Many physicians are concerned about climate change. Studies suggest that health care accounts for 4.6 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions in Canada, with a significant proportion due to inhaler prescriptions. And that’s where Drs. Kelly Lau and Kevin Liang are hoping to convince their family physician colleagues to change their habits. “The biggest difference a family physician can make is with the prescriptions we write,” said Dr. Liang, who … Read More

Digital tools in health care are here to stay and they can play a key role in providing quality care. Physicians need to embrace technology in order to leverage the better care this can offer patients. Change, however, is not always easy as we have seen with the implementation of CST. We know from the recent physician wellness survey as well as our town halls that there continue to be … Read More

VCH board member and Heilstuk Tribal Council chief councillor Marilyn Slett shared her memories of the day an articulated tug barge ran aground in her Nation’s traditional waters and the aftermath of that event at a recent VA/VC Medical Staff Planetary Health Committee speaker series session. Her recollections emphasized the interconnections between the health of people and that of our planet. The session began with a screening of the 30-minute … Read More

  Canadian health-care services have a significant environmental footprint, which contributes to an increasing global burden of disease. A quarter of health-care admissions in Canada come from medications. That was the jumping off point for our most recent Lunch and Learn session, which was held just before World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week. The session, which was hosted by the Vancouver Acute/Vancouver Community Medical Staff Planetary Health Committee, featured pharmacist and … Read More