Interprofessional teams are being put in place in communities across northern British Columbia. These teams will work closely with primary care physicians and nurse practitioners to accomplish shared health care goals with the person and their family.

In addition, to ensure safe and comprehensive care, relevant “need-to-know” information can be shared with physicians and other care providers, departments, and facilities within Northern Health who demonstrate they’re directly involved in your ongoing care. This group is known as the circle of care. The circle of care can include members on the interprofessional team.

A primary care home is a person-centred medical care setting, such as a family doctor’s office, where people establish a long-term relationship with a personal physician or nurse practitioner who provides and directs their medical care.

Interprofessional teams are available to the person and family if the person and their primary care provider, including the primary care nurse decide together that the person might benefit from team involvement.

Interprofessional teams in the community are made up of a variety of health care professionals who work with a person’s doctor or nurse practitioner to support their total care. Referrals to the team will be based on the person’s health care needs.

Interprofessional teams in the community may include:

• Primary Care Provider (Physician or Nurse Practitioner)
• Primary Care Nurse (PCN)
• Primary Care Assistant (PCA)
• Mental Health Clinician
• Social Worker
• Occupational Therapist
• Physiotherapist
• Life Skills Worker
• First Nations Clinician (First Nations Health Authority)
• Other professionals as needed

Physicians will continue to be primary care providers for people who have a family doctor. People will be assisted by an interprofessional team if they have more complex needs and require additional support and care to maintain their health.

The benefits of taking a person and family centred approach to health care include:

• Supporting continuity of care over time and across settings;
• Reducing pressure on emergency rooms; and
• Making health care more sustainable over the long-term.

This approach will increase the quality of care, especially for:

• The frail elderly;
• Perinatal (the period immediately before and after birth);
• Those with mental health and problematic substance use issues;
• People with one or more complex chronic diseases; and
• Children with complex health issues.