Cabin Fever 2023

Presenter: Dr. Stuart Iglesias, MD

Time: 8:15 - 9:45 am MST

Objectives:

1. Advocate for a new paradigm of rural primary care inclusive of anesthesia, surgery, and obstetrics services provided by rural family physicians.
2. Describe what has changed in rural surgical programs in Alberta between 2000 to 2020.
3. Apply some underlying success factors from BC to support local rural surgery, anesthesia, and obstetrics programs.
4. Teach the network concept of “task sharing” between rural ESS/OSS/FPAs and regional specialists.

Dr. Stuart Iglesias, was a rural physician formerly based in Hinton, AB, Sechelt, BC and Bella Bella, BC, with practice focused on anesthesia and surgery. Dr. Iglesias was instrumental in providing advanced obstetrical service for the Hinton community.

Before he retired from practice, Dr. Iglesias was a staunch advocate of rural medicine. Because of his involvement and leadership in rural and national healthcare, he earned the moniker “quiet but dynamic” and was described as “like a whirlwind had come to town” when Dr. Iglesias arrived in Hinton in 1984.

Prior to 2002, Dr. Iglesias had lectured for a decade in the Department of Family Medicine, University of Alberta, teaching and developing obstetrical skills in second year family medicine residents. He also worked at the national level to enhance rural medicine, serving on several organizations.

As testament of his tireless work, he is the recipient of several rural leadership awards. He was bestowed with the very first Rural Physician Award of Distinction in Alberta in 2002 by RPhaP. He was similarly honored by other medical organizations along the years: British Columbia (2019), Society of Rural Physicians of Canada (2020), and College of Family Physicians of Canada (2022).

Dr. Iglesias published a number of research papers and an article related to rural medicine, and was a regular presenter at national conferences. Stuart is a lead author for the Joint Position Papers in Anesthesia, Maternity Care, Surgery and Operative Delivery, Networks and more than 30 peer-reviewed published papers.

*Foundational Skill: Providing Effective Feedback

Presenter: Dr. Aleksandra Mineyko, MD, FRCPC

Time: 10 - 11 am MST

Objectives:

1. Identify methods of providing effective feedback.
2. Recognize the barriers to giving and receiving feedback.
3. Practice feedback delivery.

Dr. Aleksandra Mineyko is the Director of Learner Resources at PGME. She is also a Pediatric Neurologist and former Program Director.

*Foundational Skill: Providing Effective Feedback

Presenter: Dr. Todd Hill, PhD, Dr. Teresa Killam, MD, CCFP

Time: 10 - 11 am MST

Objectives:

1. Describe what mindfulness is and what it is not.
2. Practice mindfulness techniques (some of which are easy to use in clinic).
3. Explain how mindfulness can be helped for both clinicians and patients.

Dr. Todd Hill is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Calgary and a clinical psychologist by training. He has lectured locally, nationally, and internationally on the importance of wellness in the workplace.

Dr. Teresa Killam is a low-risk maternity physician in Calgary as well as an Associate Director for Student Advocacy and Wellness with the Cumming School of Medicine. Outside of work, you can find her trying to keep up to her busy family!

Presenter: Dr. Jonathan Somerville, MD, CCFP

Time: 10 - 11 am MST

Objectives:

1. Develop an approach to quickly orient your learners to rural practice.
2. Design your rural practice to receive and integrate learners.
3. Apply tools to help your learners become "independent team-players".

Dr. Jonathan Sommerville serves as a rural family physician in the town of Sundre, Alberta, in the beautiful foothills of the Rocky Mountains. Since beginning practice there in 2014 he has had the privilege of teaching both medical students and residents. Dr. Somerville also acts as the primary preceptor for the Sundre UCLIC program medical students. There is no way he could keep up with the demands of rural family medicine without the support of his wife and two amazing little girls.

Foundational Skill: Fundamentals of Precepting

Presenter: Dr. Katrina (Tina) Nicholson, MD, CCFP, FCFP & Dr. Douglas Woodhouse MD, CCFP

Time: 10 - 11 am MST

Objectives:

1. Summarize the power of data-driven assessment for quality improvement and practice improvement.
2. Describe support, tools, and resources available for quality improvement and practice improvement.
3. Identify opportunities to participate in practice improvement initiatives.
4. Become a partner and champion for leading quality improvement within the health system.

Dr. Tina Nicholson is a family physician working in Cochrane with a special interest in child and adolescent mental health. Her long-term passion for peer-to-peer medical education and optimizing practice has led to the role as Medical Director of Primary Care for the Offices of PLP and CME&PD, University of Calgary. Involvement with the Medicine SCN, Calgary Foothills PCN, and HQCA has allowed Dr. Nicholson to promote connections between primary and specialty care as well as use of personalized practice data to enhance patient care. She regularly presents and chairs various CME initiatives, including Pearls for Family

Dr. Douglas Woodhouse is a physician-engineer and Medical Director at PLP working with healthcare teams to improve clinical processes.

Presenter: Dr. Pamela Roach, PhD, Dr. Lindsay Crowshoe MD, FRCPC, CCFP, Michele Decottignies, Holliston (Holly) Logan, Mike Paget, Kate Dunn, Andrea Brose, Chris Dovey, Tina Nash

Time: 11:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. MST

Objectives:

1. Investigate the types of conflicts that can arise when teaching health equity in clinical and classroom settings.
2. Identify moments of interruption when witnessing oppression.
3. Develop skills to interrupt oppression and be an effective ally.

Dr. Pamela Roach is a citizen of the Métis Nation of Alberta, an Assistant Professor in the Departments of Family Medicine and Community Health Sciences, and is Director, Indigenous health education for the Cumming School of Medicine at the University of Calgary. She also holds a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Health Systems Safety with a focus on dementia and brain health. Her research is focused on the intersection of health services research and medical education to improve individual and population-level outcomes.

Dr. Lindsay Crowshoe is a Piikani Nation band member, a First Nations physician, an Associate Professor of Medicine and an Assistant Dean at the University of Calgary. He provides clinical service to the urban Indigenous population of Calgary at the Elbow River Healing Lodge, an AHS primary health service model. He contributes to local, provincial, and national health services policy and programming, focusing on improving primary health care services for Indigenous people. As an Indigenous health researcher, he has experience leading provincial, national and international research teams focusing on primary care, public health and health education. He provides input on Indigenous health education policy and programming within national organizations  

Dr. Michele Decottignies is a multiple award-winning producers, playwright, director, co-creator, administrator, advocate and activist with 35 years of experience in the arts and voluntary sectors on a local, national and international scope. She spent the first 15 years of her artistic career working in artistic, technical and administrative roles with established theatre and film companies throughout Alberta. She spent the last 20 years exclusively prioritizing equity & diversity in the arts through her own company, Stage Left Productions – a hub of aesthetic innovation, cultural autonomy and intercultural equity for diverse artists, a leading contributor to Canada's Deaf, Disability & Mad Arts domain and a global Centre for the Theatre of the Oppressed.

Holliston (Holly) Logan is the current Coordinator for the Indigenous Health Program at the Indigenous, Local, and Global Health office in the Cumming School of Medicine (University of Calgary). Holliston also attended the University of Calgary and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. Holly is Michif and a member of the Métis Nation of Alberta (Region III)

Kate Dunn has a background in nursing and public health to align with Indigenous perspectives on wellness while engaging in research on current health issues.

Chris Dovey is a proud member of Stage Left for over twenty years. Chris is active in several social justice organizations and board member of Calgary Institute for the Humanities.

Mike Paget is the Manager of the Academic Technologies team within the MD program at the Cumming School of Medicine. He is happily part of a team producing open access medical education such as CARDs. Mike also likes to paint in his free time.

Andrea Brose is a firm believer in Stage Left Productions' vision to "infuse art with social responsibility and use it as a potent force for personal & social transformation." She is pleased to be participating in the skills-based workshop Disrupting the Disrupter.

Tina Nash is a member of Tahltan First Nation, a mother to 11 children and grandmother to 5 grandchildren. I am an Indigenous psychologist working with the AHS Indigenous mental heath program out of Sheldon M. Chumir Medical Centre. I have pursued a degree in medicine so that I can go back home to the Tahtlan territory and be a family physician serving the Tahltan people.

Presenter: Dr. Todd Hill, PhD, Dr. Teresa Killam, MD, CCFP

Time: 11:15 am - 12:15 pm MST

Objectives:

1. Describe what mindfulness is and what it is not.
2. Practice mindfulness techniques (some of which are easy-to-use in clinic).
3. Explain how mindfulness can be helped for both clinicians and patients.

Dr. Todd Hill is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Calgary and a clinical psychologist by training. He has lectured locally, nationally and internationally on the importance of wellness in the workplace.

Dr. Teresa Killam is a low risk maternity physician in Calgary as well as an Associate Director for Student Advocacy and Wellness with the Cumming School of Medicine. Outside of work, you can find her trying to keep up to her busy family!

Presenter: Dr. Jacqueline Hui, MD, CCFP, FCFP & Dr. Deborah Ferguson

Time: 11:15 am - 12:15 pm MST

Objectives:

1. Write clear, meaningful feedback to guide your learner.
2. Fill out assessment tools for learners confidently.
3. Recognize how your documented narrative assessment is used by the program.

Dr. Jacqueline Hui is a consulting Palliative Care physician and works with the AHS Palliative and End-of-Life Care team. She works both in acute care and the rural Calgary zone. Prior to working in Alberta, she worked as a Palliative Care Consultant in Ontario and taught at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. With a Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene from the Gorgas Institute and a combined interest in global health and Palliative Care, Jacqueline was previously involved in developing Palliative Care HIV/AIDs initiatives in Kenya and South Africa and is currently involved with a local Global Oncology Physicians group and Two World Cancer Project in Nepal. Dr. Hui also holds a Master of Health Professions Education from Maastricht University and is a Clinical Associate Professor with the Departments of Oncology and Family Medicine at the Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary. She geeks out on medical education and was previously a Palliative Care Program Director for both Royal College and Family Medicine residents. She is currently Assessment Director for the University of Calgary Postgraduate Family Medicine Residency Program.
 

Dr. Deborah Ferguson graduated from McGill medical school a long time ago. She started her career in Terrace, British Columbia where she had a comprehensive medical practice. She was there for seven years, then moved to Calgary, Alberta. She is now a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Calgary, a Competency Coach at the Sheldon Chumir Central Teaching Clinic, and the NW Division Director for the Calgary Family Medicine Residency Program. In her free time, she likes to hike, bike and ski with her husband James, their dog Harley, and their two young adult children…when they are available and willing!

*Foundational Skill: Providing Effective Feedback

Presenter: Dr. Kristy Penner MD, CCFP & Dr. Vanessa Rogers MD, CCFP

Time: 11:15 am - 12:15 pm MST

Objectives:

1. Establish an office setting conducive to efficient and effective teaching.
2. Implement scheduling strategies to improve clinic flow.
3. Create contingency plans for making up time.

Dr. Kristy Penner is a rural generalist. She has been practicing in Crowsnest Pass for over 10 years. Other professional interests include medical education and medical leadership. During her well-deserved time off, she enjoys the recreational opportunities available to her in her big backyard including trail running, biking, and skiing.  

Dr. Vanessa Rogers is a rural family physician and preceptor in Crowsnest Pass. She completed her Family Medicine residency in 2019 at the University of Alberta. Her professional interests include women's health, POCUS, teaching, and physician wellness. Outside of work, Dr. Rogers loves to ride my horses, ski, explore the outdoors with my husband and our dogs, and read.

*Foundational Skill: Fundamentals of Precepting

Presenter: Gurdeep Pandher

Time: 8:15 - 9:45 am MST

Objectives:

1. Gain insights on how participants can find joy in difficult situations.
2. Recognize the importance of positivity in daily life.
3. Implement movement, physical activity, and dance to promote good mental health.

Gurdeep Pandher is a Yukon-based, Bhangra instructor who is known for creating performance pieces that bring together people from all backgrounds while promoting joy and positivity. Best known for his viral videos and dance classes during the pandemic, Gurdeep has helped to inspire hope and optimism. Gurdeep’s works have been published by many international art and media organizations including BBC News, CBC National, and The Globe and Mail.

Presenter: Dr. Chris Barnsdale, MD, CCFP, SEM

Time: 10 am - 11 am MST

Objectives:

1. Describe osteoarthritis to patients.
2. Explore strategies to improve patient symptoms.
3. Challenge the belief that 'bone on bone' osteoarthritis always has an inevitable 'end stage' of joint replacement.

Dr. Chris Barnsdale is a Sports Medicine physician working at Central Alberta Orthopedics in Red Deer. His interests include image-guided injection therapies, acute MSK injuries, and more complex chronic MSK and post-surgical problems. Dr. Barnsdale is happily married with 4 teenage boys and enjoys skiing, mountain biking, and motorsports.

Presenter: Dr. Sonya Lee, MD, CCFP, MHSc, FCFP

Time: 10 - 11 am MST

Objectives:

1. Identify how promotion does apply to their individual context.
2. List the resources and support to prepare for promotion.
3. Describe their activities, achievements, and impact in key areas (education, leadership, and innovation).

Dr. Sonya Lee is the Department Head for Family Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, at the University of Calgary. She is a family physician who has practiced family medicine in Calgary since 2001. Throughout her career, Dr. Lee has taught regularly in undergraduate medical education and postgraduate medical education and contributed extensively to faculty development and continuing professional development. She has held numerous leadership roles at the University of Calgary, as well as contributing to provincial and national boards.

Presenter: Dr. Martina Kelly, MD, CCFP, PhD

Time: 10 - 11 am MST

Objectives:

1. Articulate the role of the senses (touch, smell, sound, sight) in clinical practice.
2. Analyze ‘intuitive knowing’ in medical decision-making in relation to sensory interpretation.
3. Evaluate the implications of sensory knowing in the context of telemedicine for clinicians and learners.

Dr. Martina Kelly is a family physician and medical education researcher. Her interests span undergraduate medical education, mental health, and the role of the senses in clinical practice and human understanding.

Presenter: Dr. Jonathan Somerville, MD, CCFP & Becky Bradbury

Time: 11:15 - 12:15 am MST

Objectives: 

1. Investigate educational opportunities within the Cumming School of Medicine.
2. Establish connections with peer educators.
3. Explain educational challenges and identify solutions.

Dr. Jonathan Sommerville serves as a rural family physician in the town of Sundre, Alberta, in the beautiful foothills of the Rocky Mountains. Since beginning practice there in 2014 he has had the privilege of teaching both medical students and residents. Dr. Somerville also acts as the primary preceptor for the Sundre UCLIC program medical students. There is no way he could keep up with the demands of rural family medicine without the support of his wife and two amazing little girls.

Becky Bradbury has recently joined the DLRI as the Team Lead of Community Engagement.

Presenter: Dr. Stuart Rose, FRCPC, CCFP, MbbChB

Time: 11:15 am - 12:15 pm MST

Objectives:

1. Reflect on clinical event debriefing in their own practice.
2. Describe the benefits and barriers of implementing a clinical event debriefing program.
3. List the basic elements of a clinical event debriefing process using the INFO clinical event debriefing program as an example.

Dr. Stuart Rose is an emergency room physician in Calgary, Alberta. He is passionate about finding ways to promote conversations amongst front-line teams after important clinical events to help improve the care we deliver to our patients and to help us support each other.

Foundational Skill: Assessing Learners

Presenter: Dr. Aliya Kassam, PhD

Time: 11:15 am - 12:15 pm MST

Objectives:

1. Describe resident wellness barriers and facilitators in rural and urban settings.
2. Identify innovative solutions for resident wellness challenges in rural settings.
3. Design a resident wellness program as a peer resident or preceptor in a rural setting.

Dr. Aliya Kassam is trained as an epidemiologist, ethicist as well as a health services and medical education researcher. Dr. Kassam is also the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) lead for the O’Brien Institute for Public Health (OIPH). She is interested in well-being, advocacy, and social justice and their intersections with health professions education (HPE) and healthcare. Her research program spans the areas of 1) residency physician training and competency assessment 2) HPE learner wellbeing and 3) patient safety and engagement.

Presenter: Dr. Rithesh Ram, MD, CCFP, BSc., MD, PhD, CCFP & Dr. Devon Livingston, MD, FRCSC

Time: 11:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. MST

Objectives: 

1. Investigate the role of novel digital diagnostic tools and AI at the primary care level.
2. Characterize the need for streamlined eConsult services to improve access to specialist care.
3. Utilize digital tools that improve patient/specialist communication.

Growing up, Dr. Rithesh Ram, like many children, was fascinated with space and dreamed of one day being an astronaut. Fast forward to present day, while going into space still fascinates him (he did go through several rounds of the Canadian astronaut selection process), Rithesh now can’t imagine being anything other than a rural physician. Dr. Ram is formally trained as a family physician, but his passion is that of a rural generalist in Drumheller, Alberta. Aside from his MD, he has a BSc in Electrical Engineering from the University of Alberta and a PhD in Epidemiology from the University of Calgary.  Dr. Ram is passionate about teaching with clinical appointments at both the U of C and the U of A. He is also Director of the UCLIC Program (University of Calgary Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship) which is a research-based, educational experience that allows medical students to learn in the continuum of patient care throughout southern Alberta.

Dr. Ram is highly involved in many leadership roles locally, provincially, and nationally including treasurer of his PCN, President-Elect of the Alberta Medical Association Section of Rural Medicine, former chair of the Alberta Medical Association’s Health Issues Council, and former Provincial Knowledge Lead for Primary Care for Connect Care / CKCN. And his favourite time of the day? Breakfast. “I make it a point to always be there with the family for breakfast.” With his busy schedule, Rithesh often doesn’t make it home early enough in the evening to eat dinner with his wife, two daughters, and son, but breakfast as a family usually works, even if it means everyone has to get up a little earlier to share that time together.

Dr. Ram resides in Drumheller with his family. He enjoys reading endless stories to his children, walking his dogs amongst the hoodoos, curling during the season, and remaining active on a daily basis (even just doing push-ups while on call when there is even the shortest break). A medical entrepreneur, in 2017 Dr. Ram opened an award-winning and highly recognized patient medical home, and primary care practice in Drumheller, Riverside Medical, winning Business Professional of the Year due to that accomplishment. The practice, as well as Dr. Ram, have been subsequently recognized numerous times from various organizations, and is currently a finalist for a national medical innovation award.

Dr. Devon Livingston is an Academic Otolaryngologist - Head and Neck Surgeon in Calgary, AB. He completed medical school and residency at the University of Calgary, as well as the Master of Translation Medicine program through the University California San Francisco and Berkeley. His research interests include artificial intelligence as applied to medicine, and the discipline of translational medicine. Surgically, he has a comprehensive scope of practice including endoscopic sinus surgery, functional rhinoplasty, thyroid disease, middle ear surgery and salivary gland disorders.

He is the Chief Medical Officer and Founder of Alethea, a digital diagnostics & AI company located in Calgary, AB.

*Foundational Skill: Teaching with Technology

Presenter: Dr. Aaron Johnston, Dr. Rebecca Malhi, Dr. Alex Kennedy, Aliya Kassam, Dr. Stuart Rose, Dr. Martina Kelly, Grace Perez & Claire Connors

Time: 12:30 - 1:30 pm MST

Objectives:

1. Describe current rural research projects in Alberta.
2. Recommend research funding opportunities available through Distributed Learning and Rural Initiatives.
3. Identify and connect with peers interested in rural research.

Dr. Aaron Johnston Dr. Aaron Johnston is from rural Ontario and completed his medical training at Queen’s University. He has worked in British Columbia, Nunavut, the NWT and since 2012, has been in Alberta. Dr. Johnston works clinically as an emergency physician at the Rockyview General Hospital in Calgary. He is a previous CCFP-EM residency program director, a previous winner of local and national teaching awards, and currently Associate Dean of Distributed Learning & Rural Initiatives. Dr. Johnston is also involved in national work as the chair of the CFPC’s Section of Teachers and has scholarship and research interests in faculty engagement, medical leadership and rural healthcare.

Dr. Johnston is married and a dad to two daughters. When he is not at work, you will find him hiking or skiing with his friends and family.

Dr. Rebecca Malhi graduated from Concordia University, Montreal, with a degree in Computer Science. After a successful career as a programmer/systems analyst in Calgary, Rebecca returned to academia to complete a Ph.D. in Psychology and indulge in her passions for research and teaching. Until March 2022, Rebecca worked as a Research Associate with DLRI, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary. She also holds adjunct appointments with the Department of Psychology and the Department of Community Health Sciences. Although “retired”, Rebecca is busy setting up a new company, wrapping up research projects, writing journal articles, and supervising/mentoring five students.

Dr. Alex Kennedy is an Addiction Medicine PGY3 with an interest in education and resiliency.

Dr. Aliya Kassam is trained as an epidemiologist, ethicist as well as a health services and medical education researcher. Dr. Kassam is also the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) lead for the O’Brien Institute for Public Health (OIPH). She is interested in well-being, advocacy, and social justice and their intersections with health professions education (HPE) and healthcare. Her research program spans the areas of 1) residency physician training and competency assessment 2) HPE learner wellbeing and 3) patient safety and engagement.

Dr. Stuart Rose is an emergency room physician in Calgary, Alberta. He is passionate about finding ways to promote conversations amongst front-line teams after important clinical events to help improve the care we deliver to our patients and to help us support each other.

Grace Perez is the Research Associate at DLRI and assists the Associate Dean in developing and pursuing novel research projects within the scope of DLRI.

She joined University of Calgary in 2013. Grace has been involved in primary care research with family physicians and medical learners for last 7 years. Grace was in-house biostatistician for 2 years at Faculty of Nursing and helped nursing faculty members and students with training, methodological support, data analysis and modelling. Grace is open to research collaborations.

Grace holds a MSc degrees in Statistics which is useful in getting the story out of research data. This is Grace’s 14th winter in Canada. Coming from the tropics, of course she carefully tallies each one.

Claire Connors is a third-year medical student at the University of Calgary and currently completing a Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship in Yellowknife NT. Claire discovered their passion for rural medicine prior to medical school, while working as a sexual health educator. When traveling to remote towns around BC Claire witnessed firsthand the value communities placed on local, accessible healthcare. In medical school Claire became involved with the Rural Medicine Interest Group; organizing workshops and information sessions for other students to realize the exceptional training and career opportunities rural life has to offer. Claire hopes to pursue a career of full scope Rural Family Medicine. Incorporating their expertise in sexual health with an interest in acute care, and adoration of longitudinal relationships with patients. When not in the hospital or frantically preparing for CaRMS, you can find Claire at the climbing crag, backcountry skiing, mountain biking, or reading science fiction novels.

Presenter: Dr. Paul Parks, MD, FRCPC

Time: 8:30 a.m. - 10 a.m. MST

Objectives:

1. Describe the Access Block issues challenging timely patient care across the province. 
2. Apply techniques to effectively advocate for their patients and their local healthcare environment. 
3. Empathize with the human consequences of Access Block and why advocacy is important.

Dr. Paul Parks MD Queen's University and FRCPC-EM UofA Work and Professional Activities: UofA: Emergency Physician, Trauma Team Leader Medicine Hat Regional Hospital: Emergency Physician, previous ED Chief and Trauma Program Director AMA: Section of Emergency Medicine Executive, AMA Board of Directors, Currently the President - Elect for the AMA Interests: Co-founder and Co-owner of Hell’s Basement Brewery - Lover of Craft Beer Movie buff and involved in community theatre. Interests in Health Care Advocacy and Clinical Education - recipient of the CAEP National Teacher of the Year Award, and of the CAEP Alan Drummond National Advocacy Award Strong believer that a good pun is its own reword.