Project Planning Support
Clinic Grants Program - Planning Your Project
Click here to view the Main Program page.
Submit your 2024/25 Clinic Grant Application Now!
The Vancouver Division of Family Practice is pleased to offer our support to help you plan your Clinic Grants project. We have some great project ideas for you this year!
Choose from 3 priority project areas to improve your clinic operations and to build your networks:
Clinic Sustainability
Going Green in your Clinic
Clinic Accessibility
Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI)
Clinic Workflow Improvements
We recommend clinics select one of these offerings to ensure project success. Each offering is designed to provide practical, efficient and customized support with a modest time commitment from clinics. We aim to take the stress out of navigating your clinic grant process.
1. Clinic Sustainability
“By integrating eco-friendly practices like energy-efficiency or waste reduction programs, a clinic can reduce its carbon footprint, attract environmentally conscious patients, enhance the practice’s reputation, foster patient loyalty, and potentially lower its operational costs.”
Dr. Jay Slater
| Project Phase | Time Estimate | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Project Planning | 1 - 30 minutes | Already have a project in mind? Need help with a project idea? Planning your project should take no more than 30 minutes. Featured projects - Clinics who choose a Featured Project are invited to attend our upcoming, 1 hour, Town Hall. Clinics may engage in further networking after the event and with their peers as needed. |
| 2. Submit your Application | 15 - 30 minutes | The Vancouver Division will send your custom application form. To complete the application all you need to do is provide FP hours worked in your clinic, your project details and expected outcomes. We are committed to ensuring your projects are approved. Initial funding is remitted on successful submission of your application. Applications are due by November 18, 2023. |
| 3. Run your Project | Project dependent | We encourage clinics to hire support where possible to assist in completing their projects. Clinics have up to 4 months to complete their projects. The project due date is February 29, 2024. |
| 4. End of Project Report | 30 minutes | End of project reports will be sent to you on February 29, 2024. Complete your end of project report by March 15, 2024 to receive your final funding. |
Environmental Sustainability Grant Options for Your Clinic
Option 1: Environmental Sustainability Clinic Assessment Tool (NEW!)
Coming Soon! Click here to receive the Assessment Tool as soon as it is available.
- The assessment tool will guide your clinic to a reduced environmental impact!
- Based on answers you provide, the tool rates your clinic’s sustainability maturity.
- It then provides recommendations from sustainability experts for projects that will help your clinic become more sustainable.
- You select one of the recommendations as your grant project and submit a grant application!
- This year only – the clinic representative who completes the assessment tool will be paid at the standard sessional rate for their role (eligible roles only).
Option 2: Environmental Sustainability Improvement Projects
Select one of these suggested sustainability related projects:
Patient Facing Education – e.g. switching from pMDI’s to DPIs or proper drug disposal, or PaRx Park Prescriptions. Inspired by the opportunity to raise environmental awareness and help your patients reduce their impact on the planet? You could do this by creating informational handouts for your patients on environmental-related health topics (pharmaceutical disposal, chemicals or pesticides, etc.) or community events.
Create an internal policy or a planning document around sustainable prescribing practices, sustainable procurement, or a general clinic sustainability plan. This can include creating a manual outlining how to develop more sustainable prescribing practices, writing a policy on how your clinic can reduce its environmental impact by changing its purchasing practices or creating a general sustainability plan that outlines your clinic’s goals for reducing its environmental impacts.
Capital improvements – e.g. LED lighting & motion sensitive switches, HVAC, bike racks, low-flow toilets and faucets, window tint, and self-closing doors. Research and implement possible improvement actions such those listed above that reduce your clinic’s environmental impact or makes it more energy efficient.
For more suggestions check out Choosing Wisely Canada or the Green Office Toolkit.
Option 3: Propose Your Own Project
Use your imagination and plan your own great sustainability project.
Make sure your project falls within our funding criteria. Grant funding cannot be used for:
- Clinical training or purchasing clinical equipment used by physicians and/or clinicians that involve direct or indirect patient care, or patient information/data (e.g. exam room tables, PPE, etc).
- Physician time related to patient care.
- Projects which are supported by other sources of funding (e.g. DoBC, FPSC etc.) This includes:
- Staff training on new technology (e.g. online booking system, EMR, new software/ equipment, or online security. Please refer to our PMH Connectivity & Digitization Program for support in this area.
- Purchase of software or hardware – please refer to our PMH Connectivity & Digitization Program for support in this area.
- Retreats, catering, social events, or appreciation gifts.
2. Clinic Accessibility
“JEDI QI (quality improvement) projects are a Win -Win for the whole clinic. Meaningfully selected topics both inspire and stimulate thinking “outside the box” innovations. Most, especially healthcare workers, believe in Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI). Helping others is ultimately helping yourself.”
Dr. Herman Lee
Accessibility and JEDI Grant Options for Your Clinic
Option 1: Accessible Clinic Assessment Tool (NEW!)
Coming Soon! Click here to receive the Assessment Tool as soon as it is available.
- The assessment tool will guide your clinic to becoming more accessible!
- Based on answers you provide, the tool rates your clinic’s accessibility maturity.
- It then provides recommendations from accessibility experts for projects that will help your clinic become more sustainable.
- You select one of the recommendations as your grant project and submit a grant application!
- This year only – the clinic representative who completes the assessment tool will be paid at the standard sessional rate for their role (eligible roles only).
Option 2: Featured JEDI Workshop
Join a featured JEDI workshop to enhance skills for meeting the evolving needs of patients, community, and colleagues through evidence-based engagement and education. These workshops create a safe space for discussions on justice, equity, diversity, and inclusions.
1. Len Pierre Consulting (LPC)
LPC offers meaningful learning experiences to enhance your professional practice by embedding applicable strategies into your work to ultimately move towards systemic transformation where organizations are culturally safer, equitable, and transformative. The speaker, Noelle Saemerow , is a Métis woman living in the unceded traditional territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations with expertise in Indigenous Health.
Options for workshops: Introduction to Indigenous Cultural Safety and Humility, Indigenous Trauma and Equity Informed Practice, Allyship & Anti-racism. Click here for workshop descriptions.
2. Canadian Mental Health Association
CMHA, offers a variety of workshops to help develop a Psychologically Healthy and Safe workplace to support the health & wellness of your clinic staff and team.
Options for workshops: Click here for workshop details.
Contact courses.vf@cmhavf.ca for more details or questions
Option 3: Other Suggested JEDI Projects
Clinics can select one of these JEDI related projects:
- A JEDI related workshop or training session (should be different to those listed in Option 2 above).
- Translating patient facing material to another language – e.g. PHQ9 questionnaire, management of chronic diseases, instructions for preparing for a colonoscopy etc.
- Capital improvements – e.g. bariatric chairs, enlarged doorways, bathroom rails, grab bars, etc.
Option 4: Propose Your Own Project
Use your imagination and plan your own great accessibility project.
Make sure your project falls within our funding criteria. Grant funding cannot be used for:
- Clinical training or purchasing clinical equipment used by physicians and/or clinicians that involve direct or indirect patient care, or patient information/data (e.g. exam room tables, PPE, etc).
- Physician time related to patient care.
- Projects which are supported by other sources of funding (e.g. DoBC, FPSC etc.) This includes:
- Staff training on new technology (e.g. online booking system, EMR, new software/ equipment, or online security. Please refer to our PMH Connectivity & Digitization Program for support in this area.
- Purchase of software or hardware – please refer to our PMH Connectivity & Digitization Program for support in this area.
- Retreats, catering, social events, or appreciation gifts.
3. Clinic Workflow Improvements
“Choosing a clinic workflow-focused grant can transform the efficiency and effectiveness of your clinic. Streamlining processes can enhance patient satisfaction, staff morale and boost overall productivity and cost-effectiveness. By adopting new practices your clinic can foster better collaboration within the clinic, leading to delivering higher quality care to your patients and community.”
Dr. Claire Rawson
Clinic Workflow Grant Options for Your Clinic
Option 1: Digitizing Files
- Reclaim office space and centralize all your patient files in your electronic medical records system!
- Each year several clinics choose to use their clinic grant to digitize their paper files. Some free up entire spaces for additional exam room space!
- Your clinic grant can support hiring temporary assistance to organize your paper files in readiness for professional digitization services (such as those offered by MedRecords).
Option 2: Clinic Manual and Policy Development
- Updating an existing policy or procedures manual or creating a brand new handbook to document your clinic’s workflows are important tasks that often get pushed to the side to address the priorities of a busy practice.
- A clinic grant would support the clinic to develop these important documents.
- Ask about projects other Vancouver clinics have completed.
Option 3: Patient Facing Materials Development
- Each clinic serves a diverse range of patients and sometimes a specific patient facing resource is needed to support your practice.
- Your clinic grant could support the language translation of website materials, patient education materials in your waiting room or exam rooms – or – the development of new patient engagement materials.
Option 4: Propose Your Own Project
Use your imagination and plan your own great clinic workflow project.
Make sure your project falls within our funding criteria. Grant funding cannot be used for:
- Clinical training or purchasing clinical equipment used by physicians and/or clinicians that involve direct or indirect patient care, or patient information/data (e.g. exam room tables, PPE, etc).
- Physician time related to patient care.
- Projects which are supported by other sources of funding (e.g. DoBC, FPSC etc.) This includes:
- Staff training on new technology (e.g. online booking system, EMR, new software/ equipment, or online security. Please refer to our PMH Connectivity & Digitization Program for support in this area.
- Purchase of software or hardware – please refer to our PMH Connectivity & Digitization Program for support in this area.
- Retreats, catering, social events, or appreciation gifts.
Additional Support
Looking for more support?
If you have any questions or comments about this program, please email projects@vancouverdivision.com
