Country Correspondent: Aisha Gomez
Last spring, British Columbia launched several initiatives to strengthen primary care. The province aims to recruit 200 graduating family physicians and 200 nurse practitioners into team-based practices within newly established primary care networks. Practices will be paid through alternative payment arrangements instead of traditional fee-for-service payments. The strategy seeks to provide recent medical graduates a steady level of compensation, a better work–life balance, support from a team of health professionals, and more time to provide patient-centered care. The province also will expand primary care networks across 70 percent of British Columbia communities over the next three years, add 10 new urgent primary care centers, and create community health centers that offer integrated preventive health care and social services.
