MaY 2026, Vol. 4 Ed. 3

President’s Message

As we move into May, I wanted to take the opportunity to share several exciting updates with our members. 

Since our last newsletter, the first round of project funding applications has been reviewed, and the successful teams have now been notified of their awards. We want to extend our congratulations to all of the successful applicants and thank everyone who submitted proposals.

We are excited to continue supporting these teams as their projects move forward and begin to unfold over the coming months. I am pleased to share that we are now meeting regularly with the Children’s and Women’s leadership teams. These meetings provide an important opportunity to bring forward the perspectives, ideas, and concerns of our members. If there is anything you would like us to raise or advocate for at these forums, please do not hesitate to reach out to us through the MSA email. 

Looking ahead, our next General Meeting will take place on June 8th. During this meeting, we will be providing updates on the proposed transition to FESC, along with other key initiatives currently underway. If there are additional topics or discussions that members would like included at the QGM, we encourage you to send your suggestions to us within the next week so they can be considered as part of the agenda. 

We are also continuing plans for our Project Celebration event in September, which will likely take place on campus. We are looking forward to recognizing and celebrating the incredible work being done across our projects and will provide further details as plans are finalized. 

As your executive team, we remain committed to supporting and advocating for our members. We value your engagement, feedback, and ideas, and we encourage you to continue reaching out to us with any questions, concerns, or suggestions as we move forward together. 

Thank you for your continued support and involvement.

Warm regards,
Dr. Katey Armstrong
President, MSACW

FESC Proposal: Key Information Ahead of the June 8th Vote 

Bringing Medical Staff Voices to Leadership: Strengthening Collaboration with BC Children’s & Women’s Hospital Teams

The MSACW Executive Board continues to strengthen its ongoing collaboration with Health Authority leadership at BC Children’s and Women’s Hospitals. As part of this work, regular monthly meetings are now established with operational and clinical leadership, including the Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) and Chief Operating Officers (COOs) for BC Women’s and BC Children’s Hospitals. These meetings provide an important opportunity to share updates, discuss priorities, and ensure medical staff perspectives are reflected in broader operational and strategic conversations.

A key focus of this forum is ensuring that feedback from members is heard directly at the leadership table. If there are issues, ideas, or themes you feel should be brought forward, please feel free to reach out to engagement@msacw.ca or connect with your MSACW Executive. The Executive team will help bring these items forward for discussion in these meetings.

This ongoing connection helps keep communication open and consistent between medical staff and hospital leadership, making sure that what we hear from the front lines is brought into the conversation and considered in decision-making and ongoing discussions.

Friendly Reminder: Don’t Forget the 90-Day Submission Rule!

As MASES project application approvals go out, we wanted to share a quick and friendly reminder about FEMS claims submissions to help keep everything running smoothly. Once your project is approved, you will receive confirmation to move ahead. From there, please make sure to keep your receipts and documentation organized so claims can be submitted through FEMS without delay once your activity or expenses are complete.

A key reminder is the 90-day rule for FEMS claims. All claims need to be submitted within 90 days of the date of the activity or expense. Anything submitted after this window may not be eligible for reimbursement, so it’s best to submit as soon as you can while everything is still fresh! Staying on top of timelines helps ensure quicker processing and avoids unnecessary delays.

If you are ever unsure about your approval, what can be claimed, or how to submit through FEMS, please don’t hesitate to reach out to projects@msacw.ca.

For any payment-related questions or issues once your claim has been approved, including VoPay or other reimbursement inquiries, please contact engagement@msacw.ca.

Frontline Faculty Focus

Welcome to “Frontline Faculty Focus”, where we profile members of the MSA. If you’d like to get your mug into the newsletter, please send us an email at engagement@msacw.ca.

Dr. Jessica Saunders

Pediatric and Perinatal Pathologist
Division of Diagnostic and Molecular Pathology
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

How long have you been at C&W?
5 years!

Tell us about a satisfying moment at work you’ve had recently.
I recently had a placental case in consult from a local hospital which had all the diagnostic features of a lysosomal storage disorder. The pathologists at the originating institution missed the findings and had sent it because they thought it was an odd presentation of something else. It feels great to know that this patient’s metabolic disease has been caught early. 

What’s a work frustration you wish you could solve with a snap of a finger?
I cycle to work most days and wish we had better bike facilities for cyclists. VGH’s commuting center was the BEST and made cycling in rainy weather so much more palatable.

What’s a secret skill you have that most people don’t know?
Scrabble. I played competitive scrabble before medicine and still know all the two and three letter words.

Any hobbies you’d care to share?
My only hobby these days is riding my bike. I joined a club and go on 100k rides with my cycling friends. I’m doing the Whistler Gran Fondo this year. Wish me luck, I will need it. 

Favourite trip in the last couple of years? 
Spain. For so many reasons. But mostly because the plates of jamon and $3 euro glasses of tempranillo is my version of paradise. 

The MSACW Café

Bringing Connection, Conversation, and Caffeine to Campus!

At its heart, the MSACW Café is about wellness and engagement. It is about creating small but meaningful moments that support connection, strengthen relationships, and help build a stronger sense of community across the MSA and broader medical staff community.

Similar to our engagement lunches and other MSACW initiatives, we hope the Café provided space for informal connection, knowledge-sharing, and community building across teams and specialties. Even a short visit offered a nice opportunity to step away from the day and reconnect with colleagues.

Since its introduction in 2025, this initiative has continued to be very well received. To help us continue offering wellness and engagement-focused initiatives like this, we invite members to take a few moments to complete the brief feedback survey. Your input is really valuable and helps guide future events for our medical staff community. 

MSA Lounge Updates

MASES Project Funding Update: Approved Projects!

MSA Membership Means Paying Your Dues

Dues for 2026 are now due!

We Want to Hear From You: What Would You Like to See in Future Newsletter Editions?

As we continue building future MSACW newsletters, we would love to hear from you about the kinds of content you would like to see more of going forward.

Whether it is wellness initiatives, engagement events, educational opportunities, medical staff achievements, community updates, or helpful resources, your feedback really helps us make the newsletter more useful, relevant, and engaging for our medical staff community.

We are also always happy to hear new ideas. If there is a topic, initiative, department, or story you think would be valuable to feature, please feel free to reach out to engagement@msacw.ca directly or fill out our MSACW Newsletter Request Form. 

Thank you for continuing to engage with the newsletter and helping us make it a useful and connected space for our medical staff community!

PHSA Safety and Health Week

OSWELL Brings Engagement to the MSACW Lounge!

On May 8th, 2026, the Office for Medical Staff Safety and Wellbeing (OSWELL) hosted Safety & Health Week activities for medical staff across BC Children’s and Women’s Hospital, with a focus on physical, psychological, and workplace safety and wellbeing.

The OSWELL team was present in the MSACW Lounge (Room 2B.44, second floor of BC Children’s Hospital), where they connected with medical staff throughout the morning. The booth had a welcoming feel with snacks, treats, and interactive activities, creating a relaxed space for staff to pause, connect, and learn more about available safety and wellbeing resources.

The broader Safety & Health Week programming also included a hospital-wide fair in Shaughnessy Auditorium, with a range of partners sharing resources, activities, and games that highlighted the many supports available across the organization.

Overall, it was a great opportunity to connect with medical staff, share resources, and highlight the importance of safety and wellbeing in day-to-day practice. Events like this help strengthen engagement and keep these conversations visible and accessible in a busy clinical environment.

Thank you to the OSWELL team, and to Kathryn Slack (OSWELL Project Coordinator, pictured above) for their support, as well as to everyone who stopped by and took part in the activities!

Want to know more? | See the OSWELL POD for more information. 

PHSA PQI Level 2: Introduction to Quality Improvement Workshop | June 11th and June 12th

On behalf of the PHSA Physician Quality Improvement (PQI) team, the MSACW would like to share the following reminder about an upcoming learning opportunity focused on quality improvement skills and tools for healthcare practice. Please find details below.

Join the PHSA Physician Quality Improvement (PQI) team for the Level 2: Introduction to Quality Improvement Workshop!

Delivered virtually over two half-days, this workshop provides an overview of key quality improvement concepts, tools, and approaches used in healthcare.

This workshop is open to all physicians and medical staff. Physicians may be eligible for sessional compensation and CME credits. Space is limited so early registration is recommended.

Registration

• Attendees must enroll in the curriculum first (course ID 35164)
• Upon enrollment, please register for part 1 (course ID 19542) and part 2 (course ID 25128)

For questions, contact PQI@phsa.ca.

The MSACW Monitor is published six times a year by the MSACW Executive. Please direct all feedback, questions, and contributions to engagement@msacw.ca. Illustrations designed by vectorjuice / Freepik.