August 2024, Vol. 2 Ed. 4

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President’s Message

Hello, members of the MSA! I hope everyone’s been having an enjoyable summer. It’s August, and I’d like to use my space in this issue of the MSA Monitor to introduce a concept that we haven’t implemented at C&W yet (I believe) but has been shown to improve workplace fulfillment: commensality groups.

The exact structure for these meetings varies, but attendees are typically asked to commit to a monthly or biweekly meeting for six months. The first 15 minutes of the hour-long session is dedicated to discussing a topic from a provided list of possible topics, and the remaining 45 minutes can be about anything the group wants, whether it’s continuing the conversation initiated by the topic at hand or moving on to member interests by consensus. Discussions are meant to be confidential and supportive. The meal is paid for by the organization (that would be us, the MSA), but your time is your own. The groups individually work out what schedule is best for their members. There are no other reports or deliverables besides what you take away from the discussion yourself!

It does take some work to organize and administer a program like this; while scheduling is entirely up to the group, the preparation and dissemination of topics for discussion do need to be centrally coordinated.

New, Innovative BC Children’s Hospital Centre for Health Complexity Opening in 2028

Children and youth living with health complexity have multi-system, complex, chronic conditions and currently access many cross-sector services at BC Children’s Hospital and in the community. They have significant functional limitations, often require round-the-clock care, and depend on medical technology. Their caregivers also act as navigators, care coordinators, and advocates. This small portion of the pediatric population (approximately 2,000 children and youth) accounts for up to one-third of pediatric health spending and close to half of hospital admission days.

The new clinical program will address well-known gaps in care and will not duplicate existing services. The care coordination service will support families longitudinally in a flexible, individualized way and will improve collaboration across health and other sectors. Training and education for caregivers and professionals will increase confidence and ability to care for children closer to home. Family wellness and support services will address the mental health, emotional well-being, and social connection needs of caregivers and siblings of a child with health complexity. All services at the new centre will be delivered in person and virtually.

A unique area of the building—the child and family suites—will provide short, planned, non-acute stays. This innovative, highly accessible, and purpose-built space is intended for children and families requiring intensive in-person support with care coordination, training and education, and family wellness.

The project team is working collaboratively with its Patient and Caregiver Advisory Group, health professionals from BC Children’s and community, leaders from other sectors, and Yukon partners. Staff from C&W Indigenous Health provide ongoing input around clinical planning to address the need for cultural safety and anti-racist care.

Complete the Indigenous-Specific Anti-Racism Training

Dear Colleagues,

Further to the communication in the June medical staff newsletter, this memo is to provide details on compensation for the required San’yas and ARRT training programs.

Training Deadlines
Complete by: March 31, 2025
New Staff: Within 6 months of hire

Time Commitment
San’yas: 1 – 2 hours/week for 8 weeks
ARRT: 3 – 4 hours

Compensation
San’yas: Up to 10 hours
ARRT: Up to 4 hours
Eligibility: Cannot be compensated through other arrangements (except administrative compensation is stipend only or 0.1FTE or less)

Actions
Completed Training: Submit invoice to physiciancomp@phsa.ca.
Not Completed: Register on LearningHub and submit invoice after completion.

Contacts
Invoicing Questions: physiciancomp@phsa.ca
General Inquiries: Heather Paterson at heather.paterson@phsa.ca

Visit the Indigenous-Specific Anti-Racism Training page for more info. Thank you for your commitment to cultural humility and the work to eradicate Indigenous-specific racism.

Yours sincerely,
Jana

Jana Davidson MSc, MD, FRCPC (she, her, hers)
Chief Medical Officer
BC Children’s Hospital and BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre
Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry, The University of British Columbia

I acknowledge with gratitude that my workplace is within the traditional, ancestral and unceded land of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation), and səl̓ílwətaʔ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation).

Inter-Campus Operations CW Updates

Space continues to be a challenge across many areas of our site. ICO and leadership have been working to address these challenges in the context of a revised space policy, process and dedicating resources to ensuring we are working effectively and efficiently to manage our limited space resources. The SPACE committee for CW was re-activated in June to meet monthly to deal with space challenges that cannot be easily resolved. If you have a question about space, please contact space@cw.bc.ca.

The CW Planetary Health (PH) committee kick-off happened on June 19th with a plant-based food tasting and round table discussions regarding what the purpose of this group should be. The committee will be meeting regularly and is geared towards understanding how to expand successful work and the supports needed to do this across campus also informed by our recent PH survey to staff around what our broader PH priorities should be. If you have a question or comment for the committee, please feel free to email us at CWPH@cw.bc.ca.

The CW DEI committee kick-off happened on May 2nd with an in-person event that focused on introductions and getting to know others involved in or passionate about DEI work. The goal of the committee is likely to be developing a framework for DEI across our site, to share experiences, discuss and collaborate on best practices or initiatives, organize engagement events to raise awareness, celebrate success and promote dialogue. If you have a question for the committee, please feel free to email us at CWDEI@cw.bc.ca.

Following the repatriation of our Food Services and Environmental Services groups, I am excited to say we now have an additional ~500-550 staff working in the hospital community, with improved income and benefits. These groups have been working on service level changes for our CW that include an expanded food truck program, offering a more diverse array of cultural food, providing more plant-based options, sourcing from local and/or Indigenous vendors, moving towards environmental/non-toxic cleaning products as well as increasing recycling on site. We recently renovated the cafeteria space to make it brighter and more welcoming for all staff and patients. Please visit when you can! There is much more to come.

Committee Updates

MSACW members can participate in a number of exciting committees that cover a variety of topics. Learn more about our committees or email engagement@msacw.ca to join.

We will continue to accept applications on an ongoing basis. Projects must align with the Facility Engagement Initiative Funding Guidelines and the Strategic Vision of MASES. The maximum allotted amount per project will be $10,000, with an option to increase funding based on project progress and committee approval. The scope of work end date is March 31, 2025. Projects that have already begun and will continue past this end date can be considered. However, we ask that your application outlines only the work and budget that will take place within this MASES Fiscal Year (ending March 2025).

Please also note that Doctors of BC funding has a strict 90-day claim policy on all claims, meaning that expenses and claims for projects must be submitted onto the FEMS reimbursement platform within 90 days of when the activity occurred.

More information and the project application form can be found here: https://msacw.ca/mases-projects/apply-for-a-project/.

If you have any questions, please contact projects@msacw.ca.

MSA Membership Means Paying Your Dues

Dues for 2024 are now due!

Frontline Faculty Focus

Welcome to “Frontline Faculty Focus”, our new section in the MSACW Monitor where we’ll briefly profile members of the MSA, including a few words about themselves.

If you see one of the members below in the hallway or MSA lounge, please say hi and have a chat! If you’d like to get your mug into the newsletter, please send us an email at engagement@msacw.ca.

Dr. Jugpal Arneja

Clinical Professor
Division of Pediatric Plastic Surgery

How long have you been at C&W?
15+ years

Tell us about a satisfying moment at work you’ve had recently.
A patient told me today that they’re “beyond satisfied” with their post-operative outcome and said: “all anxiety I had about my condition is now gone”.

What’s a work frustration you wish you could solve with a snap of a finger?
Access limitations to the OR. We probably need 50% more capacity to be able to treat kids “in window”.

What’s a secret skill you have that most people don’t know?
Sunday morning waffles. The recipe is called “Waffle of Insane Greatness” if anyone wants to try it out for themselves. Buttermilk is key! (View recipe)

Any hobbies you’d care to share?
My first love is tennis, tennis and more tennis… but I really want to learn how to fly a plane.

Favourite trip in the past couple of years?
I won the dad-of-the-year award this spring while in Europe; we picked up day of concert Taylor Swift tickets on the floor for 100 Euros each by complete chance online as we had no idea Tay-Tay was performing that night. My daughter made me a playlist (as I knew three songs at the time) and now I’m officially a Swiftie 😉

Dr. Andy Skinn

Pediatric Gastroenterologist
Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology

Tell us about a satisfying moment at work you’ve had recently.
I was recently able to connect with a patient about hiking various trails on Vancouver Island and assure him that we would do all we could to get him feeling better so he could get back out on the trails.

What’s a work frustration you wish you could solve with a snap of a finger?
Easier access and travel for pediatric patients in BC. I try to improve this by doing outreach clinics in Victoria, Nanaimo, Kelowna and Prince George but there are still patients that find it very difficult to access services.

What’s a secret skill you have that most people don’t know?
I like to run very long distances. I recently completed the Fat Dog 120 Miler in Manning Park which was my sixth time completing a distance of 100 miles or longer.

Any hobbies you’d care to share?
When I am not at work, there is a good chance you will find me out in the mountains and nature, especially trail running and hiking.

Favorite trip in the past couple of years?
Recent highlights include a trip to Crete and exploring the mountains around Jasper just before the devastating wildfires.

Food Trucks on Campus

Local food trucks continue to visit C&W. Find a new lunch option on the following dates in the cul-de-sac outside entrance 35, from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Tuesday, August 20 – Ay! Mamacita
Wednesday, August 21 – Le Petit Atelier
Friday, August 23 – Tokyo Katsu-sand
Monday, August 26 – Boteco Brasil
Tuesday, August 27 – Japadog
Wednesday, August 28 – Meet2eat Catering
Friday, August 30 – NaMi Vietnamese

Upcoming Events

Virtual Education Session: Navigating the Disciplinary Process for Medical Staff – Provided by The Medical Staff Development Office

Thursday, September 19th from 5:30-6:30pm

This session is designed to help medical staff (dentists, clinical scientists, midwives, nurse practitioners and physicians) understand the progressive and staged disciplinary process that’s outlined in the PHSA Medical Staff Rules, Article 9 and the support resources available. This session will be co-hosted by PHSA & Doctors of BC, and all medical staff are invited to attend.

If you are interested in participating, please email Nidhie.Gulati@phsa.ca by September 1, 2024 to secure your spot.