Calgary Conference A Grand Success

The 2015 Advanced Learning in Palliative Medicine Conference, “New Frontiers in Palliative Medicine” was a resounding success. Over 200 physicians joined together in Calgary from May 28-30^th for outstanding continuing education, networking, and fun. The conference was enriched by the presence of our exhibitors and partner organizations, a spectacular opening reception, and an enjoyable awards dinner honouring Drs. Martin LaBrie, Harvey Chochinov, Michael Downing, and Jenny Lau. Thank you to conference Chair, Leonie Herx and members of the planning committee: Srini Chari, Lyle Galloway, Martin LaBrie, Alison Murray, and Jessica Simon.

The winners of the oral presentation were Drs. Naheed Dosani and Anton Nikouline on “Benefits and Barriers of Palliative Care to the Homeless by In-Shelter Programs.

The winners for best poster were Dr. Rafael Sumalinog, Katy Harrington, Dr. Naheed Dosani, and Dr. Stephen Hwang for their poster entitled “End-of-life preparations and palliative care for the homeless. A systematic literature review”.

2015 Award Winners

The CSPCP was delighted to honour the winners of this year’s awards during an awards dinner at the Advanced Learning in Palliative Medicine Conference in Calgary on May 29, 2015. Recipients of the 2015 awards were:
Dr. Martin LaBrie – CSPCP Humanitarian Award
Dr. Harvey Chochinov – Eduardo Bruera Award in Palliative Medicine
Dr. Michael Downing – CSPCP Lifetime Achievement Award
Dr. Jenny Lau – Palliative Medicine Resident Award

Profiles of these outstanding individuals are posted here.
Congratulations to all!

Results of the Board of Directors Election and Appointment of Officers

Five Directors at large were elected at the CSPCP AGM on May 29, 2015.
The President Elect and Treasurer were appointed by the 2015-16 Board on May 30, 2015.

The Board of Directors for 2015-2016 will be:
Dr. Susan MacDonald (President)
Dr. David Henderson (President-Elect)
Dr. Bernard Lapointe (Secretary)
Dr. Leonie Herx (Treasurer)
Dr. Anne Boyle (Director at Large)
Dr. Stephanie Connidis (Director at Large)
Dr. Monica Branigan (Director at Large)
Dr. Bruno Gagnon (Director at Large)
Dr. Stephen Singh (Director at Large)
Dr. Ted St. Godard (Director at Large)

Results of the National Palliative Medicine Survey

Results of the National Palliative Medicine Survey have been posted on our web site. The survey is rich with data that you can refer to in your own work. The documents are posted in both French and English. The documents include the original questionnaire, a data report of responses to all questions, and a Highlights document that summarizes Key Findings.

The reports are the culmination of a CSPCP-led project conducted in collaboration with four partner organizations (CMA, CFPC, Royal College, and TVN). The results can be used by researchers, policy makers, and health care decision makers to inform policy, practice, human resource planning, and negotiations.

CSPCP Article on Access to Palliative Care in Canada

Dr. J. David Henderson has published an article on behalf of the CSPCP regarding what we do (and don’t) know about access to palliative care in Canada.

The article is entitled Canadian Society of Palliative Care Physicians – Response to “The Making of a Myth: Unreliable Data on Access to Palliative Care in Canada” and was published in Health Law Review • 22:3, 2014.
The article is posted on the Reports and Publications page of our web site.

Local Hero Profile: Dr. Gerry Farrell

Dr. Gerry Farrell from Pictou, NS is featured as our second Local Palliative Care Hero, in recognition of his contributions to the field of Palliative Medicine in his region. View the profiles of local heroes here.

Study on Inclusive Palliative Care for

Canadian Immigrant Communities

Dr. Parin Dossa at Simon Fraser University in BC invites you participate in a study to learn more about the issues and concerns that immigrant families face when seeking palliative care for their loved ones. Your experiential knowledge and understanding will help her to work towards an inclusive model of palliative care. If you are willing to be interviewed or it you would like more information, please contact Dr. Dossa at pdossa@sfu.ca; voice mail: (778) 782-3778 or visit: http://inclusivehpc.wix.com/inclusivehpc.