Our members are involved with many projects.

To date funded projects fall into five categories including; COVID19, New Hospital Build, Blue Sky/Retreat, Clinical, and Community

1. ‘Fit’ with CDMS purpose:  physician engagement/support and collaboration with stakeholders 
2. Have the potential to improve the quality of care or the workplace experience (including project feasibility and the opportunity for sustainability) 
3. Have budget and measures (in reviewing the project) defined 
4. Not contravene FE funding rules (not for clinical services, equipment, ongoing operations) 

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Projects By Category

1) COVID 19 Projects

Current projects involve creating and implementing valuable strategies to manage the current COVID-19 pandemic within our community and hospital.

• Physicians are finding innovative ways to improve communications and enhance
  information sharing including SLACK for valley physicians and individual group,
  Whats App, and Town Halls to discuss key issues.
  
•  Physicians are collaborating with each other, as well as medical and support staff, to
  ensure the safe treatment and testing of patients.
  
•  Physical setup of new spaces to provide testing and treatment to COVID-19
  patients.
  
•  Resource gathering and distribution to ensure our front-line workers are protected.
  
• Creation of protocols and treatment plans for patients.​

Cowichan Valley Physicians

​COVID-19 Response communication

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 Respiratory Assessment Centre

• The purpose of the clinic is to have a single site where patients with symptoms who have been triaged by either their own GP or a GP working at the Virtual Assessment Clinic can be referred. The lead on this project was Dr. T. Rimmer.

Intubation Simulation

• Preparing the departments for management of the COVID patient in respiratory distress without having to bring all the respective staffs together to simulate in person. The lead on this project was Dr. Butler and Dr. Randhawa.

​Virtual Assessment Clinic

• Improving access to COVID specific care (counselling, triage, assessment) for Cowichan Valley residents with consistent BC CDC messaging. The lead on this project was Dr. Kozoriz.

​Code Blue Cardiac Protocols

• Working to produce a Code Blue Guideline for inpatient and outpatient response to align with Island Health, provincial and international knowledge and guidelines on code blue management with the risk of COVID-19 while considering local significant physical site challenges, staff experience, make, comfort and skill sets. The lead on this project was Dr. Stephenson. 

Maternity Clinic COVID Planning

•  Moving the clinic out of CDH to optimize good safe maternity care while limiting the spread of COVID-19. The lead on this project was Dr. Gallagher.

SLACK 

• The CDMS and CVDFP recognize that there was an overwhelming amount of information about COVID19. Medical leads were struggling to do clinical work. The CDMS introduced the Cowichan Valley Physicians Slack work group. This is a powerful tool with many features. Only physicians, and Island Health leaders are on the site. The lead on this project is Dr. Stephenson.

2) New Hospital Build

Ongoing Funding

• We continue to support ad hoc physician involvement upto $2000 per physician group to support discussions on the new hospital build when physicians are not funded by Island Health for this period. 

CDH ER - New Hospital Planning and Guidance Committee

• Identifying current and projected needs for space, staff, equipment and care pathways for the current ED and moving forward into the new hospital. The lead on this project was Dr. Stephenson. 

Family Medicine CDH Business Plan Committee

• To represent the family practice community, and to ensure a family medicine perspective throughout development of the business plan for the new Cowichan District Hospital. The lead on this project was Dr. Blackburn.

Maternity and Paediatrics Needs Assessment Working Group

• Perform a needs gap analysis to guide in improving service delivery in the current facility and guide planning for the new facility. The lead on this project was Dr. Odendaal, and Dr. Ikemura.

Ophthalmology Needs Assessment Working Group

• Perform a needs gap analysis to guide us in improving service delivery in our current facility and guide planning for the new facility.  The common end goal is to establish the highest functioning ophthalmology department in the province. The lead on this project was Dr. Ramsted.

Psychiatry Participation in the Development of the New CDH Business Plan

• To participate in the production of a psychiatric service business plan for the new CDH that will meet the needs of the listed stakeholders. The lead on this project was Dr. Derocher.

Surgery Needs Assessment Working Group

• Perform a needs analysis to guide us in improving service delivery in our current facility and guide planning for the new facility. The lead on this project was Dr. Vanderputten.

Maternity/Paediatrics Needs Assessment Ph1

• Information gathered, including data in support of a nursery, provided the basis of the report for the New Hospital Business Case Plan.​ The lead on this project was Dr. Odendaal.

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3) Clinical

Early Pregnancy Loss Project

• Improved model of care, process flow, and communications
  pathways (between CMC and ER, Radiology, and midwives/OB's) The lead on this project was Dr. Ikemura.

Disaster Planning Project

• Completed Stage 1 with several mock disaster days, where the emergency department conducted a detailed table top exercise within the ER community (physicians, nursing and allied) and within the ED and administrative organization. The lead on this project was Dr. Stephenson.

Cardiology STEP Project

• Advocated for evidence-based excellence in care; worked to develop rapid EKG at triage, so the average time to EKG for AMI is down to 8 minutes (from 20). The lead on this project was Dr. Stephenson.

Maternity Clinic Paediatric Coverage Gap Analysis

• Resulted in securing additional Paediatric Locum Funding (summer 2018) to reduce the number of weeks without call coverage. The lead on this project was Dr. Odendaal.

Family Practice Provider Experience

• Understand family physician provider experience at CDH in order to advocate for resources and changes aimed to improve provider experience. By supporting the medical lead involvement in these projects, we will provide a sustainable model for physician engagement in improving patient care and physician experience at CDH.

Second look at ED Admissions

• Aiming at decreasing ED admissions and/ or identifying the resources needed to prevent an admission in the ED. ED admissions being one of the main drivers of inpatient volume.

4) Blue Sky/Retreat
​
CDH ER Retreat

• Together We CARE Feb 12 2020.  The Emergency Physicians, Island Health Administration from the CDH critical care steam and New Build representative Janeen Kidd participated.  A two-part format had physicians enjoying local CME. In the afternoon, a big picture exercise led by facilitator Lee Sentes allowed the group to explore vision, collegiality, efficiencies, work environment and future direction philosophically and practically through the current era of overcrowding into the new hospital.

 ​
Psychiatry Planning Meeting

• The physician members of the CDH Department of Psychiatry met with the Island Health Operations managers and coordinators of Seniors, Tertiary psychiatry, Short Term programs and Case Management Programs, and Early Psychosis Prevention. This planning meeting was to decide together with our Island Health MHSU program leaders on how we will provide psychiatric consultation for the next years. The interests and special abilities of the physicians were brought forward as well as the needs of the programs.

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5) Community

Right care, right time, right place/Stoplight Campaign

• To help the community understand how best to utilize our medical health facilities to assure everyone gets the best possible care, particularly during this COVID19 epidemic.

Cowichan Medical Staff HR Planning:  ​​

• ​Successful strategies for recruitment and retention were explored, along with visioning what elements would be essential in a comprehensive HR plan for Cowichan.  Collaborative meetings were held in February, April, June, November, with representation from CDMS, CVDFP, and Island Health.  Four guiding principles framed the November discussion. Shared ownership, transparent processes and communication, collaboration with the provincial level/ application, acknowledgement of local input and knowledge to decision making.​ Applied examples included the Pediatric coverage crisis, Urology needs assessment, and IMG approvals encouraging full-service GPs. To view November 15, 2019 HR Planning Meeting Executive Summary go to "About Us - Documents - Statements and Letters"