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November 2024, Vol. 2 Ed. 5

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President’s Message | MSA Holiday Event | Upcoming MSA Initiatives | Halloween Photos | Frontline Faculty Focus | After Hours Meal Reimbursement Program | Committee Updates | Dr. Chris Watling “Listening Tour” | Cafe Re-opening | Upcoming Events

President’s Message

JAMES CHEN, MSACW PRESIDENT

Hello MSA members, and Happy November to you—hope you all had a wonderful Halloween (take a look further down for some proof of that!).

I’ll keep my President’s message very brief today to highlight two MSA events in which I hope everyone participates.

The MSA Holiday event will take place on Tuesday, December 17th! Yes, this year, we’re holding it before the holiday season, and I promise no date changes this time! I’ll be there this year and hope to see a great turnout.

Stop by even for half an hour and chat with your fellow MSA members, make some new friends and greet old ones.

Our MSA’s Annual General Meeting is also coming up on Monday, December 16th. Yes, the night before the Holiday party (I figured I’d lead with the fun event)! It will be my last meeting as MSACW President, as I’m coming up to my three-year term limit. I’ll be moving into the position of Immediate Past President, which means there will be a vacancy on the MSA Executive Board! Elections will be held for President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary.

Please consider throwing your hat into the ring—I am proud of everything the MSACW has managed to do in the last three years, but the momentum can only be sustained by the willingness of members to continue by contributing their wonderful ideas, energy, and time.

That’s it from me for this issue. Like I said, short and sweet. I hope to see you all in December!

EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT

Join Us for the BC Children’s & Women’s
MSA Holiday Event

We are excited to invite you to the BC Children’s & Women’s MSA Holiday Event at the beautiful Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club! Join us for an evening of celebration and festive cheer.

Event Details:

  • Date: Tuesday, December 17th, 2024
  • Time: 5:30 PM to 9:00 PM
  • Location: Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club
  • Address: 4300 SW Marine Drive, Vancouver, BC V6N 4A6

This special evening is a wonderful opportunity to connect with friends and colleagues and enjoy the holiday spirit together. Please note that childcare will be provided.

We look forward to sharing this memorable occasion with you!

RSVP NOW

Upcoming MSA Initiatives

We are excited to share three fun initiatives designed to bring our members closer together and help strengthen our community connections! Check out the details below to learn more and find out how to register!

Family Movie Night – Moana 2

We are pleased to invite you and your family to our MSACW Family Movie Night on Saturday, November 30th. Register here by Sunday, November 24th.

For more details, please view the poster for the event.

Donut Rounds

Join us for a quick 15-minute Zoom breakout session to meet new colleagues and enjoy your next treat on us!

If you are interested in participating in our next session, please register here.

Upcoming Sessions:

  • Tuesday, November 26th at 7pm
  • Tuesday, December 17th at 7pm
  • Tuesday, January 28th at 7pm
  • Tuesday, February 25th at 7pm
  • Tuesday, March 25th at 7pm

Virtual Family Cooking Lessons

At our last quarterly meeting, we floated the idea of hosting virtual cooking lessons for you and your families. Please find more details below:

  • Class Format: Each session is hosted via Zoom and typically runs for 60-90 minutes. Participants will be guided step-by-step through the recipe, offering tips and answering questions throughout the sessions.
  • When: Evening weekday, to be confirmed.
  • Participation Interaction: Staff members can interact directly with the instructor during the session, asking questions in real-time, and sharing their cooking experiences.
  • Cuisines: Our instructor specializes in Indian, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, Greek and East African cuisines.
  • Materials Provided: Prior to the session, we will provide a detailed recipe and ingredient list, so you can prepare and cook along.
  • Who: We encourage your families to join you in this activity.

Our MASES Wellness Committee believes these cooking lessons are a great way to promote wellness and a sense of community among the membership. If you are interested in participating, please register your interest using our online form.

Halloween 2024 Photos

Halloween arrived at BCCWH last Thursday! Check out some of the fun and creative costumes we saw in celebration of the “spooky season”!

Frontline Faculty Focus

Welcome to “Frontline Faculty Focus”, 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.

Kathleen Duddy

Dr. Matt Carwana

Pediatrician
BC Children’s Hospital
Social Pediatrics (RICHER) and Clinical Teaching Units
Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia

How long have you been at C&W?
I started with the Social Pediatrics Program and the Pediatric Hospital Medicine Program in 2018. Right after graduating residency! I started in more of a locum capacity, but have been full-time since around 2021.

Tell us about a satisfying moment at work you’ve had recently.
One of my patients through the Social Pediatrics Program recently became the first person in his family to finish secondary school. Being able to support him and his family with our flexible, relational care model and seeing such a positive outcome was a very rewarding experience.

What’s a work frustration you wish you could solve with a snap of a finger?
I wish my documentation would complete itself.

What’s a secret skill you have that most people don’t know?
I (used to be able to) tap dance.

Any hobbies you’d care to share?
Yoga, cooking, swimming, live music, skiing—BC stuff.

Favourite trip in the past couple of years?
My partner and I spent several weeks in southern Africa earlier this year—nothing beats watching elephants graze at sunrise!

Dr. Anna Lee

Pediatric and Perinatal Pathologist
Program Director for the UBC Pediatric/Perinatal Pathology Area of Focused Competence Fellowship Program
Division of Anatomic Pathology
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

How long have you been at C&W?
I joined C&W Anatomical Pathology in August 2013 after finishing a fellowship year at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Tell us about a satisfying moment at work you’ve had recently.
Probably catching up with non-lab people in the staff lounge 😃

What’s a work frustration you wish you could solve with a snap of a finger?
Not having enough time to do all that I want to do.

What’s a secret skill you have that most people don’t know?
I can break a banana in half with my bare hands.

Any hobbies you’d care to share?
How about two: mushroom hunting and bird watching.

Favourite trip in the past couple of years?
New Zealand, right before the pandemic began. I’d love to go back and see more someday!

Thanks to Matt and Anna for taking part in our Frontline Faculty Focus!

REMINDER

After-Hours Meal Reimbursement Program for MSA Members

We would like to remind members that the CWMSA is still offering the After-Hours Meal Reimbursement Program. We recognize that the limited meal options on-site can make it challenging to find convenient and nutritious foods, especially during extended shifts when you may not have time to bring lunch from home or step off-site to grab a meal.

To help ease this burden, we are pleased to provide this initiative as we acknowledge the hard work and dedication of MSA members who work extended hours on-site at BC Children’s & Women’s Hospitals.

Eligibility Requirements
To participate in the After-Hours Meal Reimbursement Program, members must meet the following criteria:

  • Be working at a C&W site at the time of meal purchase and delivery.
  • Be working after hours (5 PM onwards) or on weekends.

Eligible members can submit claims for up to $25 per meal, with a limit of two meals per month.

How to Access the Program

Step One: Register for FEMS and VoPay

To start, please register for FEMS and VoPay if you haven’t done so already. FEMS is the Doctors of BC platform used for managing claims and reimbursements, while VoPay is a Vancouver-based payment processor that integrates directly with FEMS.

  1. Create an account on FEMS: Visit FEMS to sign up.
    • Required Information: You will need your email and MSP number to complete the registration.
    • Select Your Site: Ensure you choose BC Children’s and Women’s Hospital as your primary facility and select VoPay as your payment method.
    • Confirm Your Account: After registering, check your email to confirm and activate your account (FEMS will send you a confirmation email).
  2. During the FEMS set-up process, the system will take you to a page that will allow you to connect to your Online Banking provider.

Step Two: Link to the After-Hours Meal Program

After activating your FEMS account, please email us at engagement@msacw.ca to request linking your account to the After-Hours Meal Program Activity. You won’t be able to submit claims until you are manually added to this engagement activity by our team.

Submitting Claims

Once linked, follow these steps to submit your meal claims:

  1. Login to FEMS.
  2. Click on “Submit an Expense” on the right side of your homepage.
  3. Choose the After-Hours Meals engagement activity from the dropdown menu.
  4. Complete the required details and upload your receipt.

Important Reminders

  • Keep a receipt that shows the name, payment info, and delivery location to BCCHW for your claims.
  • If a meal exceeds $25, upload the full receipt but only claim $25 in the claim-amount field.
  • Claims must be submitted within 90-days of the expense to be processed.

We appreciate your hard work and dedication, and we hope this program provides valuable support during your shifts!

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.

Planetary Health Committee Report

Project Spruce

Project Spruce implementation at BCCH was partially funded by the MSACW Planetary Health Committee.

Inhaled volatile anesthetic agents (Sevoflurane, Desflurane and Isoflurane) and nitrous oxide (N2O) are potent greenhouse gases with significant ability to trap heat in the atmosphere. Inhaled anesthetics and (N2O) account for approximately 50% of total perioperative emissions and are estimated to be responsible for 5-7% of total hospital emissions. In addition, (N2O) is also the leading cause of ozone depletion worldwide.

Project SPRUCE (Saving the Planet by RedUcing Carbon Emissions) is a multi-institutional quality improvement project focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions from inhaled anesthetics and (N2O) . Carbon emissions from inhaled anesthesia agents and (N2O) can be measured using the electronic medical record. Sophisticated software extracts agent usage and converts the data to equivalent carbon dioxide emission. The smart aim of the QI project is to reduce anesthesia GHG emissions from volatile anesthetics and (N2O) by 50% from baseline over 12 months, as measured by average kg CO2 equivalent /minute (kg CO2e/min) of anesthesia delivered in the hospital. Results and interventions across multiple institutions that are each working to reduce their anesthesia GHGs will be compared.

BCCH joined the collaboration at the beginning of 2024. Baseline data was collected for a four-month period. These data showed that BCCH had an average of 0.02 kg CO2e/min of anesthesia delivered in the hospital. This was more than 10 times lower than any other participating centre! N2O was used in 14.3% of all cases and the average volume of N2O used per case was 1.73 litres.

At the end of April, a teaching session was held in the department of anesthesia on low flow anesthetic delivery techniques, advantages of using low fresh gas flows (FGF) and minimizing the use of nitrous oxide. A further four months of data showed a slight, nonsignificant reduction in average kg CO2e/min of anesthesia delivered, but a significant reduction of N2O use rate from 14.3% to 7.9%, as well as a reduction in average volume of N2O used per case from 1.73 litres to 0.85 litres.

The extremely low baseline average kg CO2e/min of anesthesia delivered at BCCH is because maintenance of anesthesia is largely accomplished by total intravenous anesthesia using Propofol infusions. Reducing anesthesia GHG emissions from volatile anesthetics and nitrous oxide by 50% from such a low baseline over 12 months is therefore always going to be very challenging.

Future planned interventions to reduce GHG emissions from volatile agents and N2O include reducing default FGF on all anesthesia machines to 300ml/min from the current 500ml/min and decommissioning of central N2O pipeline supply. We remain hopeful that the goal of a 50% reduction will ultimately be met.

REMINDER

MSA Membership Means Paying Your Dues

Dues for 2024 are now due!

Pay Now

Guest Columnist

Alumni Quality Improvement Presents a Virtual Session as part of the “Listening Tour” for Dr. Chris Watling, CEO of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada

REGISTER
In collaboration with PHSA Alumni Quality Improvement (AQI), Medical Affairs is pleased to invite you to a virtual event featuring Dr. Chris Watling, the newly appointed CEO of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. He is on a national “Listening Tour” to engage with medical professionals and gain insights into how the Royal College can better support our work.

Event Details:

  • Date: Thursday, November 14, 2024
  • Time: 10:00 to 11:00 am PST
  • Location: Online (Zoom details will be provided)
  • Registration Link: Register Now

Why Attend?
This session offers an opportunity to share your thoughts and feedback directly with Dr. Watling. He is keen to hear from us about our experiences and perspectives and to understand how the Royal College can better serve our needs.

About Dr. Chris Watling:
Dr. Chris Watling is the CEO of the Royal College Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. He is currently vice dean (acting), Education Scholarship and Strategy, and director, Centre for Education Research and Innovation at the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry at Western University. He is a neurologist and was formerly the associate dean, Postgraduate Medical Education, and program director, Neurology Residency Program at the Schulich School of Medicine, and Dentistry. In his leadership roles at the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Dr. Watling led the faculty’s strategic planning process and authored the resulting strategic plan for 2021-2026, The Time is Now. In his previous role as associate dean, Postgraduate Medical Education, Dr. Watling led the transition of curricula for the medical residency programs from traditional time-based to competency-based approaches.

Furthering his engagement in accreditation, Dr. Watling is also chair of the Royal College’s Residency Accreditation Committee and former deputy chair (2016-21). As chair, he has led the national conversation on reimagining accreditation as a continuous quality improvement exercise. He also contributed to ongoing efforts to revise and refresh standards to meet changing societal needs and to use accreditation to affect meaningful progress towards equity, diversity, and inclusion within Canadian training programs. Dr. Watling has previously held a myriad of provincial and national leadership roles, including chair, Accreditation Process Advisory Committee, the Canadian Residency Accreditation Consortium (2016-2020); vice chair, Royal College Neurology Specialty Committee (2010-15); member, Royal College Research Task Force, and co-chair, Medical 2.

Bean Around the World Cafe Re-Opening!

Exciting news! The Bean Around the World cafe has reopened at the Chan Centre (Children’s Hospital Research Institute)!

Enjoy a wide selection of coffee, tea, and refreshing beverages, along with delicious lunch items and sweet treats. Whether you are just starting your day or looking for an afternoon pick-me-up, the refreshed cafe has a variety of options for you to choose from.

Be sure to stop by and indulge in a few of your favourites!

Upcoming Events

Monthly Engagement Lunch Reminder
Tuesday, November 26th

MSA/MASES Quarterly General Meeting – Via Zoom
Monday, December 16th, 2024
5:00pm to 6:15pm

Screening of “Plastic People”
Wednesday, November 20th, 2024

The Planetary Health Committee presents a screening of “Plastic People” at the Chan Auditorium on the evening of November 20th. We are pleased to welcome our guest speaker, Dr. Tim Takaro, who will answer questions about the crisis of microplastics. Refreshments and reception in the BCCHR atrium afterwards.

JOKE OF THE MONTH

Overheard at an outpatient clinic:

Patient: Doctor, I think I’ve got subjunctivitis!

Doctor: Don’t you mean conjunctivitis?

Patient: Would that it were doctor, would it that it were.

The MSACW Monitor is published six times a year by the MSACW Executive. Please direct all feedback, questions, and contributions to jchen2@cw.bc.ca.