Newsletter

Planning time away from your practice over the coming months? We have physicians who are beginning to look at locum opportunities in the Central Okanagan area from late September 2026 through April 2027. If you anticipate needing coverage during this period, now is the time to submit your locum request. Whether you’re taking vacation, CME time, or need additional practice support, submitting your request early helps us match you with available locum physicians. Why submit early? Maximize your...

Medical Office Assistants (MOAs) play an essential role in supporting primary care teams, and we’re launching a new newsletter designed specifically to support their work. Launching this August, the MOA Newsletter will bring together practical clinic resources, education and training opportunities, billing and EMR information, Pathways resources, community updates, events, and other tools to support MOAs across the Central Okanagan. Family physicians are encouraged to share this opportunity...

Wildfire smoke and extreme heat can have significant health impacts, particularly for patients who may be at increased risk. Pathways and the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) have developed care pathways to help family physicians identify at-risk patients, provide prevention guidance, and share patient education resources. These resources include guidance on: Identifying patients who may be more vulnerable to the health impacts of wildfire smoke & heat Supporting conversations about...

Mark your calendar! Join us for the Central Okanagan Division of Family Practice's 2026 Annual General Meeting, followed by our annual Members Event. Hear directly from the Board and Executive Director about the Division's work over the past year, connect with colleagues over dinner, and be among the first to experience our new Innovation Exchange, featuring brief presentations from local health system partners highlighting initiatives and opportunities that support family physicians....

The Ministry of Health issued a revised memo on July 16, 2026, clarifying expectations for New to Practice (NTP) physician contract extensions and Primary Care Network (PCN) Nurse Practitioner (NP) contract renewals. New to Practice Physician Contracts The Ministry reaffirmed that NTP contracts are intended as two-year contracts, with physicians expected to transition to the Longitudinal Family Physician (LFP) or Fee For Service (FFS) payment model once the contract expires. Health...

Written by: Dr. Nicola Tam & Morgan Flynn, PCN Pharmacist In September 2025, Dr. Nicola Tam and Morgan Flynn launched a quality improvement project to reduce carbon emissions from inhalers in Dr. Tam's family practice. The project was a success, and they are sharing their experience to help other family physicians interested in implementing similar changes. Metered-dose inhalers (MDI's), which are high-carbon, are frequently overprescribed in primary care, often when lower carbon alternatives...

A new funding opportunity is available to support team-based primary care organizations in improving patient access to care through the Primary Care Access Improvement (PCAI) initiative. Deadline for applications: September 9, 2026. The PCAI initiative supports primary care teams in implementing the Advanced Access model, an evidence-informed approach that helps balance appointment availability with patient demand. By improving how teams plan, schedule, and deliver care, Advanced Access can...

The Digital Referrals and Orders (DRO) program is launching Be in the Know with DRO, a new webinar series designed for physicians, MOAs, and clinic staff using—or interested in using—Ocean eReferrals. Join this 45-minute webinar to stay up to date on the latest DRO developments and explore practical ways to make the most of your digital referral and ordering tools. What You'll Learn: Updates from the DRO program A live demonstration of Ocean eReferrals and Patient Engagement tools Practical...

The Division is seeking a family physician to join the Steering Committee for a new Shared Care quality improvement (QI) project aimed at improving access to chronic pain care through enhanced navigation, interdisciplinary collaboration, culturally safe care, and function-focused, evidence-based approaches. We're looking for a family physician who: Enjoys systems-level thinking and collaboration Is passionate about quality improvement and care pathway redesign Does not have a specialization...

Second-year UBC Kelowna Family Medicine residents are conducting a research study to better understand how family physicians in the Central Okanagan are using artificial intelligence (AI) in clinical practice. The survey aims to learn how AI tools are being used in family practice, including how they may support efficiency, improve care, and create new challenges or barriers for physicians. Your feedback will help researchers better understand current AI use in practice and identify...