March 13, 2015 - Ridge Meadows: With the increasing numbers of retiring physicians, communities around the world are competing to attract physicians - and the competition is fierce. As a result of the efforts of the Ridge Meadows Division of Family Practice (RMDFP), three new family physicians have joined the Pitt Meadows Medical Clinic and there are ongoing discussions with a fourth. The addition of these new physicians represents a significant contribution to the Division’s goal of connecting more than 10,000 people who want a doctor, but have been unable to find one.
One of the new family physicians is Dr. Lakshmikanth Challa. Encouraged by friends who had settled in Canada, Dr. Challa decided, in 2012, to consider a move for his family. A number of communities in southern Ontario and in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia pursued Dr. Challa, but in the end, Dr. Challa decided to settle in Pitt Meadows.
The RMDFP was instrumental in helping Dr. Challa make a decision by showing him how very welcome he would be in Pitt Meadows. The RMDFP is an influential non-profit society of 87 physicians established to provide leadership in achieving optimal health for patients in the community and support for primary care physicians through communication and collaboration with community partners.
One of the key projects undertaken by the RMDFP is A GP for Me, a joint initiative of the Government of BC and Doctors of BC. A GP for Me is about strengthening the quality of patient care, enabling patients to find a family physician if they want one and increasing the capacity of primary health care system by: (1) developing tools to facilitate the attachment of patients to family physicians; (2) allowing physicians to take on more patients by delegating non-essential work to qualified staff; and, (3) recruiting and retaining new physicians.
“The work of the Ridge Meadows Division of Family Practice and community partners through A GP for Me, reflects the efforts underway across the province to recruit physicians and improve patient access to primary care,” said Health Minister Terry Lake. “I welcome these new doctors to Pitt Meadows and our provincial health system.”
When asked why he chose Pitt Meadows, Dr. Challa explained: “Pitt Meadows presented the possibility of a good life. It’s a happy, friendly community and we were particularly drawn by the schools offering my children an excellent education.”
Dr. Challa took on and has been caring for some of Dr. Sommi’s former patients at the Pitt Meadows Medical Clinic since January, 2013. This has allowed Dr. Sommi to partially retire while continuing to offer part-time GP services at the walk-in Clinic. Since Dr. Challa’s arrival, another family physician, Dr. Don Okere was recruited from South Africa and joined the Clinic in August 2014. More recently, Dr. Manisha Bakhshi, an acquaintance of Dr. Challa’s from the United Kingdom, joined the Clinic in January, 2015. A fourth family physician has been approached and discussions are ongoing with a view to joining the Clinic.
The influx of new physicians to our community, may not have been possible without the assistance of the provincial government through Health Match BC (a Ministry of Health funded program that recruits physicians, nurses and other health care professionals to British Columbia), and key community partners who contribute to the Red Carpet Program, including local realtors and representatives of economic development organizations, chambers of commerce, municipalities, the Meadowridge private school, and local businesses.
The participation of RMDFP physicians and community partners is critical to the success of the Red Carpet Program. In this respect, the GPs in our community welcome new recruits with open arms, picking them up from the airport, touring them through the hospital, taking on mentorship roles, organizing welcome luncheons with community leaders, and inviting them to dine in their homes.
Treena Innes, Executive Director of the RMDFP says: “Our community recognizes that the recruitment and retention of physicians is everyone’s responsibility. The success of our recruitment efforts is in large part due our warm, welcoming and friendly community members and physicians who contribute to our Red Carpet Program.”
Asked if he made the right decision settling in Pitt Meadows, Dr. Challa said: “I have a satisfying professional life with more independence and less bureaucracy than in the past. My kids love their new school, my spouse has made friends and we are all happy with the work-life balance my new practice offers. I am happy to have been able to take on and care for patients who, with the retirement of Dr. Sommi, may not have had a family physician. ”
For more information:
Lucie Zaharoff
Communications Lead
A GP for Me
604-931-47770
604-374-4220
[email protected]
About the Ridge Meadows Division of Family Practice
The Ridge Meadows Division of Family Practice is part of the Divisions of Family Practice initiative, funded by a joint committee of the BC Ministry of Health and Doctors of BC. There are 34 Divisions of Family Practice in BC in more than 200 communities.
The Ridge Meadows Division of Family Practice is a not-for-profit group of physicians from Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge that work collaboratively with Fraser Health and other partners to develop, fund and administer community-specific programs that enhance patient care and improve professional satisfaction for physicians.
www.divisionsbc.ca/ridgemeadows./home
About A GP for Me
A GP for Me is a joint initiative of the Government of BC and Doctors of BC – formerly the BC Medical Association – aimed at strengthening the health care system by supporting the relationship between patients and family doctors. Research shows continuous doctor-patient relationships lead to the best health outcomes for patients.