The Cedar Awards

Please join us in congratulating this month's Cedar Award recipient, Vera Maesen.

Vera Maesen is the Undergraduate Program Manager for the Department of Family Practice. She joined the Faculty of Medicine as an assessment coordinator in 2018 and then took on an interim assignment as Case Based Learning Manager. In everything she does, she manages people with kindness and a sense of calm.

Cecilia Jevitt Appointed to Professior, with Tenure

The Department is thrilled to recognize Directory of Midwifery, Dr. Cecilia Jevitt, for her promotion to Professor, with tenure. This promotion honours everything Midwifery does. You can read more about her and her accomplishments here.

Ian Scott Promoted to Professor, with Tenure

The Department recognizes the promotion of Dr. Ian Scott to Professor, with tenure. Congratulations, Ian! 

You can read Dr. Scott's bio here.

CAME Awards

Two Department of Family Practice members have been recognized by the Canadian Association for Medical Education (CAME) 2023 Certificate of Merit Awards and Rising Star — Certificate of Excellence Awards. The CAME Certificate of Merit Award recognizes senior faculty who have made an exceptional contribution to medical education in Canadian medical schools.

Dr. Meera Anand
Years 1 and 2 Family Practice Co-Director, Vancouver Fraser Medical Program
Dr. Anand has made innovative contributions to teaching, curriculum development, assessment, education leadership and research across the education continuum in UBC distributed programs — impacting early medical students to family medicine residents to clinical preceptors.

Carolyn Canfield
Adjunct Professor, Department of Family Practice
Ms. Canfield’s leadership, generosity and dedication have allowed UBC to create new patient roles in medical education. Her collaborative success relies on her own eagerness to learn. She enjoys the challenge of joining learners and colleagues to realize a deeper appreciation of patient experiences, values and expectations.

International Women's Day

March 8 marked International Women's Day. Read here to learn about some of the outstanding women in the Faculty of Medicine who are transforming health for everyone. 

Opportunities

Deadline extension to March 16: CFPC Lifetime Achievement Awards in Family Medicine Research

The CFPC Lifetime Achievement Awards in Family Medicine Research honour individuals who were trailblazers and leaders in family medicine research and made substantial contributions to family medicine research during their active career years. These awards give public recognition to their work and to the discipline of family medicine.

2023 President’s awards for staff: Call for nominations

The President’s staff awards recognize and celebrate staff members who demonstrate outstanding achievement and excellence within the UBC community, and who enable us to shape the future of research, teaching, and work.
 

Nominations may be submitted by faculty, staff, and students. The deadline for nominations is 4pm on April 7.

President’s Service Awards for Excellence

To download the 2023 nomination package, visit: https://focusonpeople.ubc.ca/awards/presidents-awards-for-staff/.

To view past recipients, visit: https://focusonpeople.ubc.ca/awards/presidents-service-award-for-excellence-recipients/

President’s Staff Awards for UBC Vancouver staff

To download the 2023 nomination package, visit: https://focusonpeople.ubc.ca/awards/presidents-awards-for-staff/.

To read about past award recipients, visit: https://focusonpeople.ubc.ca/2022/08/29/2022-presidents-awards-for-staff-recipients/.

Events

Opportunity: UBC AMS Humanities in Healthcare

UBC Humanities for Healthcare is putting on a Narrative Medicine case competition on April 1 and 2 at the AMS Nest.

Overview

To promote the development of narrative competence in healthcare, the Narrative Medicine Case Competition (NMCC) will host students from UBC from different faculties to tackle a patient/community health crisis case. Students will be placed into teams to work collaboratively to design an encompassing treatment or tool for treatment for their patient/client. The design process will prompt teams to factor in accessibility and inter-professional communication. Participants will have to address challenges in equipping healthcare providers with attainable and effective means to treat their patients. The goal of NMCC is to provide an opportunity for students to navigate the multidimensional challenges in healthcare delivery, with the guidance and experiences of mentors in academic, clinical and patient-end experiences.

Humanities in Healthcare's Narrative Medicine Case Competition will have students in groups of 3-4 tackle these issues and present their plan to address the patient's medical conditions, and the patient's goals, as well as comment on systemic barriers that could be addressed to assist in this patient's treatment. The case will be a hypothetical patient story that we will use to start a conversation on patient-centered care among prospective healthcare professionals.

Mentors

To facilitate this learning endeavor we are hoping to include mentors with a wide range that represent different aspects of healthcare as well as different perspectives. Mentors will be the key players in the competition that will provide participants with real-world insight and help guide the team's thought processes. Mentors do not have to be available for the entire competition. We are looking to schedule a wide variety of mentors across both days. We would be able to accommodate based on individual schedules but we hope that mentors can be available 3-5 hours in total. We are looking for mentors from the following but not limited to:

• Senior Medical Students
• Resident Physician
• Social Workers
• Paramedics
• Nurses
• Patient Advocates

Judges

We are looking for judges to help us evaluate the projects put forward by the teams. As a judge, you have an innate knowledge of healthcare and are able to contribute your expertise as part of a panel to evaluate the pitches. Judges would need to be available on the Sunday of the event weekend from 3:00 pm to 6:30 pm. We are looking for judges from the following:

• Family Medicine Physician
• Patients
• Nurse
• Social Workers

To sign up as a volunteer:

Mentors - https://forms.gle/Jv4XksxjH1tQti8T9 

Judges - https://forms.gle/V9BZq6BqJ7wAQHreA

Questions can be directed to ubc.hih@gmail.com

Save the Date: Okanagan Orchard Days

Date: Saturday, May 27, 2023

Time: Marriott Grand Okanagan Resort, Kelowna

Activities: Teaching workshops, fun outdoor activities, preceptor appreciation dinner

Further details to come. 

Research Round: Integrating healthcare services for patients - challenges behind it from family physicians' perspectives

You can read more and register here. 

Volunteer Opportunities

CFPC Committee on Examination – Family Medicine: Call for New Writers

Volunteer Opportunity: Simulated Office Oral (SOO) Writer

Contribute to something special!

The College of Family Physicians of Canada’s (CFPC’s) Committee on Examinations – Family Medicine is a diverse and dedicated group of family physicians from across Canada that is responsible for developing content for the Certification Examination in Family Medicine. The Committee is looking for a new volunteer member to help write content for the Simulated Office Oral (SOO) portion of the exam—a great opportunity to contribute to something special!

Qualifications:

• Professional fluency in English—verbal and written
• Certified in Family Medicine (CCFP) and in good standing with the College of Family Physicians of Canada
• Intermediate to advanced computer skills including MS Office, Zoom, Adobe Acrobat, and Share File
• Experience with SOOs or patient-centred clinical method (eg. SOO examiner, SOO exam site coordinator, teaching the patient-centred clinical method or behavioural medicine, participation in SOO practices)
• Ability to work to deadlines required for exam production
• Active clinical practice
• Availability to participate in a time sensitive critical revision of material

Requirements:

As a member of the Committee, you will have the opportunity to work with the team of SOO writers and other family physician volunteers to develop the SOO content for the Certification Examination in Family Medicine. This includes the writing and production of two official SOO exams per year (Fall and Spring). Each SOO booklet contains the case description, the acting instructions and the marking schemes. The number of pages required for each SOO is approximately 25 pages.

The Committee currently meets four times a year (two days per meeting). Three meetings are held in person and one is virtual. Attendance at all meetings is essential. Travel expenses are covered by the CFPC, as outlined in the related policies. There are three teleconferences per year before examination weekends (spring and fall) and these are usually one hour long. Some work at home between meetings will also be required.

Benefits:

Participating as a volunteer SOO writer provides a wonderful opportunity for many personal and professional benefits:

• Acquire learning experiences to build your career
• Learn and reinforce medical knowledge while earning CPD credits
• Receive annual honorarium
• Contribute to the high standards of the Certification Examination in Family Medicine, ensuring that graduates are of the highest calibre to serve the people of Canada
• Support family medicine residents in their educational journeys
• Network with and meet new CFPC colleagues
• Become an expert resource to your teaching program
• Contribute to something special!

How do you apply?

Applicants for the SOO writer position are asked to please send the following materials to Darline Noel, CFPC Examination Content Development Coordinator, at dnoel@cfpc.ca by: April 9, 2023

• Cover letter
• Curriculum vitae (three pages maximum)
• A short biography (300 words maximum)
• A description of a patient scenario you have experienced and feel would make a good SOO (500 words maximum)

Expected start date: June 9, 2023

We thank all applicants for their interest. Only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.

Contact:

Darline Noel

Examination Content Development Coordinator

Certification and Assessment

Academic Family Medicine

College of Family Physicians of Canada

dnoel@cfpc.ca

905-629-0900 ext.  442

Midwifery

Midwifery Care Safe for Moderate- and High-Risk Pregnancies

New UBC research shows that midwives in British Columbia are providing safe primary care for pregnancies of all medical risk levels, contrary to a popular belief that midwives mostly manage low-risk pregnancies.

Fundraising for Global Health

Since 2007, The University of British Columbia (UBC) Global Placement Program has been working with Nepal health care workers in urban and rural services to foster reciprocal learning and build a partnership to better maternal and infant mortality in that country. Representatives from UBC first travelled to Nepal in 2007, with the first UBC student group participating in 2010. The Midwifery Society of Nepal (MIDSON) was created in 2010, and the Global Placement Program has been working under its umbrella ever since.

In April and May 2023, a small group of students and UBC Midwifery faculty will be travelling to and working in Nepal for a six-week period. During this time they will visit multiple locations, both urban and rural, to help further midwifery pre-service and in-service education and training in the country, while also gaining valuable clinical experience which will apply to midwifery practice in Canada. The Global Placement Program allows students to learn about the healthcare system in low and middle income countries and gain experience working in low-resource settings alongside local midwives and physicians. 

In order to successfully conduct this placement, the group requires supplies such as teaching aids, presenter honoraria and materials for midwifery workshops, and aid for in-country transport and guides, such as cost for vehicles, drivers and translators. UBC Midwifery has supported a Nepalese partner to co-present the Global Placement Program at the International Confederation of Midwives’ Triennial Congress in June 2023

The UBC Midwifery program greatly appreciates any aid which can be provided so that they can continue to grow this valuable international relationship, and to continue to educate UBC Midwifery students in low-resource care. To support the 2023 UBC Global Placement, please donate here; tax receipts will be provided.

For more information about the Global Placement Program, please see here.

Thank you for your support!

ISU Will Be Hiring in the Coming Weeks

The ISU will be hiring for several Research Coordinator and Research Analyst positions

Check out the ISU’s new publication in HealthCare Quarterly: Primary and Community Care Mapping: Helping Communities Collaboratively Plan Health Services in a Patient-Centred Manner

TeamUp! Webinar

You can watch the recording of the TeamUp! from March 8 here: https://teambasedcarebc.ca/

Research

HPE Project for Residents and Med Students

Calling current residents (total 1-4) who will be working on their scholar project 2023-34: Here is a scholar project available for residents interested in medical education and receiving research assistant support.

Title: Exploring and cataloguing the contributions of non-MD educators in the UBC Department of Family Practice

Supervisor: Dr. Evelyn Cornelissen, UBC Department of Family Practice. If interested contact evelyn.cornelissen@ubc.ca

Description: Working with UBC Department of Family Practice, including a research assistant, the main goals this year are to:

1. Define who we mean by non-MD educators – lit/scoping review and key stakeholder survey to define inclusion/exclusion criteria for non-MD educators. E.g., clinicians with health professional designations (regulated health professions) who are not MDs who teach in our department (HPE, health professional educators)? Possibly also non health professionals who also teach in the department ,e.g., research ethics board, Elders, technology, management, etc.
2. Plan methods to reach these non-MD educators, e.g., how to find, how to reach.
3. Using Qualtrics, design, implement and analyze survey of non-MD educators. This may include questions about:
   1. Demographics
   2. Scope of role
   3. Departmental interactions/collaborations
   4. Orientation
   5. Needs
   6. Contributions
4. Write report of findings. Present to key stakeholders.

Publications

Postpartum people's experiences of and responses to the COVID-19 pandemic during the first year of the pandemic: A descriptive qualitative study

Characteristics of potential concussive events in elite hurling: a video-analysis study.

Perinatal Injectable Opioid Agonist Therapy (iOAT) Administration: A Case Series.

Primary and Community Care Mapping: Helping Communities Collaboratively Plan Health Services in a Patient-Centred Manner.

Midwifery students witnessing violence during labour and birth and their attitudes towards supporting normal labour: A cross-sectional survey.

Changes in Cognition and Brain Function After 26 Weeks of Progressive Resistance Training in Older Adults at Risk for Diabetes: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.

Exploring the intersection of hermeneutics and implementation: a scoping review.

Can youth-engaged research facilitate equitable access to contraception in Canada? The qualitative study protocol for the Ask Us project.

Infographic. Oxford consensus on primary cam morphology and femoroacetabular impingement syndrome-natural history of primary cam morphology to inform clinical practice and research priorities on conditions affecting the young person's hip.

In the News

Critics slam federal health deal - CBC Vancouver

HR Corner

Happy March! As we get into the spring season, we encourage faculty and staff to stay on top of UBC-wide announcements including events and resources for all employees! March is also Nutrition Month across Canada, and we encourage you to review UBC HR's events and resources below. 

T4/T4A Slips Are Now Available for Faculty and Staff

UBC issues tax slips online as PDFs that are identical to the printed form and are accepted by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) when filing your taxes. 

UBC faculty and staff can now access their payroll-related 2021 T4 and T4A tax slips for personal income tax returns through Workday. 

• Current employees with active CWL can refer to the Find My T4 guide on the Workday Knowledge Base for instructions on how to access their tax slips through Workday.  
• Former employees can access their tax slips through Workday using their existing CWL within 18 months of leaving UBC. Former employees and employees on leave will also be mailed a paper copy of their T4 through Canada Post. 

If you need help resetting or recovering your CWL log in, see the How do I reset or recover my CWL/EAD account password guide in the IT Knowledge Base or contact the UBC IT Service Centre. 

If you have questions about the information on your T4 or T4A slip, please submit a Workday support request, using the category Payroll, through the UBC Self Service Portal.  

Former employees can contact the Integrated Service Center by emailing info.support@ubc.ca. Please include the Tax form name and year in your email subject line. You can also call 604-822-8200 (UBCV) or 250-807-8163 (UBCO) for Workday support between 8 am to 5 pm (Mon to Fri). 

For more information on taxes and deductions, visit the T4/T4A FAQ or the Your Taxes page.  

Payroll Timesheets Submission

Timesheet submission deadline is 23 March, 11:45pm, and approval deadline is 24 March, 11:45pm.  Payroll through 31 March will post on March 30, 2023 and be visible in Workday March 30, 2023. 

Vacation Balances

If you have any questions about your vacation carryforward balances into the new year, please let Adrian Whitehead, HR Assistant know by March 17th.

Health and Wellness Resources for March Nutrition Month

March is Nutrition Month across Canada, and we will focus on the importance of your eating style and the power of connecting with a dietitian (including tips to utilize some helpful nutritious UBC resources). This Nutrition Month, consider learning more about the principles of intuitive eating and explore the benefits of seeking a dietitian and how they can help you improve your overall health and wellbeing. Review more resources here https://hr.ubc.ca/working-ubc/news/march-03-2023/unlock-potential-food-march?utm_source=Cyberimpact&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Healthy-UBC-March-2023

Help create a healthy workplace with HWIP funding - UBC’s favourite workplace funding program is back!  Applications are now being accepted for the Healthy Workplace Initiatives Program (HWIP) until 4 pm on Friday, April 14, 2023. Units and departments can access up to $3,000 of HWIP funding for various health initiatives to create and maintain healthy work environments. Read more here https://hr.ubc.ca/working-ubc/news/march-03-2023/help-create-healthy-workplace-hwip-funding

New! Ergo Access demo program from the Centre for Workplace Accessibility. Try out ergonomic and accessibility tools with the new ErgoAccess demo program.The Centre for Workplace Accessibility has launched its ErgoAccess demo program. This new initiative will enable UBC staff and faculty to try out ergonomic and accessibility tools and software to see if anything is a good fit. https://hr.ubc.ca/working-ubc/news/march-03-2023/new-ergoaccess-demo-program-centre-workplace-accessibility

UBC Workday

Have you completed all UBC Required Training? UBC is aiming to increase compliance with required training for staff and student-staff, as mandated by legislation and UBC policies. If you believe you have completed the most up-to-date version of a required training, but still receive a notification of incompletion, please contact support.wpl@ubc.ca.

HR Team Update

As a reminder, the following are the employee portfolio split and responsibilities:

• Maria Jurado, Manager, HR and Marni Fraser, Director, Administration - Point of contact for tenured faculty lifecycle, Escalated questions and concerns
• Annie Lai, Assistant Manager, HR – Escalated questions and concerns for term/clinical faculty lifecycle, HR full services advisory. Advises on HR services offered by HR Team – reach out to Annie for questions.
• Adrian Whitehead, HR Assistant – Point of contact for 1st level Staff/Student questions, Workday, Payroll Processing
• Ara Silva, Clinical Faculty Coordinator – Clinical Faculty Appointment and Reappointment Process
• Armaan Kahlon, Work Learn HR Student – HR and Administrative Special Projects