Established in 2001, the JSC advises the BC government and Doctors of BC on matters pertaining to rural medical practice.
The goal of the JSC is to enhance the availability and stability of physician services in rural and remote areas of BC by addressing some of the unique and difficult circumstances faced by physicians.
The JSC is responsible for the overall governance of the rural programs including (but not limited to) the BC Rural Physician Practice Programs.
Contact: Rural@doctorsofbc.ca.
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Latest news
- Nawh Whu’nus’en – We See in Two Worlds: Trauma sensitive practices for collective healingWhen it comes to culturally safe care, the Indigenous Patient-Led (IPL) Continuing Professional Development (CPD) program is forging a path to improve health outcomes by increasing physicians’ ability to provide culturally safe care for Indigenous Peoples in rural and remote BC.
- ISAR & Cultural Safety | Spring Learning SessionsThe Joint Collaborative Committees (JCCs), a partnership between Doctors of BC and the BC government, are hosting spring Community-Based Experiential Learning sessions in collaboration with Len … Continued
- Bringing the Anatomy Lab to Rural BCA new pilot program is livestreaming anatomy-based training from UBC’s Gross Anatomy Lab directly to rural clinicians, supporting urgent, high-risk care close to home.
- How community-based training is strengthening rural emergency care in BCRural clinicians regularly manage complex and unpredictable emergencies. Designed by and for rural clinicians, The CARE Course brings hands-on training directly to local teams—strengthening emergency care in rural communities and improving access for patients and families across BC.
Programs
BC Rural Physician Programs Guide
This guide outlines the programs created through the Subsidiary Agreement for Physicians in Rural Practice.
Rural Coordination Centre of BC (RCCbc)
Engages and coordinates with rural health care providers to help develop solutions, frameworks, and networks.
Locums for Rural BC (LRBC)
- Rural General Practitioner Locum Program (RGPLP)
- Rural General Practitioner Anesthesia Locum Program (RGPALP)
- Rural Specialist Locum Program (RSLP)
Rural Education Action Plan (REAP)
Supports the training needs of physicians in rural practice, provides undergraduate medical students and postgraduate residents with rural practice experience, and increases rural physician participation in the medical school selection process.
Rural Recruitment
- Recruitment Incentive Fund (RIF)
- Recruitment Contingency Fund (RCF)
- Practice Ready Assessment – Physicians for BC (PRA-BC)
Northern and Isolation Travel Assistance Outreach Program (NITAOP)
Funding for approved physicians who visit eligible rural and isolated communities to provide medical services
Rural Emergency Enhancement Fund (REEF)
Funding for eligible rural emergency departments to support fee-for-service physicians who collaboratively plan for and provide public access to ED services on a regular, scheduled basis.
Isolation Allowance Fund (IAF)
Additional funding to assist RSA communities with recruiting expenses where the difficulty in filling a vacancy is, or is expected to be, especially severe.
Supervisors of Provisionally Licensed Physicians (SPLP)
Funding for eligible supervising physicians who spend a significant amount of time assessing the knowledge, competencies, and clinical skills of rural physicians who have provisional licenses.
UBC Associate Dean of Rural Medicine
Based in Prince George, the chair facilitates the enhancement of medical teaching and learning at UBC with a rural focus; and supports rural research, designed to bring solutions to improving the systems of care in more remote parts BC.
Rural Family Practice Enhanced Surgical Skills OB Locum Pilot Program
Funding for eligible rural family practice physicians to secure subsidized periods of leave for Continuing Medical Education and vacation, to help promote overall recruitment and retention to maintain closer to home maternity services in rural British Columbia.
The program will run from July 1, 2023 – March 31, 2025.
Resources
- Rural Practice Partners
- Rural Practice Subsidiary Agreement (RSA)
- Rural & Remote Divisions of Family Practice (RRDiVFP)
- UBC Rural Continuing Professional Development (UBCCPD)fj
Committee members
Explore JSC meeting summaries.
*Voting members
Doctors of BC representatives
- Dr David (Dave) Whittaker, Co-Chair, Family Physician*
- Dr Christie Chan, Vice Co-Chair, Family Physician*
- Dr Jeanette Boyd, Family Physician*
- Dr Kirsten Miller, Pediatrics*
- Vacant*
- Dr Denise Jaworsky, Internal Medicine, alternate
- Dr Amy Sawchuk, Family Physician, alternate
- Dr Michael Slatnik, Family Physician, alternate
Government representatives
- Kevin Brown, Co-Chair, Executive Director, Physician Services Branch (PSB); Labour, Negotiations and Beneficiary Services (LNBS) Division, Ministry of Health*
- Carolyn Rudden, Vice Co-Chair, Director, Physician Services Policy & Programs (PSPP), PSB, LNBS, Ministry of Health*
- Dr Todd Loewen, Senior Medical Director, East Kootenay, Interior Health Authority*
- Brendan Stewart, Senior Manager, Rural Programs, PSPP, PSB, LNBS, Ministry of Health*
- Vacant*
Health Authority representatives
- Dr Terri Aldred, Medical Director, Primary Care, First Nations Health Authority, alternate
- Dr Dieter de Bruin, Executive Medical Director Geo 1, Vancouver Island Health Authority, alternate
- Dr Shannon Douglas, Medical Director, Lakes/Omineca, Northern Health Authority, alternate
- Dr Peter Edmunds, Senior Medical Director, Coastal, Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, alternate
Guests
- Dr Ray Markham, Executive Director, Medicine, Rural Coordination Centre of BC (RCCbc)
- Dr John Pawlovich, Director, Rural Education Action Plan, RCCBc