Over 100 VMDAS members gathered in person and online April 17 for the association’s latest quarterly meeting. The session included an update on VPSA and HAMAC activities, as well as an address from VCH Board Chair Dr. Penny Ballem on the value of boards to reflect the populations we serve. VPSA update VMDAS and VPSA President Dr. Alison Harris began with a brief overview of the two organizations and then … Read More
The CMA President Elect on why she leans in
She’s a family physician with a passion for obstetrics who also loves assisting with cardiovascular surgery. She teaches in the UBC Department of Medicine’s undergraduate and postgraduate programs. A wife and mother of two, Dr. Kathleen Ross also has a strong sense of volunteerism and has been a vital part of many organizations from her children’s schools to Doctors of BC. The current president elect of the Canadian Medical Association, … Read More
Overcoming moral distress: The dilemma of women health-care workers
During the pandemic, physicians and other medical staff were portrayed in the media as both heroes and as professionals who are burned out and on the verge of leaving their chosen field. The truth is more complicated, as Dr. Julia Smith noted in her two presentations to VCH medical staff in celebration of International Women’s Day. Dr. Smith, an associate professor at SFU’s Faculty of Health Sciences and the lead … Read More
Senior leadership teams begin charting a new path forward
VPSA/VMDAS board and staff meet monthly with VCH senior leaders to develop a collaborative relationship between medical staff and the health authority. Those attending the March meeting heard updates on the work of the VA/VC Medical Staff Planetary Health Committee and the VA/VC Physician Wellness Steering Committee. The group also discussed ways to make the meetings more meaningful. Planetary health update Dr. Rashmi Chadha, co-chair of the Planetary Health Committee, … Read More
More VPSA members join committees
We are pleased to welcome three more VPSA members who are working to improve medical staff engagement by taking part on our committees. Drs. Colin Siu and Christopher Skappak have joined the VPSA Projects Committee, while Drs. Siu and Simone Schülein are now members of the VCH Medical Staff Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee. The Projects Committee develops the process and criteria for annual project selection and provides ongoing leadership … Read More