Cancer Care

About

The Shared Care Committee (SCC) has identified cancer care as a priority in its work plan and has provided funding to support physician-led innovative projects designed to advance BC's 10-Year Cancer Action Plan. The SCC, Ministry of Health, Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA), and BC Cancer have partnered to develop the priorities and implementation of the Cancer Action Plan initiative, starting with a call for proposals for quality improvement projects. Applications for project funding are now closed.

To support alignment, oversight, and long-term sustainability of the initiative, an advisory committee was established, bringing together senior physician and administrative leaders from BC Cancer, the Ministry of Health, PHSA, patient partners, and facility- and community-based physicians. The committee meets quarterly and plays an active role in project funding and connections, including engagement on regional priorities, facilitating spread, and ensuring the work advances both provincial and local cancer strategies.

Note: Funding for cancer care-related projects is available through the innovation funding stream of Shared Care, in alignment with the roll-out of the Shared Care 2026 process update.

Timeline

Funded projects

Transitions in care

SCAN: Suspicion of cancer access and navigation pathway | PHSA
Dr Ali Yakshi Tafti

Equity model of cancer care for the Downtown Eastside (DTES) | PHSA
Dr Michael McKenzie

Increasing community oncology network capacity through alternative care pathways for low-risk oral therapies | PHSA
Dr Ashley Freeman

Developing a rural network of cancer care in the East Kootenays | Interior Health
Dr Trina Larsen-Soles

Improving diagnostic pathways

Improving lung cancer diagnosis in the South Okanagan | Interior Health
Dr Bradly Biagioni

BC Cancer Victoria nurse practitioner prostate cardiovascular initiative | PHSA
Dr Abe Alexander

Improving communication between radiologists and radiation oncologists for timely referral of urgent spinal cord compression cases | PHSA
Dr Angela Lin and Dr Siavash Atrchian

Reduction in wait times for patients with incidentally detected liver tumours | Vancouver Island Health
Dr Vamshi Kotha

Pain and symptom management

Symptom management and quality of life support for patients with gynecological cancers after surgery and/or pelvic (chemo)radiotherapy | PHSA
Dr Hamid Raziee

Expanding RESPONSe to support immunotherapy patients: A proactive approach to managing IRAEs at Richmond Cancer Clinic| Vancouver Coastal Health
Dr Jeremy Ho

SABR-ME: Improving capacity to provide stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) for spinal metastasis across British Columbia through mentoring and education| PHSA
Dr Emma Dunne

Supporting patients on endocrine therapy for breast cancer to reduce symptoms | Vancouver Island Health
Dr Hannah Nette

Improving access to evidence-based group psychotherapy for BCCA patients | PHSA
Dr Jennifer Laidlaw

Outpatient IV chemotherapy: An innovation to optimize health care service delivery in pediatric, adolescent, and young adult oncology patients in BC | PHSA
Dr Meera Rayar

Recruitment and retention in medical oncology

Expression of Interest: Shared cancer care: Advancing diagnostic cancer care and specialist workforce planning | PHSA
Dr Angel Arnaout

Evaluation and impact

By aligning physician-led projects with the 10-Year Cancer Action Plan, the Cancer Call for Proposals initiative is supporting measurable improvements in access, timeliness, coordination, and symptom management, thereby directly strengthening the quality of care. By funding projects that focus on physician-identified regional needs, this work also advances health equity through locally designed solutions that address geographic barriers and specific needs in cancer care.

Once concluded, the results from each project will be analyzed relative to the IHI Quintuple Aim framework to inform an initiative-level evaluation of impacts.

Resources

Contact

For questions or inquiries, please contact Shared Care via email.