BC Greens propose Dogwood Model to fix health care. What does that mean?

One of the main issues facing British Columbians as they prepare to head to the polls in October is health care.

Each party and candidate has their own ideas on how to fix the province’s health care system, and the latest to propose radical change is the BC Green Party.

It’s called the Dogwood Model.

Introducing the ‘Dogwood Model’ – a transformative plan to provide every resident with a ‘primary care home,’ ensuring accessible, team-based, longitudinal care.https://t.co/v0khAsl0Kd

— BC Green Party (@BCGreens) September 9, 2024

"British Columbians deserve a public healthcare system that works for them, not against them," said BC Green leader Sonia Furstenau.

"With nearly one million people without a family doctor and emergency rooms closing or facing extensive wait times, it's clear our system is failing. The Dogwood Model is the solution."

So what is the Dogwood Model?

It’s inspired by former federal health minister Jane Philpott’s Periwinkle Model and, in the simplest terms, it would establish a network of Community Health Centres across BC.

Philpott, who outlines her vision in her book Health for All: A Doctor’s Prescription for a Healthier Canada, likens the idea to public schools.

“I use a metaphor repeatedly in this book that we have built a system for public education in this country ensuring that every child has access to a public school,” she told the Queen’s Gazette in a sit-down interview earlier this year.

“So why can’t we build a system where every person has access to a primary care home?”

According to the BC Greens, the Dogwood Model would give British Columbians access to doctors, nurses, mental health professionals and specialists like dietitians and physiotherapists within their community.

“This model streamlines complicated referrals, ensuring timely, comprehensive care all in one place,” explains a release from the party.

“Once the system is fully built, people will be seamlessly transferred to a unit in their new location when they move.”

These Community Health Centres would be leased and administered by the Province, the release adds, which means health care professionals are able to focus solely on patient care.

"We spent $30.4 billion on healthcare last year, an extra $784 per person, but who feels they’ve received that value?" said Camille Currie, the BC Greens’ candidate for Esquimalt-Colwood.

"This model will make better use of resources and foster collaborative partnerships."

The BC Greens release notes that some doctors may choose to continue their current practices, but the Dogwood Model provides more opportunity for doctors and nurse practitioners to “operate differently.”