Dr. Travis Schisler, his wife and three children have been eating a predominantly plant-based diet since 2015. At the time they were living in Pittsburgh while Dr. Schisler completed his fellowship in cardiothoracic anesthesia. “I changed my diet to a whole food plant-based pattern because I am convinced it is the healthiest dietary pattern in our Western food environment,” he said. “Day in and day out I look after patients … Read More
New board elected at AGM
The boards of VMDAS and VPSA were ratified at our recent AGMs. Emergency medicine physician Dr. Ka Wai Cheung is our new president, with radiologist Dr. Alison Harris moving into the past president position. Pathologist Dr. Michael Nimmo, our former secretary, is now vice president; surgeon Dr. Adam Meneghetti continues as treasurer, with psychiatrist Dr. Debra Miller continuing in her role as a member at large. VPSA has two additional … Read More
The benefits of a plant-based diet: A cardiologist’s perspective
The studies are clear. Increasing your intake of plant-based foods is associated with a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease. VGH cardiologist Dr. Matthew Bennett has taken this fact to heart. He and his wife committed to a vegan diet four years ago and haven’t looked back. “It was easier for me to go all in rather than have cheat days,” recalled Dr. Bennett, a member of the Division of Cardiology’s … Read More
Project funding creates rich data for palliative care initiative
Imagine you have a serious, complex, and perhaps terminal illness. Now imagine you are one of the almost one million British Columbians who doesn’t have a primary care provider. You’re scrambling because, up until now, people living in Vancouver had to have a primary care provider to access specialized palliative care community services. Urgently needing to find a family physician or nurse practitioner at such a time in your life … Read More
More physicians join the VA/VC Medical Staff Planetary Health Committee
Four new physicians are adding their voices to the Vancouver Acute/Vancouver Community (VA/VC) Medical Staff Planetary Health Committee. Drs. Matthew Bennett, Kelly Lau, David Smith, and Tyler Smith join committee chair Dr. Rashmi Chadha and Drs. Fahreen Dossa and Harpinder Nagi as VPSA representatives in promoting the committee’s work. The group’s mandate is to educate, engage, and empower medical staff to become planetary health leaders in their professional lives with … Read More