Programs & Initiatives

Long-Term Care Initiative

The Comox Valley Long-Term Care Initiative (LTCI) works to improve the care of all residents in LTC homes and to improve the experience of care providers. It works to address the challenges in LTC and supports implementing best practices for medical care by collaborating with Family Physicians (FPs), Nurse Practitioners (NPs), care home teams, and health authority leadership to develop system-level changes to the culture & structure of LTC.

  • Supporting best practice implementation in long term medical care

LTC After Hours Call Group

In July 2024, LTCI funding from the FPSC was re-distributed to introduce On-Call Availability Payments (OCAP) to compensate eligible FPs for after-hours on-call shifts. The Division coordinates an after-hours call group integrating FPs and NPs into one shared coverage approach to ensure 24/7 availability for LTC homes when urgent issues arise.

Overview

  • The LTC Call Group provides after-hours coverage for all participating LTC Family Physicians and Nurse
  • Practitioners (FPs/NPs) in the Comox Valley; covering up to the maximum 592 total LTC beds in the community.
  • It is hoped and anticipated that all FPs/NPs with LTC patients will participate in the call group. LTC physicians maintain autonomy in determining how they meet care delivery standards in their practices.
  • LTC FPs must join the Long-Term Care Initiative (LTCI) to participate in the call group.
  • LTC NPs must agree to the Call Group Terms & Standards to participate in the call group
See Map

Scope of Availability

  • The LTC Call Group takes urgent after-hours calls from LTC homes during:
    • Weekday evenings & overnights: 6pm – 8am, Monday – Thursday nights
    • Weekends: 6pm Friday – 8am Monday
    • Stat holidays: additional 24-hour day (8am – 8am)
  • When providing on-call after hours, FPs/NPs must:
    • Respond to urgent calls by telephone within 30 minutes;
    • Provide or arrange urgent in-person on-site services as clinically indicated.
  • LTC homes are encouraged to continue using SBAR fax (or another mutually agreed-upon method) to a
    resident’s FP/NP to communicate non-urgent issues.

Commitment & Scheduling

  • Call group members are expected to take a minimum of 1 shift (weekdays, weekend, or a full week) per year.
  • Members may request additional shifts if they prefer.
  • Remaining shifts will be allocated among group members.
  • The call group schedule will be developed by the Division based on the Scheduling Process section below. Group
    members are then welcome to arrange with colleagues to swap assigned shifts, per their preferences.

On-Call Shifts

  • There are 2 on-call shifts per week, which can be combined to a full-week shift, based on provider preference:
    • Weekday shift: Weekday evenings & overnights, as defined above. Weekday shift will be shorter when the week includes a stat holiday on a Monday.
    • Weekend shift: Over a weekend, as defined above. When a stat holiday falls on a Monday, it is added to the weekend shift.
  • Participating FPs are compensated for on-call availability as outlined in their Long-Term Care Initiative Letter of Agreement (LoA). This is approximately $21/hr, $1,186.40 for a regular weekdays shift (no stat), $1,313.52 for a regular weekend shift (no stat); $2500 for a full week (if no stat)

Back-Up Plan

  • There is an optional back-up (2nd-on-call) shift for some on-call shifts, as needed.
  • If the on-call FP/NP cannot be reached within 30 minutes, calls will be dispatched to the back-up FP/NP, if the
    back-up shift has been filled. The back-up schedule is not mandatory, and will be available for sign-up.
  • The same person cannot fill the ‘on-call’ shift and the ‘backup’ shift for the same date.
  • FPs filling a back-up shift are compensated as per their LoA, at approximately $7/hr: $403.64 for a regular
    weekdays shift, $446.89 for a regular weekend shift.
  • If the back-up shift has not been filled, or the 2nd-on-call FP/NP cannot be reached after 30 minutes, the call will
    then be dispatched to the patient’s own FP/NP.

Call Group Scheduling Process

  • Call Group schedules will be made up bi-annually (January – June, July – December).
  • A Scheduling Request message will typically be emailed out 6-8 weeks before the schedule start date. Please
    submit your requested dates and preference for # of shifts and preference for having a back-up shift avaialble or
    not, by the due date indicated.
  • Those members with complex or combined call scheduling needs, including those who provide after-hours oncall services for multiple FPSC-funded call groups (such as LTC and inpatient care groups) will be offered priority
    scheduling based on their preferred availabilty, to suport coordinating multiple after-hours schedules.
  • We will do our best to schedule according to requested dates and shift preferences, but it may not always be
    possible to meet all preferences if many physicians/NPs submit the same preferences.
  • The Division will aim to have the schedule complete one month before the start of the 6-month term.
  • Once the schedule is sent out, FPs and NPs are responsible for arranging with colleagues any swaps or changes
    (for example, due to scheduling preferences or changes in availability). If swapping a shift:
     ALWAYS notify the Division, as soon as possible: LTCI@comoxvalleydivision.ca; or text:250-207-2097
     Notify the answering service if changing a shift within the next 7 days: info@pttas.ca;
    phone: 1-888-686-3036 ; fax: 1-604-524-2721

Personal Circumstances

If you wish to be part of the Call Group but have a personal circumstance that limits your after-hours availability
to respond to calls, please reach out to us. This group aims to provide comprehensive coverage across the
community and to be inclusive and accomodating of all LTC FPs/NPs in the Comox Valley.

See Map
  • The LTCI also conducts quality improvement work and offers relevant educational opportunities.

LTCI Working Group

The Comox Valley LTCI is supported by a working group with members from the Comox Valley Division of Family Practice, leadership and staff from all care homes, and Island Health. 

For additional information, contact us at LTCI@comoxvalleydivision.ca

How to get involved in LTC

Read the LTCI Letter Of Agreement Reach out with questions
Local Care Homes

5 Long Term Care homes

Five long-term care homes across the Comox Valley provide 582 beds, including six respite beds and six hospice beds.

Long Term Care Resources

Explore LTCI resources for information, tools, and support related to long-term care in the Comox Valley.

Resources