Posted 07 July 2022 - 09:17 AM
Saunders Family Foundation Pitches Pilot Project to Address Growing Family Doctor Crisis in BC
(Colwood, BC) July 7, 2022 — The Saunders Family Foundation is hoping their pitch to the Province of British Columbia will result in a homerun for healthcare on the growing West Shore and Sooke, where the population has approximately doubled since 2006 along with the price of the average home, and about a third of the residents are unable to find a family doctor.
A Community Healthcare Support Network Pilot Project proposal was delivered to Premier John Horgan’s Office on June 30th by the Saunders Family Foundation, intent on shining a light on the area’s social planning gaps, and to offer some practical help for one of the fastest growing regions in BC, and one which is also facing a deeply concerning shortage of family doctors, nurses, and other healthcare and emergency response personnel.
“Whether it’s the family doctor shortage, non-existent drop-in centres for youth, or the lack of long-term care and local hospice facilities for our elders, the social planning needs of the West Shore and Sooke are not being adequately met,” said Foundation President, Dave Saunders, “and it’s our collective responsibility as a community to find ways to change that.”
To help West Shore and Sooke community members strategize on some solutions, the Saunders Family Foundation brought in planning consultant Mark Holland (who previously led the work on Colwood and Langford’s award-winning joint Official Community Plan back in 2008) to engage in some frank talk with people from across healthcare, social development, and local leadership.
“Our CHS Network concept speaks to the need for a network of local community organizations to work together to address key healthcare worker and facility needs that the regular healthcare system does not address – such as housing, transportation costs, clinic facility approvals, and many others,” said Mark Holland, President of Holland Planning Innovations Inc.
“All too often, the issues related to healthcare are seen as solely the responsibility of the provincial and federal government and their agencies. However, many aspects of the healthcare system fall largely or entirely within the jurisdiction of local government and can be addressed by local organizations in a way that senior governments have little to no way of directly influencing,” explained Holland.
“Unfortunately, few local governments have a strategy to address the elements of the healthcare system that are within their jurisdiction and within the influence of community organizations,” added Holland “and for the aspects of the system that can be helped by non-governmental organizations, there is no shared playbook, toolbox or coordinating capacity to help them all work together on these shared goals. This lack of planning and coordination is now leading to stress or the actual loss of doctors, nurses, healthcare workers, and health facilities in our communities. And it is unlikely they will return until these issues are addressed.”
The proposed Community Healthcare Support Network (CHS Network) offers an integrated approach that includes important planning and coordination support. The Saunders Family Foundation is now working with the City of Langford and the M’akola Group, the largest Aboriginal affordable housing provider and developer in BC, to select a pilot project site to test and further develop the CHS Network concept.
According to Langford Mayor Stew Young, “I’ve been trying for years to find ways to support family doctors but have been running into too many obstacles to find a workable solution. This new concept has the potential to be a game-changer for people seeking quality healthcare on the West Shore.”
Kevin Albers, CEO of the M’akola Group, also sees how creative collaborations like this one can offer innovative ways forward, stating that “As a non-profit mixed-use developer and operator with many years of experience headquartered in the City of Langford, we believe it is our responsibility to contribute to a community-based solution. We see the impact of these healthcare challenges and the effect on our tenants, our employees, their families, and this entire community. We all need to explore solutions which are bold and innovative and that is the space where we do our best work.”
The common-sense concept is quickly gaining an enthusiastic following on Dave Saunders’ quick outreach alone, whether it’s praise coming from healthcare professionals operating at ground zero, retired frontline folks, municipal leaders, social service providers, or a community-minded local business and development sector wanting to know where to sign-up, people can see the elegant simplicity of the CHS Network.
People can learn more about the project, how to get involved, or how they can contribute at HealthyWestShore.ca
“Our family foundation has always been about ‘Families Helping Families’. We are eager to discuss this proposal further with the Premier and look forward to working together as a community to drive the kind of system change we need to see if we want to achieve a healthier future for all our families,” said Saunders in closing.
Read the Community Healthcare Support Network Proposal submitted to the Province of BC by the Saunders Family Foundation at HealthyWestShore.ca
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