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My name is Bev Pomeroy, I prefer to use they/them pronouns. I had the privilege of attending the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion Unconference this past May. The Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion (CCDI) is a made-in-Canada solution designed to help employers, diversity and inclusion/human rights/equity and…

When the pandemic hit, many people felt helpless. They wanted to do more than bang on pots and pans at 7:00 PM to show solidarity to point-of-care workers and support their communities, but were unsure what to do. In the North, three people with a shared passion for and…

In September 2020, the Ministry of Health announced the creation of a Primary Care Network (PCN) in the Comox Valley as part of the government’s Primary and Community Care Strategy focused on team-based care. The Comox Valley PCN is a partnership between Métis, Inuit and First Nations communities, Island Health,…

The Shared Care team at Providence Health Care has been connecting with patient partners since the beginning of the Patient Voices Network – 11 years and counting! Since its first engagement in 2010, which resulted in winning a national award for the Rapid Access to Consultative Expertise (RACE) project, the…

Timely access to care is always important, and especially so when every passing second adds to a patient’s risk of a negative outcome – as in the case of a heart attack. Sumandeep Dhesi, a cardiologist at Interior Health’s Royal Inland Hospital, recognized that precious time was lost by waiting…

In recent years, as the value of patient engagement has become more widely acknowledged, many organizations and hospitals have created designated staff positions to support and expand the practice in their facilities. At Burnaby Hospital, Ryan MacKay acts as the site’s Coordinator for Quality & Patient Experience by supporting efforts…

The BC Patient Safety & Quality Council is thrilled to share PVN’s 2020/21 Annual Report and celebrate the hard work of the network’s patient and health care partners through a very challenging year. Last year we welcomed 139 new patient partners, which brought our total membership to more than 1,250,…

The staff in the medical imaging department at Kelowna General Hospital knew that the ultrasound experience for both patients and staff could be improved. In the spring of 2018, they held a Rapid Process Improvement Workshop to identify potential improvements. In the workshop, participants identified and worked through rapid…

Adverse drug events are the harmful and unintended consequences of medication use. With 75% of Canadians over 65 taking one or more prescription medications daily to treat chronic conditions like hypertension, heart disease or mental illness[1], it’s not surprising that these events happen. They contribute to over two million…

With great respect and admiration, we acknowledge the life and legacy of Gitxsan Hereditary Chief Sim’oogit Ma’os, Bill Blackwater Jr., from Kispiox, who passed away in July 2021. As a Patient Voices Network patient partner, Bill encouraged all health care providers, particularly physicians, to learn about the land and culture…