Upcoming Events

VPSA provides members with opportunities to connect at its various events. Check out these events to engage with your colleagues.

February 19: UBC Hospital Physician Networking Lunch No speakers. No presentations. Just the chance to come out, catch up, and meet with your physician friends and colleagues at VGH. These lunches are designed to foster collaboration and team spirit, which will ultimately improve patient outcomes. Join us the third Wednesday of each month for these networking sessions.
 
Friday, February 19 from noon to 1 pm
Location: DMCBH 3402 A&B on the 3rd floor of the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health
RSVP: vpsalunch@gmail.com at least 48 hours in advance.

February 27: My Hospital Footprint
Part 2: Greening health care - One team-based quality improvement project at a time Dr. Larry Barzelai moderates this discussion with medical student Alex Yu and engineering student Iman Baharmand and their research measuring waste at Royal Columbian Hospital’s ICU. Also on the panel: Sarah Currie, a program lead with the Green+Leader Network that aims to improve the environmental performance of health care operations; Clinical Nurse Specialist Jenifer Tabamo on findings from her food waste QI project; and Nadia Gale regarding work in the lab to reduce its carbon footprint.
 
Thursday, February 27 from noon to 1 pm
Catered lunch
Location:VGH Physician Hub for Engagement and Wellness
Jim Pattison Pavilion South, Level 2; next to Sassafras Café
RSVP by February 20 to vpsa.eventbrite.com

March 1: Wellness event with Dr. Caroline Gérin-Lajoie, Vice President, Physician Health & Wellness, CMA After helping establish the physician wellness programs at Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Medicine, Dr. Caroline Gérin-Lajoie says joining the CMA as vice-president of physician health and wellness is bringing her full circle.

Join her to learn about Strategies and Systems Change to Mitigate Physician Burnout. Learn more about physician health and wellness: the concepts; statistics; and how it relates to quality safety and health care economics. This will include a review of three dimensions: individual; culture; and system factors; and what we know works. The presentation will also include a glimpse of the Canadian Medical Association’s new Health and Wellness National Environmental Scan.
 
Sunday, March 1 from 6 to 8:30 pm (dinner from 6 to 6:30; presentation and discussion/Q&A from 6:30 to 8:30)
Location: VGH Physician Hub for Engagement and Wellness
Jim Pattison Pavilion South, Level 2; next to Sassafras Café
RSVP by February 25 to vpsa.eventbrite.com

March 10: Breakfast with Leaders: Dr. Dean Chittock, Vice President of Medicine, Quality & Safety, VCH Dr. Dean Chittock has been a senior leader of the medical team at Vancouver Acute for over a decade. He is currently responsible for the medicine, quality, safety, risk, client relations, and infection control portfolios within our health authority. Hear about Dr. Chittock’s special interest and expertise in quality improvement and find out how VPSA physicians can work with his office to improve patient care.

Tuesday, March 10 from 7 to 8 am
Location: VGH Physician Hub for Engagement and Wellness
Jim Pattison Pavilion South, Level 2, next to Sassafras Café
RSVP by March 6 to vpsa.eventbrite.com

March 11: Private screening of The Gender Lady: The Fabulous Dr. May Cohen When May Cohen started her medical training in Toronto in the 1950s, medicine was a male preserve. May’s parents were Jewish émigrés from Eastern Europe in the 1920s. Her social consciousness arose from their progressive political engagement and activism in Canada and she became a passionate advocate for the pro-choice movement and for the rights of women.

Using archival materials and interviews with May’s close colleagues and friends, this compelling film explores how influential and inspirational she has been in promoting gender issues in medical schools and the role of women doctors throughout the health sector.

May’s impact in Canada and internationally simply cannot be overstated. She has demonstrated that it is possible for women to balance professional, family and personal interests—and change the world.

Wednesday, March 11 from 5:30 – 8:30 pm
Location: VGH Paetzold Auditorium and Atrium
Dinner will be followed by the screening. After the movie, join us for a discussion with the film’s directors, Drs. Cheryl Levitt and Barbara Lent.
This special evening is organized by the VCH Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee and is open to all VPSA physician members.
RSVP by March 8 to vpsa.eventbrite.com

April 19: Join the VPSA Wellness team for the 2020 Sun Run Calling all MD runners and walkers! Join our team and thousands of others who walk and run the 10K distance around our city. The Vancouver Sun Run is one of the largest road races in North America and tons of fun.

Early bird pricing: $49 (until February 14)
Regular fee: $59 (February 15 - March 18)
Race date: Sunday, April 19
Register: https://register.vancouversunrun.com
Team name: VPSA Wellness
Join your colleagues for a VISA-sponsored post-run team social.

April 30: Surgical Patient Optimization Collaborative (SPOC) Update and Follow Up! Join SPOC co-lead Dr. Kelly Mayson and other team members for more details on the SPOC process, case studies, and how optimization has made a difference for patient outcomes. We will also have practical office management suggestions for managing iron deficiency and glycemic control of patients in the pre-op period. This is an opportunity for family physicians and specialists to connect with surgical specialties and improve the perioperative pathway for patients.

Thursday, April 30 from 6 to 8:30 pm
Two hours of sessional funding provided for physicians at the BCMA rate.
Catered dinner: 6:00-6:30 pm
Presentation and Discussion/Q&A: 6:30–8:30 pm
Location: VGH Physician Hub for Engagement and Wellness
Jim Pattison Pavilion South, Level 2; next to Sassafras Café
Register by April 27 : vpsa.eventbrite.com

March 13: VGH Physician Appreciation Lunch No speakers. No presentations. Just the chance to come out, catch up, and meet with your physician friends and colleagues at VGH. Join us the second Friday of each month in the PHEW for these networking sessions.
 
Friday, March 13 from noon to 1 pm
Location: VGH Physician Hub for Engagement and Wellness
Jim Pattison Pavilion South, Level 2, next to Sassafras Café
RSVP: vpsalunch@gmail.com at least 48 hours in advance.

Catch up on our recent events; visit our News section.