When a practice is closing, or relocating, ensuring as smooth a transition as possible is important for your patients’ continued care and provider colleagues (and your) mental well-being. It is also important to follow legal obligations outlined in the contract and licencing agreements.
Given the importance of smooth transition, many organizations have developed relevant resources. This section leverages on some of these resources, which are linked in the templates and resources section, to share information about retirement planning, and if needed, transitioning a patient panel.
Templates and Resources Related to Closing or Relocating a Practices
The NNPBC’s Moving Practice document summarizes useful information and links for various facets of this transition, including:
- Review and clarification of obligations
- Patient notification considerations
- Medical records management
- Notifying the external stakeholders for address change. These groups include:
- Ministry of Health
- BCCNM
- Medical Affairs
- External diagnostics facilities (PHSA, Life Labs, Excelleris, etc.)
- Receiving results
Other organizations have also developed helpful guides and templates to communicate provider departures, understand the process and plan for the transition. A small sampling of these resources include:
- Doctors of BC’s departure announcement template and guidelines for protecting medical records when leaving practice
- Vancouver Division: How to Retire Guide
- Richmond Division: Practice Transition Toolkit
- South Island Division: Succession Planning Workbook
- College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC: Practice standard: Leaving practice
- Secure scanning and digital storage of medical records by MedRecords.