The Cedar Awards

This month the Awards Committee is excited to recognize Dr. Alicia Pawluk for the Cedar Award. Dr. Pawluk is the director of Care of the Elderly and a clinical assistant professor who specializes in geriatric addictions and emergency medicine on Vancouver Island. Her work focuses on improving elderly care through both clinical practice and teaching. Read more here.

Congratulations, Dr. Pawluk!

Call for Nominations

UBC Emeritus College Award for Excellence in Innovative and Creative Endeavours

The Award of Excellence in Innovative and Creative Endeavours from the UBC Emeritus College recognizes UBC emeriti for excellence in innovative research, artistic creation or new applications of previous research since attaining emeritus status.

UBC President’s Award for Distinguished Service

The UBC President's Award for Distinguished Service honours UBC emeriti who have displayed exceptional leadership in volunteer community services.

Events

Thrive in Stressful Times: Introducing the Fountain of Health and “THRIVE” Approach to Wellbeing

Dr. Keri-Leigh Cassidy, Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University

1:00 PM PT | January 24, 2024 | Virtual session

Dr. Cassidy will discuss how the THRIVE© Approach to wellbeing uniquely integrates key findings from science of well-being, brain neuroplasticity, resilience, preventative medicine, and behaviour change.

Register here for the lecture.

Midwifery

The Birth Place Lab's JEPS Cluster Hosting the Next Installement of Their Speaker Series

We are excited to announce that the Justice and Equity in Perinatal Services (JEPS) Cluster is hosting the next instalment of our speaker series. We invite you to join us on January 29, 2024 12:00 PM PST for JEPS: Responsible Conduct of Research through an Accessibility and Inclusion Lens with Dr. Mahadeo Sukhai (He/Him). You can register for the seminar here.

The Fraser Expansion Site at the Lark Building Is Officially Operational

In September 2023, six first year students started classes onsite at Surrey Memorial Hospital as part of UBC Midwifery’s inaugural Fraser Health cohort. In mid-December, UBC officially took possession of the newly renovated second floor office and teaching space in the nearby Lark Building. A Clinical Site Coordinator, Administrative Operations Manager, Assistant Professor, and Lecturer are now based there, and there is study and locker space for students. 

The Fraser Expansion will add 8 students per year to the cohort for a total of 32. Fraser Health is the fastest growing Health Authority in British Columbia with a reported +15,000 births each fiscal year between April 1, 2015, and March 31, 2020. It also has the greatest maternity provider shortage in the province. The Ministries of Post-Secondary Education and Health hope to address capacity issues and further develop midwifery services to benefit underserved communities from Burnaby to Hope.

Undergraduate

The Department is pleased to announce that Dr. Meera Anand has been appointed to the role of Interim Undergraduate Program Director. Having previously held the role of year 1 and 2 lead for the program, she is stepping in to take on oversight.

Read more about her work and accomplishments here.

Sport and Exercise Medicine

Sport Medicine Virtual Series for Primary Care 2024

This four-week speaker series will provide up-to-date, relevant education and research in the field of sport and exercise medicine. Our expert panels will bring together a variety of health care providers and community stakeholders to deliver an innovative platform for education, interactive discussions, and a glimpse into the future of sport and exercise medicine at UBC. Register for the entire series, or individual sessions — see you in February!

Learn more and register here: https://ubccpd.ca/learn/learning-activities/course?eventtemplate=708-sports-medicine-virtual-series-for-primary-care-2024

JEDI

A Foundation of Wellness

The video linked below is the work of the Foundational Pillars of Wellness Working Group, which the Postgraduate Education Committee tasked with identifying and creating a deliverable that demonstrates the program’s wellness principles and values. This volunteer working group was entirely comprised of members (past and present) of the Resident Resilience Committee, UBC Family Medicine Residency Program. The values, principles and outcomes were arrived at through broad consultation within the program and multiple meetings of the working group over a period of four years. 

Watch the video and find the corresponding poster here.

ISU

Welcome to the New Members of the ISU Team!

Welcome to new members of the ISU team!  The ISU is thrilled to welcome Kacey Wall, Maryam Dehnadi, Michael Ruffolo and Alison Gallagher to the team.  With backgrounds in nursing, public health, and media we are really excited for the talents these folks will bring to our team!  Welcome Kacey, Maryam, Michael, and Alison!

Help Shape the Future of Long COVID Care with Your Smartphone Expertise

Are you a smartphone user passionate about health and wellness? Join our focus study to design a mHealth app aimed at managing long COVID symptoms like chronic fatigue. We're seeking individuals comfortable with smartphones and experienced in using health-related apps for a one-hour, virtual feedback session on app mock-ups. Your insights are invaluable, and you'll be compensated $40CAD per session for your contribution. More information about the Focus Study can be found at the bottom of this page: https://isu.familypractice.ubc.ca/our-work/evaluation/. Interested? Contact Dr. Morgan Price at Morgan.Price@ubc.ca and make a difference in healthcare innovation!

New TBC Pathway Live on teambasedcarebc.ca Website! 

HQBC has just launched a new Team-Base Care Pathway to support the implementation, improvement and evaluation team-based care!  The ISU works closely with HQBC on behalf of the TBC BC Provincial Advisory Group and we are excited about the ways in which this pathway can support teams in primary care.  The pathway includes resources, tools and activities related to various stages of team development – from pre-planning, to team building, team performance and quality improvement, and evaluation.

Research

Call for Research Rounds

Have you or a member of your research team presented a study at a conference or released findings for a new publication? Would you like an opportunity to engage, inspire and connect with your fellow family practice researchers? The Research Rounds provide a platform for us to come together as a department, share our latest findings and foster collaboration. If you or a team member are interested in doing a virtual presentation for the Research Rounds, reach out to Hiresh Gindwani, DFP Research Coordinator at hiresh.g@ubc.ca.

Trainee Opportunities

UBC Faculty of Medicine FLEX (Flexible and Enhanced Learning) https://mednet.med.ubc.ca/teaching/flex/  

Work Learn Program https://students.ubc.ca/career/ubc-experiences/work-learn-program.

The Faculty of Medicine Summer Student Research Program (FoM SSRP) https://www.med.ubc.ca/current-learners/summer-student-research-program/

Publications

Feasibility and acceptability of collecting umbilical cord tissue for prenatal cannabis research: A mixed-methods research study.

Costs of major depression covered / not covered in British Columbia, Canada.

Patellofemoral joint geometry and osteoarthritis features 3-10 years after knee injury compared with uninjured knees.

Daily Rumination-Affect Associations in Dyads during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Creating Socially Accountable Health Conferences: Guidance from Around the World.

Resident Impact of the Single Site Order Restricting Staff Mobility across Long-Term Care Homes in British Columbia, Canada.

Perspectives on the representation of frailty in the electronic frailty index.

Exploring how immigrant international medical graduates successfully manage complex sociocultural challenges.

Perspectives of Indigenous medical students on a postgraduate Indigenous admissions pathway.

Effects of COVID-19 mRNA vaccination on HIV viremia and reservoir size.

HR Corner

Payroll Timesheets Submission Deadline

Monthly and Hourly Employees: January 23 2024 @ 11:59 pm

Managers and Leaders: January 24, 2024 @11:59 pm

Please visit HERE to view and download the 2024 Workday Payroll Calendar.

For important dates, please visit HERE.

Workshops in January

Below are some useful workshops should you be interested in getting updates, if eligible, on your benefits, pension plans or workshops offered by UBC.

Benefits @ UBC Webinar January 2024

Learn which benefits you are eligible for and how to access them including extended health, dental care, life insurance, employee and family assistance program, and tuition waiver. The webinar will be held on Thursday, January 25, 2024 from 10:30 am to 11:45 am. To enroll, please visit HERE.

Understanding Your UBC Staff Pension Plan 2024

This is an informative, 90-minute workshop for active UBC Staff Pension Plan members and all ages are welcome to attend. This workshop will take place on January 30, 2024, from 1:30 to 3:00 pm. via Zoom video conferencing.

Emotional intelligence: A guide to how it works

During the session, you will uncover the tools and techniques needed to apply emotional intelligence to your own personal and professional situations. Available for all faculty and staff. For more details, please visit HERE.

Conflict Theatre: Community Lunch and Learn 

The conflict engagement skills, confidence, and empathy you will develop are valuable to any interpersonal relationship- from the workplace to the home. Join us for an engaging and informative workshop, happening on Wednesday, January 24, 2024. For more details, please visit HERE.

Pets of the DFP

This month we'd like to thank Dr. Jade Dittaro for sharing her pup with us!

Chewy Dog is a 9.5-year-old rescue. He's been a part of the family for two years but to them, it feels like he's always been there.

In Jade's words:

Senior dogs (and rescue dogs) are the best! His favourite pastimes are making sad eyes under the kitchen table, socializing at the dog park and sneaking on the couch when my husband isn’t around. 

He is the love of our lives! 

If you would like to share some joy and include your pet in the next newsletter, email dfp.comms@ubc.ca.