VPSA/VMDAS board and staff meet regularly with VCH senior leaders to develop a collaborative relationship between medical staff and the health authority. The February meeting included updates from the VPSA CST Implementation Task Group as well as the VA/VC Medical Staff Planetary Health Committee. The meeting also continued the leaders’ focus on VPSA’s new strategic plan. VPSA CST Implementation Task Group update Dr. Raheem Kherani chairs this task group, which … Read More
Surgical Patient Optimization Collaborative advocates for patient prehabilitation
Just as you wouldn’t attempt to run a marathon without training for it, patients need time and help to prepare for surgery. That’s the advice from the co-chair of the Surgical Patient Optimization Collaborative (SPOC), Dr. Kelly Mayson. At a recent SPOC update to VPSA members, she encouraged us to shift the paradigm of “wait times for surgery” to “preparation times for surgery.” “Our current care pathways don’t always promote … Read More
Climate-conscious medication management
Dr. Val Stoynova wasn’t always a climate advocate. The Island Health internist was about a year into her practice when she met “Beth” in 2018. They worked together to regain Beth’s health, addressing her high blood pressure and diabetes. She was thriving. Then, during the heat dome in 2021, Beth showed up in the hospital emergency department; she was struggling to breathe. Her question to Dr. Stoynova was, “What am … Read More
The benefits of a plant-based diet: An infectious diseases doctor talks about his experiences
Like many of us, Dr. Jan Hajek grew up in a home where meat, eggs, and cheese were a regular part of daily meals. As a teenager, he started thinking about the chickens, pigs, and cows that he was eating. “I didn’t like the idea of eating parts of dead animals, and I didn’t want to contribute to harms to those animals,” he recalled. “As I learned about where milk comes from, and the … Read More
HAMAC and VMAC explained
What is HAMAC? The Health Authority Medical Advisory Committee (HAMAC) is a legally required entity of the health authority as outlined in the VCH Medical Staff Bylaws and Rules. HAMAC’s mandate is to provide advice to the VCH board of directors and the CEO on: Membership HAMAC membership includes: The VCH board of directors approves the appointment of the HAMAC chair(s) following a recommendation from the HAMAC. The chair holds a three-year term with … Read More