Representatives of the Central Interior Rural Division of Family Practice were at the South Cariboo Farmers' Market last week encouraging the community to sign up for the Health Connect Registry.
It's the best way to get quick access to a family doctor or nurse practitioner according to Lindsey Shewchuk, a project lead with the division of family practice. Shewchuk was at the farmers' market on Friday, Aug. 9 to inform the public about the registry and its benefits.
"Anyone who doesn't have a family doctor or nurse practitioner should get on the list to get access to a family doctor," Shewchuk said. "The Health Connect Registry is a centralized list where it locally gathers names of people who need to be placed with a family doctor or nurse practitioner. Previously it was through clinics but now when a new doctor comes they take patients directly from this list."
To register Shewchuk said you just have to call 811 or go online to www.healthlinkbc.ca/health-connect-registry where you'll be asked to fill out your name, address, personal health number and contact info. She also encourages people to ensure all their family members are included on the list so they can get placed with the same doctor. Registration takes less than five minutes to complete.
Currently, the registry has over 5,000 people from the Cariboo-Chilcotin Region on the list and has matched 1,800 people with a doctor or healthcare practitioner since January 2024. Shewchuk stressed that the registry is the main way to get access to a new family doctor, a message they're seeking to spread at community events like the farmers' market.
"We've got business cards and posters to pass on the word," Shewchuk said, noting they plan to return to the South Cariboo for future events.
Shewchuk also encourages anyone already on the registry to double-check their contact info to ensure everything is up to date.
"The more that registers (the better)."
