medical Office Assistants.

Program Coordinator Ailin Chen, pivotal to Network strategy, event organization, and clinic outreach, has witnessed the growth first-hand. She and her colleagues have hosted 19 events for MOAs since the Network’s inception in 2020, and membership now includes 171 MOAs in 60 Richmond clinics.

“We recognized that a professional association for local MOAs was a critical missing piece,” says Chen. “It’s wonderful to see how the community has embraced the Network, and that it is providing so much value.”

Strengthening Skills, Collaboration, and Community Impact

The MOA Network is critical to enhancing the patient experience by boosting MOA skills, optimizing practices, and enabling quality improvement. These strategies, in turn, increase family physician capacity, which allows them to focus on patient care.

Key strategies include fostering camaraderie, professional development, skill building, idea exchange, and community partnership. The Network addresses common challenges that MOAs face, provides a platform for support, and connects MOAs to resources through Doctors of BC, Vancouver Coastal Health, Richmond Public Health, the Family Practice Services Committee Practice Support Program, Pathways BC, and local services.

Richmond’s MOA Network team collaborates with other Divisions of Family Practice throughout the province to address industry issues, and updates members via the twice-monthly Richmond MOA Minute newsletter.

“I’m proud of the Richmond MOA Network,” says Executive Director Jennifer West. “This group is rapidly gaining a reputation in the province as a model for other communities.”

Events and collaborations with health care organizations such as LifeLabs, Brooke Radiology, and ImmunizeBC highlight the Network’s commitment to connect MOAs with essential services. Chen says the Network will continue to focus on skill building, partnerships, and raising awareness about the value of MOAs.

“We are developing strategies to have a broader impact on the community and to strengthen the industry’s reputation overall,” she says.

Coppersmith Medical Clinic Manager Jessy Flores appreciates how the MOA Network provides opportunities to engage with fellow MOAs, health care professionals, and support groups.

“These connections have exposed me to diverse perspectives and innovative ideas about issues that are prevalent in our field,” says Flores. She adds that the Network facilitates the group to identify solutions for common challenges in Richmond clinics.

Part of the Network’s success is because Chen and her colleagues try to make participation fun.

“There have been so many wonderful moments since I became part of the MOA Network, but the recent Holiday Social stands out as the most memorable,” says Flores. “This event offered an enjoyable atmosphere for MOAs and the RDFP team. We got to engage in social interaction through games and activities, delicious food, and a warm cup of hot chocolate.”

Since its inception in 2020, the Richmond MOA Network has hosted 19 events, fostered collaboration with healthcare partners, and provided resources through local and provincial organizations. By strengthening MOA skills, promoting camaraderie, and offering professional support, the Network improves clinic efficiency, boosts physician capacity, and contributes to better patient experiences in Richmond.

Discover the benefits of the Richmond MOA Network ,whether you are a current member, a Medical Office Assistant looking to join, a healthcare professional seeking collaboration, or a family physician interested in supporting your team.

Health Connect Registry Expands Province-wide

Health Connect Registry Expands Province-wide

Health Connect Registry Expands Province-wide to Help British Columbians Find a Primary Care Provider

The Richmond Health Connect Registry helps unattached residents connect with family physicians and nurse practitioners, improving access to primary care and supporting better health outcomes. By streamlining patient-provider connections, the Registry reduces strain on emergency departments and walk-in clinics while ensuring Richmond residents receive timely, coordinated care.

Expanding Access to Primary Care in Richmond

With new Family Physicians and Nurse Practitioners ready to accept patients, the Province has expanded the Health Connect Registry to all communities throughout B.C.

“As one of the first communities in B.C. who adopted the Health Connect Registry in 2021, the Richmond Primary Care Network was able to expand access to care for Richmond residents,” explains Jorge Hernández, Program Lead with the Richmond Division of Family Practice and Richmond Primary Care Networks. “Its adoption also meant an important step in reducing the strain on emergency departments and walk-in clinics, improving health outcomes for individuals, and supporting a meaningful and positive health experience for patients and providers.”

The recent expansion of the Health Connect Registry allows more unattached residents to register in Richmond.

Connecting Patients with Family Physicians and Nurse Practitioners

“Our Attachment team is working to decrease the attachment gap in Richmond by using accurate and accessible information from the Health Connect Registry,” explains Hernández.

Patients can be connected to a primary care provider based on health needs, the provider’s ability to take on those needs, and the region.

“The Health Connect Registry is a crucial action that delivers on our government’s commitment to strengthen health care, and it will help us provide better, easier access to primary care for generations to come,” says B.C. Minister of Health Adrian Dix.

“Between the new doctors who signed up with our new-to-practice incentive program, doctors who are joining the new payment model, new Nurse Practitioners and the many more to come, we are ensuring people throughout the province can connect with those primary care providers and others as medical professionals enter family practice and build their patient panel,” he adds.

The Health Connect Registry is the patient-facing side of the Province’s action plan to strengthen primary care and to better connect people to primary care providers. That plan includes:

  • a new Family Physician compensation model to attract and retain Family Physicians, which has nearly 3,300 signups.
  • a new-to-practice incentive program that has 156 new family doctors registered.
  • a new provincial roster for individual Family Physicians and Nurse Practitioners to manage their patient panel information, and to identify when they can accept new patients.
  • a new clinic and provider registry for medical directors and staff to provide information about their clinics so that the government can better support practitioner needs.
  • working directly with Doctors of BC and Nurses and Nurse Practitioners of BC to support Family Physicians and Nurse Practitioners with new registries.
  • adding more coordinators who will help connect Family Physicians and Nurse Practitioners to patients locally.
  • more incentives for clinics, Family Physicians and Nurse Practitioners.
  • a broader health human resources strategy to recruit and retain more health professionals to ensure British Columbians get the health services they need and are cared for by a healthy workforce.
  • providing more support for new team-based primary care in family practice clinics, urgent and primary-care centres, community health centres, nurse practitioner clinics and First Nations primary-care clinics.

Through the registry, B.C. will have a comprehensive list of who is looking for a primary care provider and who already has one, as well as which providers and clinics can accept new patients. Starting Nov. 30, 2023, and continuing quarterly, the Province will report on progress to add more Family Physicians and Nurse Practitioners, and on connecting more patients from the registry to a primary care provider.

Since its adoption in 2021, the Richmond Health Connect Registry has expanded access to primary care, supported new providers entering family practice, and enhanced patient attachment across the community. Through incentives, registries, and coordinated efforts, the program enables residents to find a primary care provider based on their health needs and helps clinics manage patient panels more effectively.

Whether you are a patient looking for a family physician or nurse practitioner, a healthcare professional seeking to join Richmond’s primary care team, or a clinic administrator, explore the Richmond Health Connect Registry today to discover how it can support your connection to primary care in Richmond.

BC Ministry of Health Announces Richmond Primary Care Networks

BC Ministry of Health Announces Richmond Primary Care Networks

BC Ministry of Health Announces Three Primary Care Networks to Drive Richmond Health System Transformation

The Richmond Primary Care Networks are transforming everyday health care for residents by bringing together family physicians, nurse practitioners, and allied health professionals in a coordinated, team-based approach. These networks aim to improve access, enhance patient care, and provide greater support to family doctors across Richmond.

Transforming Primary Care in Richmond

The B.C. Ministry of Health has announced its plan to transform everyday health care for Richmond residents by establishing three Primary Care Networks (PCNs) designed to bring additional health care resources and support to the city.

Up to 70 new health care providers will be recruited to support the transformation, including Family Physicians (FPs), Nurse Practitioners (NPs), and Allied Health Professionals (AHPs) such as Physiotherapists and Clinical Pharmacists.

“We know that many people living within Richmond have had challenges getting access to the everyday health care they need for themselves and their families,” says Adrian Dix, Minister of Health. “Creating these Primary Care Networks will allow health care professionals to work together in a team-based environment to help address long-standing gaps in primary care access for people in this community.”

The three networks will be the Richmond West, Richmond City Centre and Richmond East PCNs. Each PCN partners new and existing health care professionals with the health authority and community organizations as part of a networked, team-based approach to providing care.

“This is a time of unprecedented change and opportunity for family medicine, and the Richmond Division of Family Practice is eager to work toward a more accessible and coordinated system of primary care through the development of primary care networks,” says Dr. Rachila Sharma Aucone, Board Chair, Richmond Divisions of Family Practice. “This initiative will provide team-based care to our patients and greater support to family doctors practicing in Richmond.”

Each network will provide a full range of accessible, everyday health services, such as maternity or end-of-life care, to better support patients and providers. Together, these PCNs will see community partners work to attach tens of thousands of patients in Richmond to regular primary care.

Expanding Access with Team-Based Care

Vancouver Coastal Health is constantly looking at how we can expand and enhance services to better care for clients in need in our communities, when and where they need it,” says Mary Ackenhusen, President and CEO of Vancouver Coastal Health. “These networks will bring together and coordinate health care providers, services, and programs, making it easier for Richmond residents to access care providers, to receive follow-up, and to connect to other services they may need. We are excited to be a part of this new model of care serving our Richmond community.”

The three networks in Richmond were developed to better meet the community’s specific needs. These priority needs include:

  • increased attachment for Richmond residents to a regular primary care provider
  • enhanced coordination of primary and community services with a focus on improving care for seniors
  • enhanced cultural safety and culturally appropriate care for Indigenous and immigrant residents
  • increased team-based resources to better meet the needs of people with mild to moderate chronic disease/conditions. These resources include health promotion services that respond to population health needs.

The Richmond Primary Care Networks initiative is a partnership between the Ministry of Health, Vancouver Coastal Health and the Richmond Division of Family Practice.

The Ministry of Health will provide approximately $15 million in annual funding to the Richmond region by the third year, as net new positions are added and as patients are attached.

With three new networks—Richmond West, Richmond City Centre, and Richmond East—residents will have improved access to primary care, including maternity, end-of-life, and chronic disease management services. By integrating community partners, cultural safety initiatives, and enhanced resources, the Richmond Primary Care Networks are connecting patients to regular care and supporting providers with team-based services designed to meet the city’s unique health needs.

Learn more about the Richmond Primary Care Networks and how they can benefit you—whether you are a patient seeking a primary care provider, a family doctor or allied health professional looking to join, or a community partner interested in collaboration.