VPSA works to achieve its goals through committees and task groups that represent issues of concern to members. We are grateful to all the members who take part in these groups. We recently recruited two new members to our Community Building & Wellness Task Group as well as an additional member to our recently formed VPSA EDI Committee.

Community Building & Wellness Task Group

Drs. Gary McCalla and Lisa Weger are the newest member of this committee. They join Drs. Anna Borowska, Fahreen Dossa, Asim Iqbal, Junella Lee, Lucy Lyons, Mahyar Mohammadi, Carolina Vidal, and Lesley Wood in building our VPSA community both via networking events and through a focus on wellness and resiliency-building activities that are of interest to members.

Dr. Gary McCalla

Emergency Medicine physician Dr. McCalla works part time at UBC Hospital; he has a passion for wellness initiatives for physicians as well as first responders.

“I reached out to Dr. Dossa who suggested ways to get more involved with wellness at VCH,” said Dr. McCalla. “I am excited to part of this committee as a great place to learn more about physician wellness.”

Dr. Lisa Weger

Dr. Weger is a Family Medicine specialist who has worked at VGH since 2019. Since then, she has attended many VPSA events from the monthly lunches and commensality groups to other social events.

“These events have allowed me to meet colleagues as well as enhance my work/life balance,” said Dr. Weger. “I have found the events and subsequent connections made to be very beneficial for my workplace enjoyment and mental health and greatly appreciate the opportunity to be part of continuing to plan such initiatives for VPSA members.”

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee

Nurse practitioner Shaveta Bolina

This VPSA committee addresses EDI needs at a department/division level. Its goal is to advance equity, diversity, and inclusion across all aspects of patient care and the medical staff experience in VA/VC. Nurse practitioner Shaveta Bolina is its newest member; she joins Drs. Ka Wai Cheung, Daniel DeForge, Wenna Deng, Fahreen Dossa, Esaba Kashem, and Sandeep Saran.

“I believe that authentic representation and understanding are essential to improving how we care for our communities,” said Ms. Bolina. “My work has brought me into contact with people from many different walks of life, and I’ve seen how culture, identity, and belonging can influence both health outcomes and trust in the system.”