For Physicians – Pacific Northwest Primary Care

Health Connect Registry (HCR) is a provincial waitlist where patients without a primary care provider (family physician or nurse practitioner) can register to be connected to care. Once a patient registers on HCR in the Pacific Northwest, they are contacted by the local Division Attachment Support Team and provided resources and support while they wait for primary care.

Provincial Attachment System (PAS) is the provincial system that supports how patients registered on the HCR are reviewed and attached to primary care providers. PAS enables a consistent, equitable, and transparent attachment process across B.C., while still allowing for local clinical systems and panel/provider goals.

Together, HCR and PAS create an end‑to‑end attachment process: from patient registration → attachment team support → provider attachment → reporting and reconciliation→ accurate local data which can inform future funding.

How does PAS work in practice?

Patient registers on the Health Connect Registry (online or with support via Healthlink BC 811).
Patients are supported while they wait through local resources available.
Providers indicate a desire to attach through adjusting their capacity in the PAS system or by emailing the Division Attachment Support Team at [email protected]
Attachment team works with clinic to determine attachment goal, frequency of attachment, desired demographics.
Local attachment coordination screens Health Connect Registry patient lists to ensure patients are still in the area and needing care. Patients are then sent to providers through the PAS system.
Providers attach patients based on agreed capacity and local processes.
Attachment is reconciled in PAS. Providers are encouraged to ensure their PAS panels match their EMR in order to receive accurate panel payments. Reconciliation also ensures that data and attachment numbers are accurate as the PAS and the HCR numbers are crucial to funding allocation for new primary care resources in the Pacific Northwest.

How does PAS impact our practice, community, patients and province?

– Ensures there is equitable attachment for each patient.
– PAS and HCR data impact future funding for our communities
– Eliminates multiple waitlist and creates an organized workflow, taking the onus off clinics to manage the unattached patient population
– Encourages providers to have accurate panels, eliminating patients being attached on multiple panels
– Attachment coordinators and 811 staff can support unattached patient with appropriate healthcare resources while they wait.
– Allows providers to balance their panels with a variety of patient demographics

How do providers sign up to use PAS?

To get started, connect with the PAS Support team at [email protected] or MS Teams: https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/. Or connect with your PNW Division of Family Practice local Attachment Coordinator at [email protected]
The Attachment Coordinator will support PAS onboarding, liaison with the PAS support team and work with the clinic and provider to set up an attachment workflow that suits the clinic’s needs. Providers and clinics can also independently sign up for PAS or by following this checklist (link internal division document)

Why should providers utilize PAS and HCR?

-Creates one consistent provincial list instead of multiple local waitlists
-Reduces duplication and ad‑hoc attachment requests to clinics
-Improves data, reporting, and recognition of attachment work
-Aligns local attachment efforts with provincial expectations

Which providers are expected to participate in PAS?

All physicians who provide ongoing, longitudinal care to a patient panel are expected to participate in the Provincial Attachment System. This applies to doctors working under the Longitudinal Family Practice Payment Model, Fee-for-Service, and other alternative payment arrangements, such as group practice contracts, population-based funding, or AP contracts.

What is panel reconciliation and why does it matter?

Reconciliation is how PAS confirms that the patients you provide ongoing longitudinal care to are correctly listed as attached to your practice.
When you accept a new patient, including from the Health Connect Registry: Submit the $0 attachment billing code 98990 through MSP/Teleplan or your EMR. This confirms you as the patient’s Most Responsible Provider MRP. PAS updates automatically within a few days.
For existing patients: Uploading and maintaining your empaneled patient list ensures PAS reflects your actual panel. Continued use of the $0 attachment code keeps panel information current.

Why Accurate reconciliation matters
– Ensures your attachment work is recognized and counted
– Supports eligibility for payments and incentives
– Improves accuracy of panel size and complexity data
– Reduces duplication across local waitlists
– Reconciliation tasks can be delegated to clinic staff and are supported by Doctors of BC PSP coaches. You can learn more by viewing this reconciliation demonstration and utilizing the Doctors of BC reconciliation spreadsheet.

How do I support staff and colleagues to access and understand PAS

To further educate colleagues or staff members on the PAS system, share the webinars below and encourage the participants to connect with the Attachment team if they need assistance or have questions.

Provincial Attachment System Webinar – Access and Navigation – YouTube

Provincial Attachment System Webinar – Accepting New Patients and PAS Panel Management

Bulkley Valley Witset PCN

Encompasses the communities of Smithers, Houston, and Witset (and all communities in between)

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The Coast Mountain PCN

Provides services to the communities of Terrace, Stewart, Dease Lake, and also includes the Nisga’a Valley PCN.

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Encompasses all the communities on island, both north & south.

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Includes the communities of Kitimat and Kitamaat Village.

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The Prince Rupert Coast Ts’msyen PCN

Supports the communities of Prince Rupert, the Gitga’at (located in Hartley Bay), Gitxaala (Lach Klan), Metlakatla (Metlakatla), and Lax Kw’alaams (Lax Kw’alaams) First Nations.

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Need Help Finding a Family Doctor or Nurse Practitioner?

The Health Connect Registry waitlist is effective and equitable. Register here to get put on the list to receive a primary care provider in your community. To register call 811,or use the link below. Please ensure you sign up your entire family if they need care. If you need additional assistance or support, please contact [email protected]

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How does PAS work in practice?

Bulkley Valley Witset PCN

The Coast Mountain PCN

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