A GP for Me launches in Richmond

Family doctors in Richmond are inviting residents to voice their opinions in a survey that will help shape the future of primary health care in their community. The survey is available online here.

The survey is part of the Richmond Division of Family Practice’s participation in the province-wide A GP for Me initiative. Funded by the Government of BC and Doctors of BC, A GP for Me aims to improve access to primary care; strengthen the continuous doctor-patient relationship; and better support the needs of vulnerable patients.

The survey takes around five minutes to complete and is available in English, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Punjabi and Tagalog. It is open to all Richmond residents, with or without a family doctor, including those who visit walk-in clinics, alternative health care providers, or hospital emergency rooms for care. Survey participants are also invited to enter a draw to win one of 20 $100 gift certificates to businesses in the Richmond area (maximum one entry per person, and winners must reside in Richmond).

“I’ve been working in Richmond for 28 years, as an emergency doctor at Richmond Hospital and in private practice in Steveston. I’m thinking about retiring and am concerned about where my patients will go to receive care,” says Richmond Division Board Chair and A GP for Me Physician Lead Dr. Jack Kliman. “A GP for Me is a unique opportunity to look at the needs of both the community and local physicians. I urge all Richmond residents to take our survey and have their voices heard.”

Survey responses are anonymous and all information collected will adhere to provincial and federal standards for privacy, confidentiality and security of data.

The A GP for Me initiative is in different phases across the province, with Divisions of Family Practice carrying out this important work at a local level. Divisions of Family Practice are community-based groups of family physicians working together to achieve common health care goals.

In Richmond, the initiative was launched earlier this summer with the creation of an Advisory Committee comprised of family physicians, representatives from Vancouver Coastal Health, as well as patient representation. This fall, the division will research the number of people looking for doctors; seek input from local family physicians; and identify strengths and gaps in local primary care resources. By early 2015, the Committee will develop a community plan to improve local primary care capacity and seek funding through A GP for Me to implement this plan.

For more information, please visit www.divisionsbc.ca/richmond.