Medical pilot connecting people to family doctors considered for Peace River region

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The regional district is investigating the possibility of establishing a pilot medical clinic in northeast B.C. to support residents finding family doctors. 

On the agenda for the June 19th regional board meeting of the Peace River Regional District (PRRD) was a report on the City of Colwood’s medical clinic pilot project. 

During the May meeting, the board discussed the project, and asked staff to compile a report as several directors felt it could be something the PRRD could duplicate. 

While not discussed during the June meeting, the report was included in the agenda. 

The report outlined a 2023 survey of Colwood residents which indicated 69 per cent identified the need for a family doctor as the top priority, prompting the city to begin the process of establishing the clinic.

According to staff, the Colwood Clinic is estimated to connect 10,000 residents with a family physician by its fifth year of operation “without an impact to municipal tax funding.”

This is because the clinic uses the B.C. Ministry of Health’s Longitudinal Family Physician (LFP) Payment Model, which was developed as an alternative to the fee-for-service model. 

“This payment model allows residents to not pay directly for their care as the family doctors will be municipal employees of the City of Colwood and will be paid through the city, funded by the provincial revenues billed by the clinic through the Ministry of Health,” PRRD staff wrote. 

Staff went on to explain that if applied in the PRRD, a pilot project of this nature could not be funded through the existing Health Related Services bylaw, as it was established as a grant service. 

“If a medical clinic was a program that the regional board wished to pursue, it may be possible to utilize funding from [the Health Related Services bylaw] with an amendment to the bylaw, or through provision of a grant to a non-profit society operating the clinic through contract with the regional district that could be the recipient of grant funding through the service as it currently exists.”

The process of establishing a clinic without increasing the cost to taxpayers is complicated, as detailed by staff, but possible under the correct conditions and processes. 

The report stated more research would be required to determine the start-up costs and ongoing operational costs of a pilot project in the PRRD similar to the Colwood Clinic.