Civility—or basic behavioural codes—has a strong impact on peoples’ wellbeing. Incivility in medical environments negatively affects clinical outcomes. And this is not to be treated lightly: any behaviour that impairs a healthcare team’s ability to function well creates risk. That was one of the messages award-winning physician and author Dr. Jillian Horton gave at her recent keynote to VPSA members on fostering a culture of wellbeing. “My talk was about … Read More
VPSA funds project addressing cost-related nonadherence to prescription medications
Can your patients afford the drugs you prescribe? That’s a question Dr. Lynn Straatman, Dr. Ken Gin, and Kimi Manhas (BScN (CCN(C)), M.A Leadership) would like you to ask whenever a patient needs medication. They recently collaborated on a project addressing cost-related nonadherence (CRNA) to prescription medications, which was funded by VPSA’s Engagement Accelerator. The project focused on Fair PharmaCare enrollment as one of the solutions to CRNA, with an … Read More
VPSA Leaders Forum increases collaboration
The Vancouver Physician Staff Association has created a Leaders Forum to enhance the work of its task groups and committees. The forum, which meets quarterly, includes representatives from each of the association’s groups. “The Leaders Forum is a place for information sharing and discussions that can generate ideas,” said VPSA President Elect Dr. Alison Harris, who chaired the first meeting of the group in late October. “We want to enhance … Read More
VPSA project funding helps improve Emergency Department Suboxone program
A multidisciplinary team at VGH’s Emergency Department has been screening patients for opioid use disorder since 2019. Eligible patients receive take-home Suboxone packages. (Suboxone is a first-line opioid agonist therapy in BC; there is evidence for its effectiveness when provided in emergency department settings.) “We wanted to gather feedback from the many care providers involved in the program as well as from patients to understand which aspects of our program … Read More
Welcoming our newest physicians
Over 100 physicians joined our Vancouver Community of Care in 2021 and, as tradition demands, VPSA hosted a welcoming event. For the second year in a row, the VPSA New Physician Dinner was held via Zoom. VPSA President Dr. Eric Yoshida and President Elect Dr. Alison Harris, along with VCH President and CEO Vivian Eliopoulos, VA Co-Senior Medical Director Dr. Ladan Sadrehashemi, and VC Senior Medical Director Dr. Michael Norbury … Read More