Priority 1 Progress Report - February 2023

Increase member engagement and support, especially with under-represented departments

A. Achieve greater wellness and less burnout among member physicians

• Created a Wellness Champions Steering Committee and funded nine groups addressing department-/division-level drivers of burnout.
• Results from our 2020 wellness survey serve as a baseline measure as we work towards the launch of a follow-up survey this spring.
• Our Community Building Wellness Task Group activities include monthly appreciation and networking lunches at VGH and UBC Hospital as well as regular commensality dinners. Survey data tells us attendees overwhelmingly believe these events support their well-being.
• Launched a six-month commensality group pilot program with five applications approved for funding.

B. Support and implement diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) best practices for member recruitment to VPSA initiatives

• The request for expressions of interest was updated to include questions/options for gender diversity, specialty diversity, disability, 2SLGBTQ+, sites (UBC, VGH and GF Strong), and experience.
• Selection Committee members are knowledgeable about EDI aspects for selection of committee and task group members.

C. Increase awareness of VPSA efforts and importance in Vancouver Acute and Vancouver Community

• We connect with over 200 physicians at each of our monthly lunches; we promote VPSA and VMDAS activities at registration.
• The Vancouver Area Medical Advisory Committee meets monthly. This senior medical administration body for Vancouver Acute and Vancouver Community includes representatives from each department and division. Beginning in 2022, the VPSA Chair provides an update about the activities of our organization.
• Our weekly newsletter, the VPSA Checkup, is distributed to our nearly 2,000 members. Open rates have climbed steadily: 2022-52%; 2021-38%; 2020- 38%; 2019-30%;, 2018-31%.
• Event posters are featured in the VMDAS Hub for Engagement and Wellness at VGH. Posters describing VPSA initiatives are also displayed.
• Staff and board members give VPSA updates at the Leaders Forum.

D. Ensure committees, task groups, and other VPSA efforts provide opportunities for involvement at all levels and from all departments

• A Selection Committee is in place.
• The committee approved its selection process and updated this to include EDI aspects including diversity in specialties, genders and sites.
• We have representation from 12 of the 14 departments on our various committees.

E. Improve access to all VPSA gatherings

• Staff collect data on department and division members attending lunches to look for gaps and opportunities. All groups are represented; the most under-represented areas are gynecology and rehabilitation medicine.
• Events are held for targeted audiences such as Vancouver Community.
• Attendance at UBC Hospital lunches steadily increased in 2022 from an average of 21 physicians to 28.
• GF Strong will host a lunch and learn event on March 1, 2023.

F. Develop specific ways to engagement community physicians

• VPSA board and staff members continue to dialogue with the VC senior medical director to look for opportunities.
• A VC-specific event is tentatively scheduled for May 2023 in partnership with VC medical and administrative leadership.

G. Leverage quarterly meetings for greater member engagement and increased wellness

• A brief update on VPSA activities will be added to the meeting agenda beginning in April 2023.

H. Provide support to physicians during lead-in, rollout, and implementation of CST

• The CST Task Group continues to meet post CST implementation at VGH.
• VPSA hosted two CST all-staff townhall and demo sessions that were attended by 122 people.
• A weekly pulse survey was launched and ran for 12 weeks. It received an average of 23 responses each week with an average of five identified concerns reported back to members e
• very week.
• A new pulse survey will be deployed in March 2023 to gauge the quality of documentation with the new platform and support from members to receive their own performance metrics.
• Close to 700 VPSA members attended four lunches offered during the CST rollout.
• We funded four CST site visits to St. Paul’s and Lions Gate hospitals for groups to see and become more familiar with the Cerner platform.
• VPSA hosted three department-specific CST demos led by familiar with the system. Medicine, Emergency and Anesthesia were the participating groups.

I. Explore ways to address climate change, such as creation of a committee

• We have established the Vancouver Acute/Vancouver Community Medical Staff Planetary Health Committee.
• The group has identified its priorities.

J. Reassess Selection Committee timeliness and application process

• The process has been standardized and includes:
  1. Call out for involvement at all events
  2. A simplified application form
  3. Transparency for applicants and committee
  4. Targets for diversity by referring and encouraging all groups to apply