Cowichan Primary Care Network

Primary care planning/implementation involves carving out space and time for relationship building, exploration, and self-determination. The PCN Team builds relationships with local First Nations, Métis, and Inuit partners, supports articulated priorities and needs, within the art of the possible, and works towards alignment with the First Nations Primary Care Initiative.

Net new physicians and nurse practitioners provide longitudinal family primary care services in three new locations in Cowichan (Duncan, Lake Cowichan, and Thetis Island). Cowichan has also been approved by the Ministry of Health for a Cowichan Urgent and Primary Care Clinic that will provide longitudinal and episodic primary care.

The Cowichan PCN facilitates connections between new physician and nurse practitioner positions with the hopes of enhancing clinic growth and/or replacing retiring providers in existing longitudinal family practice clinics.

The Cowichan PCN strives to support the stabilization and sustainability of clinics. Clinics and First Nations/Métis/Inuit partners continue to explore new models of primary care, research current primary care needs, and access supports to identify efficiencies and transform primary care.

Strengthening the connection between primary care and the social determinants of health emerged as the top priority across all partners during the initial engagement work and development of the PCN service plan. To date, 13 social determinants of health social workers work as team members with Cowichan longitudinal family practice clinics in a “hub and spoke” supportive model.

Island Health Community Health Services shifted from a geographic to a clinic-based service delivery model. Case Manager Registered Nurses are now assigned patients from 1-2 clinics enabling stronger connection and networking with clinics and their Social Determinants of Health Social Workers.

The Ministry of Health dedicated one pharmacist to most PCNs in the province. In Cowichan, the PCN Pharmacist complements clinic-based primary care teams, and the service has evolved to include part-time co-location of the PCN Pharmacist in approximately four clinics.

In Cowichan, most clinics offer same day appointments for their own patients when more urgent primary care matters arise.

Two private clinics offer episodic care to patients who are not attached to their team. These clinics are in South and Central Cowichan: Valleyview Treatment Centre and Duncan Family Practice Clinic

Two Island Health urgent care centres offer episodic care to patients – one in Chemainus and one in Ladysmith. These clinics document serving patients from Victoria to Nanaimo.

All primary care clinics and providers are considered a part of the Cowichan PCN. The level of connection is guided by the capacity and interest of each clinic and physician/nurse practitioner. The PCN partners work closely to enhance the integration of allied health professionals into clinics, understand challenges, and continuously improve team dynamics and patient care.

The Cowichan PCN partners participate broadly across the local community, the Vancouver Island region, and the province to learn, share, and optimize the development and growth of the PCN. Local networking includes (but is not limited to) participation in the Cowichan Collaborative Services Committee, the Cowichan Valley Indigenous Health Community Table, Our Cowichan Community Health Network, the Cowichan Community Action Team, and the Eldercare Project in Cowichan.

The Cowichan PCN has collaborated with Health Link BC to build a new way to connect patients to a family doctor or nurse practitioner through the Health Connect Registry. Registering using this online tool adds patients to a local waitlist. Patients may also register family or a person in their care. Access to a family doctor or nurse practitioner will be limited by the number of providers accepting patients.