Emergency Physician Resource Team Overview
The Emergency Physician Resource Team (EPRT) provides short-term physician coverage to high-need hospitals to keep Emergency Departments open and accessible to communities while permanent physician recruitment and other options for local coverage are pursued.
The program leverages existing provincial capacity, engaging Emergency Physicians from across British Columbia who can fulfill commitments to hospitals where they regularly work while devoting additional time to assisting other high-need locations. Physicians with appropriate licenses and qualifications who normally live and work outside of B.C. may participate as well.
The EPRT provides an avenue for participating physicians to make a real difference for communities in need. Physicians gain access to exciting work opportunities in diverse environments and are compensated for their flexibility and willingness to work where they are needed on dates they commit to in advance.
Eligibility for the EPRT program requires:
- Have an active BC License
- Certified as CCFP (EM), FRCPC EM or have extensive experience in emergency medicine
- Holds a Provisional or Active staff position in at least one HA (if a resident of BC). This generally means being in a full-time/permanent role and indicates that the member has been with the HA for a significant period. This also means that they have undergone routine evaluations through reappointment and/or a multi-source review to qualify for promotion to Active status.
*Please note you do not need to be a resident of BC to qualify for the EPRT program.
Refer to our Compensation and Travel and Frequently Asked Questions pages for more information or send an email to ecbc.eprt@phsa.ca, and a member of the EPRT team will get right back to you.
Qualifications
Currently, the EPRT is recruiting physicians who have an emergency medicine designation through the Canadian College of Family Physicians (CCFP-EM) or the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (FRCPC-EM), or who have extensive emergency department experience.
You must be registered and in good standing with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC and be willing and able to work at any Emergency Department in the province.
Scheduling
The EPRT program functions by member physicians providing dates which they are available to provide shifts and travel. Once the program and physicians both agree on these dates (usually up to, but not necessarily the next 90 days), they are considered committed to the program. EPRT will meet with our health authority partners and find shifts for these dates.
Once shifts are found, assignment details will be sent to the physician for final confirmation. These details will be provided no later than 48 hours prior to the start date, however the program typically books weeks ahead to provide both the member physician and the ED site time to prepare.
Should a physician wish to remove a date from the program, we ask that they provide as much notice as possible.
Credentialing and Privileges
The EPRT program has introduced a single credentialling application for all sites on the program. The program will support you to fill out the application and it will be sent to all sites you are scheduled with. This ensures that processes are streamlined to minimize the burden on participating physicians having to be credentialled multiple times.
Availability Agreement
Physicians participating in the EPRT will be asked to sign an Availability Agreement that formally describes the relationship between the program and the physician and the responsibilities of each party.
Compensation
Compensation Overview
The compensation structure for the EPRT is defined in the Availability Agreement that sets out your formal relationship to the program. Payments will be calculated at the conclusion of the 90-day periods specified in the agreement.
As a member of the EPRT, you receive payment in exchange for your willingness to accept EPRT assignments on days you and the program agree and commit to. At the conclusion of each assignment day you complete, you will be credited $1000 plus a further $200 for each weekend day up to a maximum of $5000 per assignment.
Assignments include travel time required to get you to the hospital where you will be working and back to your home location.
In addition to the above, you will be eligible for travel expense reimbursement and a travel honorarium if you are asked to complete an assignment away from your home location.
Compensation under the EPRT is separate from and in addition to compensation for clinical services.
Payment for clinical work
Payment for your clinical work will be in accordance with local rates and arrangements in place at the hospitals where you are assigned, for example fee-for-service or an alternate payment arrangement. Clinical compensation will be paid in addition to the funds you receive for participating in the EPRT.
Timing of payments
Payment for assignment days under the EPRT is calculated at the conclusion of each 90-day period specified in your Availability Agreement.
Physicians will submit their travel expenses directly to the EPRT program and should expect payment within three to five weeks of receipt.
Qualifying for payments
To receive payments through the EPRT, you must:
- Be registered and in good standing with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC,
- Be enrolled in the Medical Services Plan,
- Maintain membership with the Canadian Medical Protection Association or alternative professional/malpractice protection plan,
- Accept compensation for clinical services provided through the program at current rates and according to the compensation modality used at the site (for example fee-for-service or alternative payments),
- Agree to maintain your commitment to hospitals where you normally work, including permanent and regular locum or temporary assignments,
- Be willing to work at any Emergency Department in B.C.,
- Agree to utilize and fully comply with standard Electronic Medical Records Programs in place where you are assigned (with support from the site), and
- Complete any required onboarding procedures or protocols at hospitals where you are assigned.
Travel
Expenses
The travel expense reimbursement policy under the EPRT mirrors that of the existing provincial rural locum programs. Physicians on assignment can receive reimbursement for accommodation, car rentals, and travel to and from the locations where they are asked to work.
EPRT physicians will also receive a travel honorarium of between $250 and $1500 depending on the duration of the return trip to their home community.
Please see sections 6.1 and 6.5 in this linked document for further details.
Arrangements
The EPRT can assist with transportation, booking accommodations and other logistics related to travel. We will also ensure you have information you need to make bookings on your own if you prefer.
