There was spirited discussion amongst the physicians who met April 23 for the joint VPSA/Vancouver CoC Medical, Dental & Allied Staff Association’s town hall. The hot topics: the Vancouver MSA’s role as an advocate; and the opportunity to participate in a VGH physician lounge “dotmocracy.”

“As the association’s new president, I want to know what members want,” began Dr. Simon Rabkin. “We’re in this together; your MSA can work to facilitate communication between medical staff and VCH’s senior management.”

With that opening of the door, opinions flowed.

“I believe the average physician feels they have no input: they don’t know the health authority’s senior management; they don’t know what they’re thinking or what they’re planning. We need a strong voice at the administration level. This will lead to physicians having stronger involvement in policy setting and strategic direction,” suggested Dr. Ian Mackie, long-time VGH internist.

“We already advocate for our own areas; we lobby effectively individually. But what are the areas where we need to overlap? We need a strategic plan. We can’t just keep asking for more money. We have to be part of the solution. We need to be thoughtful in what we do,” added cardiologist Dr. Ken Gin.

Dr. Rabkin concluded: “We need a cross-division, cross-departmental strategy and plans to help us all advance.”

If you would like to be part of a Vancouver MSA strategy development committee, let us know:vpsa@ourvancouvermsa.ca

Input requested for VGH physician lounge amenities

The April 23 town hall meeting was also a chance for the attending physicians to provide input on a physician lounge at VGH by participating in a “dotmocracy” exercise that asked them to prioritize what amenities are most important to them.

“We’ve known for a while that a lounge is one of our colleagues’ top priorities and we are making headway,” said Dr. Lyne Filiatrault, co-chair of the VPSA Facility Engagement Initiative. “Now it’s time to think about what we’d like that space to include. As a former emergency physician, I know the challenge of working night shifts and the importance of feeling well rested before commuting home at the end of a shift. Sleep pods in a lounge could be lifesavers.”

VPSA is running a short survey regarding features for the lounge and is seeking feedback from more physicians. The survey was sent to each VPSA member. Please check your inbox and take the two minutes required to complete the survey entitled VPSA Survey – Physician lounge at VGH.

“A high response rate will demonstrate to our leadership team how important this is to us,” said Dr. Filiatrault.