DocTalks: A Doctors of BC Podcast

In this episode, we talk with Shaun Howe, Partner in Assurance & Accounting from MNP LLP about financial best practices that doctors can revisit as part of a yearly business checkup.Brought to you by Business Pathways, a Doctors of BC initiative. Additional resources: The Finance Checkup Business Pathways - Internal Fraud and Control Checklist Club MD preferred rates for MNP LLP and MD Financial *member login required

In this episode of DocTalks, we speak to Dr Aseem Grover, rural family physician and the Site Medical Director of the Fraser Canyon Hospital in Hope, BC, who recalls his harrowing experiences and lessons learned in providing emergency care through wide-ranging wildfires and unprecedented flooding last year. With continued heatwaves and record temperatures, it’s anticipated BC will continue to experience wildfires in parts of the province again this summer. In addition to the threats these fires present to residents and their homes, they are also a major disruption for practicing physicians. While they are personally impacted by the fires, they also need to provide care for their patients. Dr Grover shares his experiences in navigating a wide array of successes and challenges as he and his team worked to provide continued care to patients in the community and beyond. Using this unique insight, he describes how doctors can proactively plan to safeguard their practice in an emergency. Listen now on Apple podcasts, Google podcasts, Stitcher, or your favourite podcast platform. Resources: Doctors of BC’s policy paper: Improving Collaboration in Times of Crisis: Integrating Physicians in Disaster Preparedness and Health Emergency Management Business Pathways: Contingency Planning Toolkit/Emergency Preparedness Resources Health Emergency Management BC (HEMBC)

On the first podcast episode of DocTalks Season Two, we speak to experts Julie Jones and Carl Prophet about how doctors can optimize their physical and online safety. We’re hearing more and more reports of violent threats—either physical, verbal, or digital—directed towards physicians, triggered specifically by tension created by the COVID-19 pandemic. These events have incited many individuals and organizations to increase awareness, advocacy, and support for doctors in the face of this rise in violence. A statement issued from the Canadian Medical Association this past September even stated that, “It has never been more important to stand with our health care colleagues and deplore all online or in-person threats.”The key to prevention is perception; understanding key vulnerabilities and how physical violence escalates can enhance personal safety and even deter violent threats, both in person and online.Guests Carl Prophet and Julie Jones, who are experts in the field of personal and online security, speak to the current political climate and its effect on violence for BC doctors. They share how through prevention planning and informed response strategies, doctors can equip themselves with a plan and the tools to increase personal and cyber security. Carl and Julie are currently leading live webinars, hosted by Doctors of BC’s new program Business Pathways, where doctors can learn even more about this topic and participate in a live Q&A session. More webinar dates will be announced soon, but a recording of a past webinar and a downloadable tip sheet which summarizes the key takeaways are available now.Contact information:Julie Jones: julie@human-i.orgCarl Prophet: carl@prophetgroup.ca

With the added stressors placed on children, youth, and families by the COVID-19 pandemic, more attention has been focused on the adverse impact on the mental health and wellness of our young people. Protecting and mitigating the impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) has been a prime concern for many physicians. But there’s a long way to go to educate and build skills to mitigate ACEs, and to ensure supports are implemented to prevent them from occurring in the first place. Dr Uyeda is a member of a Child and Youth Mental Health Community of Practice involving 270 physicians who work to improve care for BC’s children youth and families. She continues to educate parents, counsellors, teachers, and physicians with her research and findings. Resources: Feelings First campaign Dr Nadine Burke Harris – How Childhood Trauma affects health across a lifetime Dr Vincent Feletti – How childhood trauma can make you a sick adult Collaborative Toolbox – ACEs Resources Beyond the Cycle of Trauma with Dr Erika Cheng The Brain Story - Alberta Family Wellness Therapist Uncensored PodcastRecommended episodes Episode 5 and 6: How Attachment Impacts Adult Relationship Part 1 & 2 Episode 75: Mentalizing - Critical Component for Secure Relating Episode 102: Finding Neurological Safety through Relationships Episode 112: The Life-Changing Science of Memory Reconsolidation with Guests Bruce Ecker & Tori Olds Episode 141: How We Become the Persons We Are with Dr Sroufe, Attachements Through the Lifespan Books: Becoming Attached by Robert Karen Parenting from the Inside Out: How a Deeper Self-Understanding Can Help You Raise Children Who Thrive by Daniel J. Siegel and Mary Hartzell What to Say to Kids When Nothing Seems to Work by Dr Ashley Miller and Dr Adele Lafrance The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel Van Der Kolk The Boy who was Raised as a Dog by Bruce Perry and Maia Szalavitz

As doctors across BC try to meet the unprecedented demands that the COVID-19 pandemic has placed on them, reports of physician burnout are increasing. But what does burnout actually look like? How do you recognize the early warning signs so you can take steps to prevent it? And where do doctors go for help? In this episode of DocTalks, psychiatrist Dr Jennifer Russel and family doctor Dr Lawrence Yang share their perspectives about how burnout affects doctors, how to recognize it, and what steps to take to minimize the impact. From personal coping strategies, to implementing leadership and QI methodology, and advocating for system-wide enhancements, our guests share what methods they’ve adopted – both in their personal and professional lives – to stay well, and what supports are available to doctors that can really made a difference. Interested in this interview, but don’t have time to listen to the podcast? A summary of the conversation can be found here.Resources: Physician Health Program24 hour confidential helpline: 1-800-663-6729Doctors of BC Physician Burden policy paperCanadian Medical Protection AssociationPhysician Quality ImprovementSauder School of Business: Physician Leadership ProgramGPSC Leadership and Management TrainingPractice Support Program

In the first episode of DocTalks, a new direction for BC’s primary health care system is explored. We’ve heard the names, but what really are patient medical homes and primary care networks? Host Dr Matthew Chow, with guests Drs Brenda Hefford and Shelley Ross, take a deep dive into the current primary care landscape to unpack ideas about: how patient medical homes and primary care networks relate to and work with one another what it means to adapt to system-wide change the benefits of a multidisciplinary, team-based care model of care how UPCCs enhance PCNs and increase access Join the conversation online through Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, and at doctorsofbc.ca.