Joint Collaborative Committees

Family Practice Services Committee Meeting Summaries

September 2025

  • The FPSC Core met on September 12, 2025: 
    • The committee welcomed Katie Hughes, FNHA Representative for the Ministry of Health. 
    • Priorities for the 2026-27 FPSC Work Plan were discussed, and the committee agreed that the current FPSC priorities still resonate, which include improving access, enabling collaboration, supporting practice improvement, advancing cultural safety, and building collective impact through the JCCs. There was also agreement to further review the FPSC’s work, impact, and role in Cultural Safety and Humility, ISAR, and Emergency Department Stabilization. 
    • The FPSC agreed to prioritize Inpatient Care (IPC) work to address system-level challenges. The new proposal will be presented at the October FPSC Meeting. 
  • FPSC milestones for this period:
    • In August, a revised role description and orientation guide for the FPSC Divisions of Family Practice Regional Representatives (Regional Reps) were shared with all Divisions. Over the last several months, the FPSC worked with the Regional Reps to refine their roles to strengthen the relationship between Divisions and the FPSC in support of family doctors. The vision for the Regional Reps is to represent the collective voice of Divisions, offer input, share feedback from their regions, and highlight matters of strategic regional importance to the FPSC. 
  • In July, the FPSC informed the Divisions that the one-time FPSC Indigenous Cultural Safety and Humility funding grant is again available in FY2025-26. This grant enables Divisions to continue supporting ISAR  and advancing culturally safe care for Indigenous Peoples in BC by amplifying existing work being done in partnership with local First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities.

June 2025

  • The June 5, 2025, FPSC Full Committee meeting was cancelled.  
  • The FPSC Core Committee met on June 6, 2025.
    • The Ministry of Health shared updates on several provincial reviews, including the Cooperation and Responsible Government Accord (CARGA), Health Authority spending, and a number of programs currently under evaluation, such as the Nurse in Practice Program and Digital Referrals and Orders. The Ministry committed to working collaboratively with FPSC and partners as this work progresses.
    • Both Pathways BC and the Health Data Coalition (HDC) presented overviews of their tools, highlighting current capabilities and progress. They sought input from FPSC to inform future strategic direction and ensure alignment with physician needs.
    • A briefing note on Inpatient Care (IPC) highlighted growing challenges around recruitment and retention. The FPSC emphasized that compensation alone isn’t enough to solve the issue, and the Ministry committed to integrating IPC into broader system-level conversations around workforce planning and training.
    • The LTCI Advisory Group shared an overview of its current priorities. It is focusing on developing recommendations on recruitment and retention. 
    • The Ministry also shared findings from a recent review of rural healthcare recruitment and engagement, reinforcing the significant challenges faced by rural communities in attracting and retaining healthcare professionals.
    • Doctors of BC provided an update on the Digital Health Strategy and AI scribe tools in primary care settings.
  • The FPSC Summit was scheduled to take place on October 6, as part of the JCC Conference. After careful consideration, the FPSC has decided to reschedule the FPSC Summit and to host this event virtually in early 2026. This change was made to ensure as many family doctors and partners as possible can participate, regardless of travel limitations, scheduling conflicts, or cost constraints. 
  • On October 6, 2025, FPSC will hold an internal strategic planning workshop to discuss FPSC initiatives in the context of a changing primary care landscape in BC. Attendance at this event is by invitation only and will include FPSC Core members, Divisions of Family Practice, key partners organizations, and FPSC staff representation. 
  • The Ministry has discontinued funding for the platform Dr. Bill, which supports clinics in uploading their panels into the Provincial Attachment System (PAS), effective August 2025, creating a short-term access gap for doctors on EMRs that are not able to upload panel data in bulk. To address the access issues, the FPSC approved one-time funding to maintain Dr. Bill’s panel submission support from September 2025 through March 2026.
  • On May 16, an Ad Hoc FPSC meeting was held, and a decision was made to allocate funds from the FY2025-26 budget to extend Inpatient Care Transition Funding from October 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026. Further decisions are needed for long-term solutions for inpatient care.
  • FPSC milestones for this period:
    • Registration opened for the October 6 FPSC Workshop, an invitation–only in–person event taking place the day before the JCC Showcase. This workshop will provide an opportunity for the FPSC and its partners to collectively consider how to continue improving primary care in BC and to reflect on and reimagine how the FPSC can best support family practice now and into the future.

May 2025

  • The FPSC Core held an ad hoc meeting on May 16, 2025: 
    • FPSC approved the extension of the Inpatient Care Transition Funding through March 31, 2026. It had previously been set to end September 30, 2025.  
    • This decision was made to support the provision of inpatient care services while long-term solutions continue to be developed. This new end date is intended to be the final extension of transition funding.    
    • FPSC is committed to recognizing the value of longitudinal family practice and the tremendous value created, especially to rural communities, when family physicians provide comprehensive care across multiple settings, including inpatient care.  
    • There have been recent changes in the Ministry of Health portfolios and leadership, which resulted in membership shifts at the Primary Care Compensation Working Group (PCCWG). Consequently, the PCCWG, responsible for the development of the Longitudinal Family Physician (LFP) Payment Model, needs time to orient new members and discuss solutions to support family physician delivery of facility-based care, including inpatient care. 
  • FPSC Milestones for May:
    • On May 21–22, the FPSC hosted its annual Executive Director Learning Session (EDLS) and Divisions Learning Session (DLS) in Vancouver.
      • The EDLS focused on the operational aspects of funding and reporting, and discussions on Division governance, succession planning, and board engagement. 
      • The DLS brought together 127 participants, including Division physicians, staff, FPSC committee members, and Doctors of BC leaders, to explore the evolving role of Divisions and strengthen relationships. Highlights included a keynote on radical listening by Dr. McNamara, collaborative brainstorming led by Sue Davis, and many opportunities for peer learning on priority topics.  

April 2025

  • FPSC Core met on April 25, 2025.
    • The committee approved another year of funding for the UpToDate contract for FY2025-26.
    • In December 2024, the FPSC agreed to provide payments in FY2024-25 for FPs and medical directors to upload panel data and clinic registry data, respectively, into the Provincial Attachment System (PAS) for the first time. Updated analysis shows that more uploads occurred than initially estimated, and additional funding was requested and approved by the FPSC at the April meeting to support FPs and clinics to enter their data into the PAS. 
    • FPSC approved increased funding to Pathways for FY2025-26. This increase enables Pathways to cover inflation costs, centralize maintenance, support new and existing resources, and invest in the development of future integrations.
    • The committee approved increased funding to the Health Data Coalition (HDC) for FY2025-26. FPSC agreed to direct the HDC to use FPSC funds to leverage HDC’s data to better support community and system planning. HDC’s data infrastructure and programming will continue to support individual quality improvement, with a new focus on enabling HDC’s data and processes to better serve community and system needs. 
    • The April committee meeting was MOH Co-Chair Ted Patterson’s final FPSC meeting. Mr. Patterson has taken on a new role at the Ministry as Assistant Deputy Minister of Health Workforce Policy and Planning. FPSC leadership is working closely with MOH colleagues to ensure urgent decision-making continues without delay during this transition. Ally Butler, the new Assistant Deputy Minister of Health Services Integration, whose portfolio includes the Primary Care Division, attended the meeting and was introduced to the committee. 
    • The April FPSC Core meeting also marked the departure of Dr Brenda Hefford, Vice President, Physician Affairs and Community Practice at Doctors of BC.

March 2025

  • The FPSC did not meet in March.

February 2025

  • The full FPSC committee met on February 13, 2025, on the topic of Family Physician (FP) recruitment. The objective was to develop a shared understanding of organizational roles related to FP recruitment. The table shared successes and dialogued opportunities to address local, regional, and/or provincial challenges.
  • The FPSC Core met on February 14, 2025. 
    • The FPSC Co-Chair, Ministry of Health (MOH) updated the Core members on the Minister of Health’s mandate letter and how that new context could impact the FPSC’s work.
    • The FPSC provided feedback on the purpose and objectives of the 2025 FPSC Summit, deciding the day should aim to inspire and energize participants, with a focus on innovation.  
    • The committee approved a request from the Revelstoke FPs to join the Kootenay Boundary Division of Family Practice as of April 1, 2025. 
    • Funding was approved to support the integration of the Provincial Attachment System with Electronic Medical Records, using the Health Application Lightweight Protocol (HALO) framework and Smart-On-FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources) applications. 
    • Due to delay in the launch of the new Comprehensive Care Payment (CCP), the FPSC approved the following:
      • Extending Inpatient Care Transition Funding (scheduled to end on March 31, 2025), for up to six more months (April 1 – September 30, 2025).
      • Maintaining current funding for Assigned Inpatient Care Network and Maternity Care Network for up to six more months (April 1 – September 30, 2025) until such network payments are replaced by the CCP for eligible FPs. 
  • The FPSC had an extensive discussion on this agenda item, including sharing concerns about the delay in implementing CCP, particularly for rural and mid-size communities
  • The FPSC Billing Education and Support Team has released a checklist to guide FPs through various enrollment and withdrawal scenarios for the Longitudinal Family Practice (LFP) Payment Model e.g. transitioning from LFP Locum to LFP.
  • The first Long Term Care Initiative (LTCI) Advisory Group was held in January to provide recommendations and advice to the FPSC on emerging issues and opportunities for improving the LTCI. The meeting focused on current LTCI successes and challenges, including the impact of staffing shortages, new payment models, optimizing workflows and facility-based team-based care, and the need for training and medical coordination.
  • The Doctors Technology Office (DTO) piloted a new service entitled ‘EMR Skill Building Sessions’, designed to help family physicians and their practice team members expand their expertise using their EMRs, focusing on Med Access and OSCAR EMRs. Six sessions were delivered to 213 attendees. Following the success of the pilot, DTO is now looking to spread and scale this initiative by offering sessions on a third EMR (Profile).
  • FPSC Milestones November to February: 
    • The FPSC Billing Education and Support Team has released a checklist to guide FPs through various enrollment and withdrawal scenarios for the Longitudinal Family Practice (LFP) Payment Model e.g. transitioning from LFP Locum to LFP.
    • The first Long Term Care Initiative (LTCI) Advisory Group was held in January to provide recommendations and advice to the FPSC on emerging issues and opportunities for improving the LTCI. The meeting focused on current LTCI successes and challenges, including the impact of staffing shortages, new payment models, optimizing workflows and facility-based team-based care, and the need for training and medical coordination.
    • The Doctors Technology Office (DTO) piloted a new service entitled ‘EMR Skill Building Sessions’, designed to help family physicians and their practice team members expand their expertise using their EMRs, focusing on Med Access and OSCAR EMRs. Six sessions were delivered to 213 attendees. Following the success of the pilot, DTO is now looking to spread and scale this initiative by offering sessions on a third EMR (Profile).