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Primary and community care investments support those most at risk
Patients with chronic disease and those with mental illness and substance use issues will benefit from new or expanded programming announced by the province earlier this month, Interior Health stated in a press release.
These programs are community-based and intended to help improve patients’ quality of life and help keep people out of the hospital.
“The announcement of these two new initiatives for those in the Cranbrook community who are most at risk speaks to government’s commitment to improve the patient and client experience and address increasing health care costs,” said Kootenay East MLA Bill Bennett. “We know that in many cases dealing with chronic disease and mental health before people need to go to hospital for care is more effective and efficient.”
The Cranbrook initiatives announced are part of an investment of up to $50 million in projects throughout B.C. which will strengthen primary and community care across the province.
“The projects outlined are all great examples of integration in health care at work and good news for the community,” says IH board chair Norman Embree. “These are targeted approaches to very specific populations, and we are excited to be working with local physicians and our staff in these key areas.”
The two areas targeted in Cranbrook include Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, which is a chronic condition that obstructs air flow in a patient’s lungs, and mental health and substance use.
Interior Health will direct $2.2 million to a program called BreatheWell. In Cranbrook, Interior Health has hired an additional respiratory therapist to work with COPD patients in the community, to manage symptoms and help avoid unnecessary hospital visits. There will also be a role for expanded rehabilitation efforts and education.
COPD is one of the leading causes of death in Canada and rates continue to increase. Statistics show within Interior Health the percentage of patients with COPD has climbed from 5.4 per cent in 2001 to 7.8 per cent in 2010. The unpredictable and serious nature of “flare-ups,” when symptoms such as shortness of breath, coughing, and mucous become acute, means many COPD patients often must use hospital Emergency Departments.
“Proactive management of this population by community-based multi-disciplinary teams including respiratory therapists, physiotherapists, general practitioners and specialists, will result in fewer and shorter hospital admissions,” says Darlene Arsenault, Program Director, Primary Health Care, Chronic Disease Management, Interior Health. “Most importantly, by working together these teams will help improve the COPD patient’s quality of life.”
To ensure mental health clients have access to physician services, approximately $2.7 million will be directed across nine communities to expand service. In Cranbrook, 3.5 full-time equivalent (FTE) new staffing positions will be added including a social worker, nurse, and life skills workers. By ensuring consistent access to a doctor’s care and other support services for this particular target population, the program is expected to reduce the use of more expensive but less effective points of care such as the hospital Emergency Department.
“The program helps those with severe mental illness access care from a general practitioner,” explains Cliff Cross, Program Director, Mental Health and Substance Use, Interior Health. “A large proportion of this population doesn’t have a family doctor. At the same time, many have pressing health care issues that can exacerbate their illness and seriously impact quality of life.”
The initiatives are being rolled out over three years.
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