The Richmond Division of Family Practice (RDFP) is addressing the general practitioner (GP) shortage in Richmond with the introduction of specific strategies that help more residents find a family physician, and ensure patients continue to receive quality primary care. 
The strategies respond to the results of community surveys and consultations, and will be implemented with $1 million in funding from A GP for Me.
The Richmond Division of Family Practice, a non-profit that works with its 132 member family doctors, will begin rolling out seven projects aimed at strengthening their GP community, meeting the needs of patients and residents, and supporting family physicians. A number of community partners will be involved in the implementation, including the City of Richmond and Vancouver Coastal Health. 
The projects revolve around five strategies and will begin in March 2015. 
• Physician communication: provide physicians with improved knowledge, skills and resources to foster stronger relationships with their current patients. 
• Focus on recruiting and retaining physicians so that more people who want a doctor can get one, and supporting physician and patient transitions when a GP retires. 
• Health Literacy for Residents: help increase patients’ understanding of the primary care system. 
• Linking Vulnerable Patients to Physicians: help residents who are at risk of, or have difficult health conditions connect with physicians who can take on more patients. 
• RDFP’s Neighbourhood Networks project: this innovative work will look to expand the practice capacity of doctor’s offices, and strengthen the physician-patient relationship through the creation of loose, collegial clusters of GPs at a neighbourhood level. 

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. Learn more at www.agpforme.ca