Close to 100 Vancouver Physician Staff Association members gathered December 17 for the association’s annual general meeting and to hear the evening’s guest speaker, Dr. Eric Cadesky, the president of Doctors of BC, talk about diversity and inclusion. Dr. Cadesky also spoke of the pressure physicians are working under and its impacts and consequences, including people becoming tribal rather than engaging with their colleagues. “It’s harmful when we start to … Read More
Taking engagement to the next level
The province-wide Facility Engagement Initiative (FEI) was created to build physician engagement and trust. VPSA FEI activities have been ongoing since October 2016, with medical staff identifying and prioritizing issues, and committees forming to deliver members’ priorities. Yet three health authority engagement surveys later, the needle has not moved on developing meaningful engagement between VPSA physicians and VCH leadership. To turn the tide, a joint physicians and leaders workshop was … Read More
A family doctor in Nepal
Former GF Strong hospitalist Dr. Joanna Mereu holds a special place in her heart for the Nepalese Spinal Cord Collaboration (SpiNepal). This charitable organization works closely with Nepal’s specialized spinal injury unit, the Spinal Injury Rehabilitation Centre (SIRC), near Kathmandu. Inspired by SpiNepal’s founders (Dr. Peter Wing, retired spine surgeon, and his wife, retired physiatrist Dr. Claire Weeks), Dr. Mereu worked in Nepal this past spring. She spoke at GF … Read More
The benefits of mindfulness for physicians
Mindfulness—the ability to focus your awareness calmly and nonjudgmentally on the present moment—is becoming a popular technique among people of all ages, backgrounds and professions. The positive health effects of mindfulness have also been shown by a number of studies, although the exact neural mechanisms involved remain unclear. Practicing mindfulness can be especially effective in helping physicians increase their own personal well-being while improving empathy and psychosocial beliefs, which are … Read More
Why building your resilience will make you a better physician
Physicians’ jobs are stressful. As the recent CMA National Physician Health Survey reported, it’s not unusual for doctors to feel burned out and depressed. But building and protecting your resilience—how you react to tough situations—can make an important difference to your ability to bounce back and to care for yourself and others. You need to imagine resilience as your “energy” bank: if you make too many demands on it, you … Read More