The Victoria Division of Family Practice is encouraging residents seeking a family doctor or nurse practitioner to register with the Health Connect Registry.
This registry is the central system that helps match unattached patients with available family doctors or nurse practitioners in their community.
The division has been working in partnership with the Ministry of Health to support patient attachment through BC’s Provincial Attachment System, which includes the Health Connect Registry.
Using the registry, attachment coordinators can identify those seeking a family doctor or nurse practitioner and connect them as soon as one becomes available.
“It may not be immediate but the registry is moving,” Said Dr. Aaron Childs, a family physician and Board member with the Victoria Division of Family Practice.
“It’s important that patients who are looking for ongoing care are on the list when attachment opportunities come up.”
He says that anyone seeking ongoing care should be registering.
Registration takes approximately 3 minutes, and according to recent BC government data, more than 164,000 people have been connected to a family physician or nurse practitioner in the Island Health region since 2018.
Being attached helps people stay healthier, receive consistent, effective care over time and avoid unnecessary hospital visits.
Registering also helps the health system understand the level of need in the community, and plan for healthcare resources.
It provides a clearer picture of how many people still want to be attached and what is needed to recruit and retain family doctors and nurse practitioners for them.
“Every registration helps strengthen the system for everyone,” said Dr. Childs.
For more information or to register, visit the health connect registry website here.
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