Practice transition project sparks framework for team-based care

Practice transition project sparks framework for team-based care

by | Aug 24, 2026 | Uncategorized

Chilliwack doc’s succession plan turns into success story for pharmacist collaboration

By Mari-Len De Guzman

A man in glasses and a black jacket stands by rocky cliffs overlooking the ocean under a blue sky with scattered clouds.

Dr. Cameron Ross

What began as a succession planning project for Chilliwack family physician Dr. Cameron Ross has turned into a success story for patient-centred, team-based care — and a framework for ongoing collaboration between primary care providers and clinical pharmacists.

In anticipation of his pending retirement, Ross wanted to ensure a seamless transition for his patients as they are transferred to a new family doctor. As part of this effort, and with support from the FPSC Practice Support Program, Ross undertook a systematic medication review for a selected number of his patients who are on five or more medications.

“I was handing over my practice, and I was thinking of all the things that would make that transition better for my patients and for the new doctor,” Ross said. “One of the challenges is sometimes our medication lists are not accurate… so the prompt was to try to improve the continuity of care for all involved during the transition.”

Ross saw an opportunity to leverage the services of the Chilliwack Primary Care Network’s (PCN) clinical pharmacist Tamer Eid to help implement the project as a collaborator.

To start the pilot, Ross used the EMR dashboard to identify a cohort of 69 patients meeting the polypharmacy threshold. He then carefully triaged the list based on his deep knowledge of his panel. Patients with complex behavioral or mental health factors were kept under his direct review, while 30 to 35 patients deemed suitable for an independent clinical consultation were assigned to the clinical pharmacist.

Towards the end of the project, a key takeaway for Ross was the level of detail Eid provided in his review of the patients assigned to him. It’s a compelling proposition given the relentless time constraints family physicians face daily.

“Of particular value to me as a practitioner is the expertise applied from Tamer, and the ability to have some of this essential patient care done well by someone else, which in the long run should lead to increased provider capacity and improved patient outcomes,” Ross explained.

Time-saving teamwork

A man sits at a desk in an office with a desktop computer, laptop, notepad, cup, and window blinds in the background.

Tamer Eid

For Tamer Eid, the project highlighted how PCN clinical pharmacists can help alleviate the daily time crunch for family physicians, while enhancing patient-centred care.

For one, having full access to patient charts, lab results, specialist consults, and history within the clinic’s EMR allowed Eid to tailor his medication reviews to specific patients’ unique clinical profiles.

Ross recognized the value the clinical pharmacist has brought to the process in terms of time savings and the quality of patient review.

“He goes through all the charts and looks at all the consult notes and everything… he’s doing that heavy lifting, so I don’t have to go through years of notes,” Ross explained.

In addition to time efficiency outcomes, the impact on patient care was immediately evident. Eid’s deeper consultations with the patients provided space and time for them to ask questions and have a better understanding of their medication regimens.

“When you explain to the patient why they are taking this medication, what the goals are, in an easy-to-understand way, it changes their perspective completely,” Eid noted. “They feel heard, they feel listened to (and) that builds a huge amount of trust.”

Ross also noted that patient feedback had been generally positive, and they particularly appreciated the time Eid spent with them to go over their prescriptions.

“They found it very helpful to have someone sit down with them and go through their medications in detail,” Ross noted.

It also helped ease some of the patients’ anxiety about transitioning to a new family doctor after Ross’s retirement. “It gave them reassurance knowing that their medication list was being thoroughly cleaned up and organized as part of this transition.”

Eid said one of his takeaways from the project was the affirmation of the PCN clinical pharmacist’s role as a preliminary screen for complex medication profiles. Instead of the physician spending a significant amount of time reviewing each patient’s medication history, Eid was able to perform this exhaustive background work and summarize his findings into a concise report for Ross.

This pre-screening meant Ross could review Eid’s clinical findings and decide on treatment adjustments in minutes, without needing to manually go through years of medical records.

“When Tamer reviewed it, there was a very rigorous analysis,” Ross noted. “So my total time, aside from the time with the patient, would be as quick as three minutes and as long as five or 10 minutes to come up with very similar outcomes.”

Scaling for impact

As the project concluded, Ross and Eid both see the value of expanding this collaboration to other primary care practices across Chilliwack.

For Ross, the initiative provided a proven framework for physician succession planning, showing how PCN clinical pharmacists can help stabilize complex patient panels during practice transitions. He said he is recommending the pilot project be expanded and encouraged his colleagues at Crossroads Family Practice to consider implementing it and exploring a collaboration with the PCN clinical pharmacist.

For Eid, the pilot’s success highlights a broader opportunity to support more family physicians across the community. With the workflow framework established, he hopes more primary care providers in Chilliwack will leverage PCN clinical pharmacists as an allied health team member for complex medication management.

“I really hope that other physicians in Chilliwack see the value in this and feel comfortable reaching out,” Eid shared, emphasizing his eagerness to collaborate with more local clinics.

“My goal is to be a resource for them — to take that heavy medication review workload off their plates so they can focus on direct patient care.”

Best of both worlds: Bridging Western medicine and Indigenous healing

Best of both worlds: Bridging Western medicine and Indigenous healing

by | Aug 7, 2026 | Uncategorized

By Mari-Len De Guzman

Finding culturally safe, holistic support for Indigenous patients can often feel like a missing piece in daily primary care practice. The Chilliwack Division of Family Practice helps facilitate this connection through its traditional wellness program.

Muriel Victor, the Division’s traditional wellness mentor, believes that blending traditional healing modalities — such as plant-based remedies and narrative sharing — with modern medicine can bridge the gap in Indigenous patient wellness.

“I call it the best of both worlds,” says Victor, a certified charter herbalist and Indigenous educator. “I’d like our Indigenous population to get the best of both worlds if that’s what they choose.”

As traditional wellness mentor, Victor serves as a resource for primary care providers and clinicians in Chilliwack, Hope, Agassiz, and surrounding communities, to help ensure Indigenous patients receive care that honours both their clinical needs and their cultural identity.

Helping providers understand how to leverage and collaborate with her role is an important part of Victor’s work, and so is educating the local Indigenous communities.

“People don’t often know this option exists, which is why I do a lot of engagement. I go and talk to a lot of people and let them know where I’m located and what I can do,” she says.

Sacred space

A wooden wall with horizontal panels features four square windows, a long wooden bench below, and a light gray floor.

Indigenous sacred space inside Chilliwack Urgent and Primary Care Centre

Victor’s Indigenous sacred space is located inside the Chilliwack Urgent and Primary Care Centre on Evans Road.

While a good amount of her work involves helping her clients understand and access traditional healing and plant-based remedies, Victor says every client that comes through her doors has unique needs that go beyond just herbal medicine.

“I do whatever the Indigenous person needs to help them get to wellness or take more steps towards wellness — whatever that looks like — and it’s different for every person,” she says.

Sometimes, they might just need a conversation, talk about what they’re feeling or share stories. Other times, they can just be sitting quietly, until they are ready to talk.

Victor works one-on-one with clients to build a tailored individual wellness plan — an approach that came out of her own healing journey that began years ago.

“I had some pretty complex medication, along with stuff for my mental health — anxiety, depression — sleeping pills, and a whole bunch of things,” Victor recalls.

She then worked closely with her own physician to safely taper off heavy prescription medications while incorporating traditional plant remedies. That experience taught her the power of blending Western clinical oversight with traditional modalities, a balance she now applies to her practice at the Division.

While clients would often ask for general advice on herbal remedies, Victor avoids blanket prescriptions.

“There are so many factors,” Victor explains. “I can’t just say, ‘Take it for three weeks, two times a day,’ when I don’t know them, their age, or their prescription medications.”

Through an individual wellness plan, she takes time to understand each patient’s full health picture. Because herbal remedies can interact with conventional treatments, Victor occasionally collaborates with clinicians and providers to review prescription lists — ensuring that traditional options, like hawthorn or calming teas, complement rather than conflict with a patient’s clinical care.

Walk and harvest

A group of six people stands on grass outdoors near a red chair, listening to a person speaking and gesturing while holding an object, with trees and cloudy sky in the background.

Victor takes a group through a walking journey that teaches participants the healing and wellness benefits of some plants that abundantly grow in the wild.

A staple in Victor’s traditional wellness services is the regular Plant Walk and Harvest activities that she leads several times a year.

Hosted by Cristal Biela, community health specialist with Fraser Health, at her property in Chilliwack, event participants are taken on a foraging journey where Victor introduces them to some of the natural healing and wellness properties of the different wild plants that grow across the Fraser Valley.

These activities not only teach participants how to identify medicinally beneficial plants, it also educates them about food sovereignty, tree knowledge and promoting environmental diversity and sustainability.

Initially intended for primary care providers to help increase their knowledge on Indigenous healing methods, the Plant Walk and Harvest events are now open to the public, Victor says.

Complementing primary care

For primary care and other health and social services providers in Chilliwack and surrounding areas, connecting a patient or client with Victor is designed to be straightforward and low-barrier.

Referrals can come directly from primary care clinics, local hospitals or community organizations. Patients can also self-refer, connect through community events, or simply walk into her space at the UPCC.

Victor notes that initiating this connection in a primary care visit can be as simple as asking a gentle, open-ended question during routine screening.

“If a patient identifies as Indigenous, (providers) can simply ask if the patient would like to connect with a traditional wellness mentor or cultural advisor,” Victor says. “Sometimes just knowing that option exists opens up a whole new door for them.”

Victor also offers to attend clinical appointments alongside clients who feel anxious or hesitant talking to health-care providers, serving as a supportive, culturally safe bridge to ensure the patient feels heard.

Integrating traditional wellness into primary care is not about replacing Western medicine — it’s about providing Indigenous patients with wrap-around support that builds trust and fosters long-term health.