Family Medicine Residency Site: Abbotsford-Mission

May 2025 Research Round | Housing Is Healthcare: Equity in Access for All Residents

Date: Wednesday 14 May 2025
Time: 12:00 – 1:00 PM Pacific Time
Location: Zoom

Inequities exist within Canada’s public healthcare system, including geographic disparities that impact access to care. Please join us for the May 2025 Research Rounds, happening on Wednesday, May 14 at 12:00 pm PT. This virtual event features Dr. Jude Kornelsen (Associate Professor in the Department of Family Studies, Co-Director of the Centre for Rural Health Research) and community partner Asmaa Anwar, who will present findings from a mix-methods study undertaken in BC (April-August, 2024) to understand and document the cost consequences to and experiences of transplant patients who had to relocate to Vancouver from outside of the lower mainland to receive transplant care, including evidence-derived recommendations to improve access to care.

April 28, 2025

On April 26, a senseless attack at the Lapu-Lapu Day festival in Vancouver left at least 11 people dead and injured many others. It is shocking that a tragedy of this scale and violence could happen right here in our city, and our thoughts are with everyone who has suffered loss on this dreadful day.

At this very difficult time, we urge care and compassion for any staff, faculty or students impacted by this unthinkable event and who may need additional support. Below are resources to support all members of the UBC community:

Student resources

• Mental Health at UBC: https://students.ubc.ca/health/counselling-services/mental-health-care-ubc/  
• Support for unanticipated circumstances: https://students.ubc.ca/support-unanticipated-circumstances/ (UBC Vancouver)
• Support for unanticipated circumstances: https://students.ok.ubc.ca/support/support-for-unanticipated-circumstances/ (UBC Okanagan)

Faculty and staff resources

• Employee and Family Assistance Program: https://hr.ubc.ca/benefits/benefit-plan-details/employee-and-family-assistance-program
• Mental health via UBC Human Resources: https://hr.ubc.ca/health-and-wellbeing/mental-health

UBC Human Resources is working closely with departments to deploy additional on-site counselling. The Employee and Family Assistance Program is also being expanded in support of part-time and auxiliary staff who may be impacted.

In acknowledgment of this tragedy, the university will be lowering its flags to half-mast. The university extends our condolences and will continue to support our community members over the coming weeks. 

Benoit-Antoine Bacon
President and Vice-Chancellor On behalf of the UBC Executive

It’s easy to laugh about cold hands, freezing feet, and wearing gloves indoors — but sometimes, it’s more than just poor circulation or a drafty office.

Feeling cold all the time is one of the early, often overlooked signs of hypothyroidism — a condition where the thyroid gland slows down, dragging your metabolism (and body temperature) with it.

✅ Always cold when others aren’t
✅ Needing gloves indoors
✅ Bundling up even in mild weather
✅ Fatigue, brittle nails, dry skin

If this sounds familiar (or you’re starting to dress like Jared Leto at Fashion Week just to stay warm), it might be time to check your thyroid levels.
Early diagnosis matters.

Treatment can restore your energy, improve your health, and yes — maybe even reduce your daily glove budget.

Stay warm, but stay curious about your health.
Read more on Emerging Therapies in Hypothyroidism via Annu Rev Med.

Let the games begin!

“A 5-year-old boy from rural east-central Ontario was referred to the urgent dermatology service with tender papulopustular and nodular lesions on the trunk, limbs, and face, which had developed over 9 days. The 7 lesions began as small papules that gradually enlarged and developed purulent discharge. At the time of presentation, the largest lesion was a nodule (around 2 cm) with a central depression (Figure 1A), while other lesions were smaller (0.5–1.5 cm), and some were actively draining pus (Figure 1B).

The patient had a 1-month history of a nonresolving cough, 2 brief febrile episodes, and mild lethargy. Three weeks before the skin lesions appeared, he had received 2 doses of oral dexamethasone for suspected croup, without improvement. Two days after the skin lesions appeared, he was started on azithromycin for clinical suspicion of pneumonia. Two days later, his treatment was changed to oral amoxicillin–clavulanic acid, given the pustular nature of the skin lesions. Six days after onset of the skin lesions, a chest radiograph showed left lower lobe infiltrate and a small pleural effusion. A complete blood count obtained at the same time revealed a leukocyte count of 10.1 (normal 5–13.2) × 10⁹/L with normal differential, a platelet count of 457 (normal 197–382) × 10⁹/L, and a hemoglobin of 125 (normal 96–128) g/L. His C-reactive protein was mildly elevated at 14.4 (normal < 5) mg/L. He completed a 7-day course of amoxicillin–clavulanic acid, which had no effect on the skin lesions.

The patient’s medical history was notable for reactive airway disease managed with fluticasone (250 μg, 2 puffs twice daily). There was no history of recurrent or severe infections, and he was immunized according to the standard schedule. He had no recent travel, ill contacts, or symptomatic family members. Aside from the family owning 2 healthy dogs, he had no other contact with animals. The family had regraded the front yard of their home around 3 months before the onset of the skin lesions.”

Don’t forget, people: phrasing matters. I need it in the form of a question — just like your existential crises during CaRMS. While we await your answer, a little Vivaldi — because drama belongs in diagnostics, too. Answer here via CMAJ!

“True emotional literacy is being able to see others from the inside out and yourself from the outside in.” — Dr. Shahana Alibhai

What an incredible kickoff to our Dawn Patrol UBC Abbotsford-Mission Faculty Development Series with Dr. Shahana Alibhai! She’s so inspiring and innovative in her approach to life, relationships, medicine, and education. Her powerful session reminded us that cultivating trust, curiosity, and mattering is core to shaping high-performance teams and compassionate clinical educators.

Some key takeaways:
🔹 Trust = Empathy + Authenticity + Logic
🔹 Mattering means learners feel valued and add value
🔹 Authenticity shines through when we share our stories including our failures. I love the quote she shared from Tim Ferriss “Tell us your best failure”
🔹 Support isn’t one-size-fits-all. Ask your learners: What does support look like for you?

Huge thanks to Dr. Alibhai for setting the tone for reflective leadership and emotionally intelligent teaching in medicine. She brings humanity to the science and passion to the art! And she’s one of our own!

Learn more about her: https://drshahana.com/

If this is what Dawn Patrol mornings feel like, count me in. 😊 ☕ 🌊

“The association that represents academic staff at Canadian universities is warning its members against non-essential travel to the United States.

The Canadian Association of University Teachers says it released updated travel advice Tuesday due to the “political landscape” created by the Trump administration and reports of some Canadians encountering difficulties while crossing the border.

The association says academics who are from countries that have tense diplomatic relations with the United States, or who have themselves expressed negative views about the Trump administration, should be particularly cautious about attempting to cross the border.

It says the warning also particularly applies to people “whose research could be seen as being at odds with the position of the current U.S. administration,” or who identify as transgender.

In addition, the association says academics should carefully consider what information they have, or need to have, on their electronic devices when crossing the border, and take actions to protect sensitive information.

Reports of foreigners being sent to detention or processing centres for more than seven days, including Canadian Jasmine Mooney as well as a pair of German tourists and a backpacker from Wales, have been making headlines since Trump took power.

The Canadian government recently updated its advisory to warn residents travelling to the United States they may face scrutiny from border guards and the possibility of detention if denied entry.

Crossings from Canada into the United States dropped by about 32 per cent, or 864,000 travellers, in March compared to the same month a year ago, according to data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.”

Read more on Canadian university teachers warned against travelling to the United States via CBC.

Ontario’s measles outbreak has become so big that public health officials in New York state have included the province in a travel advisory that urges residents to get vaccinated before visiting.

“Measles is only a car ride away!” reads the April 2nd measles travel advisory for all New Yorkers from the New York State Department of Health.

“Currently, measles outbreaks are happening in parts of the United States and Canada, especially in Ontario, and around the world.”

The advisory also lists the following countries as having a high number of measles cases: Yemen, Pakistan, India, Thailand, Ethiopia, Romania, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan and Vietnam.

“Measles is a highly contagious virus. Around 90 per cent of people who are exposed to a person with measles will become infected if they are not vaccinated. Because measles is so contagious, it easily crosses borders,” the advisory continues.

The advisory notes that Canada’s outbreak includes more than 600 cases with the majority located in Ontario.

According to Public Health Ontario, a total of 655 confirmed and probable measles cases have been reported in Ontario this year as of April 2. Of this total, 560 are confirmed and 95 are probable.

Ontario’s measles outbreak is so big, even New York health officials are taking notice via CBC News.

Background: Multimorbidity, the co-occurrence of 2 or more chronic conditions, is important in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) given its association with complex care plans, poor health outcomes, and excess mortality. Our objectives were to describe premature death (age < 75 yr) among people with IBD and to identify patterns between multimorbidity and premature death among decedents with IBD.

Methods: Using the administrative health data of people with IBD who died between 2010 and 2020 in Ontario, Canada, we conducted a population-based, retrospective cohort study. We described the proportion of premature deaths among people with IBD. We developed statistical and machine learning models to predict premature death from the presence of 17 chronic conditions and the patients’ age at diagnosis. We evaluated models using accuracy, positive predictive value, sensitivity, F₁ scores, area under the receiver operating curve (AUC), calibration plots, and explainability plots.

Results: All models showed strong performance (AUC 0.81–0.95). The best performing was the model that incorporated age at diagnosis for each chronic condition developed at or before age 60 years (AUC 0.95, 95% confidence interval 0.94–0.96). Salient features for predicting premature death were young ages of diagnosis for mood disorder, osteo-and other arthritis types, other mental health disorders, and hypertension, as well as male sex.

Interpretation: By comparing results from multiple approaches modelling the impact of chronic conditions on premature death among people with IBD, we showed that conditions developed early in life (age ≤ 60 yr) and their age of onset were important for predicting their health trajectory. Clinically, our findings emphasize the need for models of care that ensure people with IBD have access to high-quality, multidisciplinary health care.

Learn more on Machine learning prediction of premature death from multimorbidity among people with inflammatory bowel disease: a population-based retrospective cohort study via CMAJ.

A month after the head of Fraser Health was ousted, the CEO of the Provincial Health Services Authorities has been replaced as several board members are dismissed and a formal ministry review begins.

The New Democrats had promised to review health authority spending and decision-making on the provincial campaign trail in the fall, and on Monday Minister Josie Osborne announced PHSA would be the first to come under the microscope.

Both the health minister and the premier focused on the review rather than the change of leadership in the C-suite and in the boardroom.

Fraser Health board chair, Jim Sinclair, and several other members have “ended their terms”, according to Osborne, as have other board members at PHSA.

“Thank you so much to all the individuals who have served on health authority boards over the past years, welcome (to) the new members,” she said.

The CEO of PHSA, David Byres, was also removed from the post and replaced by Dr. Penny Ballem, who had served as Chair of Vancouver Coastal Health before being tasked with overseeing the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, then serving as a special advisor in the premier’s office.

Read more on the topic via CTV News.

“At UBC, faculty and staff are entrusted with a wealth of sensitive data, and ensuring its security is not just a best practice, it’s a legal obligation.

Understanding Personal Information

Personal Information refers to any data that can be used to identify an individual. This goes beyond names and Social Insurance Numbers (SINs) – it encompasses details like employee IDs, student records, and even birthdays.

Why is Data Security Crucial?

Breaches can have severe consequences. Unauthorized access to Personal Information can lead to identity theft, financial fraud, and reputational damage. Additionally, UBC adheres to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA), which mandates safeguarding personal information.

Simple Steps, Big Impact

• Embrace Encryption: Think of encryption as a digital vault. By encrypting your devices, you add an extra layer of security, making it significantly harder for unauthorized individuals to access sensitive data.
• Share with Care: For file sharing, leverage UBC-approved services like TeamShare or MS OneDrive. These platforms offer robust security measures to ensure your data stays protected during transmission.
• Declutter Regularly: Don’t let unnecessary files accumulate on your devices. Regularly review and delete any outdated or irrelevant information. This minimizes the potential damage if a breach occurs.

Business vs. Personal Information

It’s important to distinguish between personal and business information. Business contact information, like your department or work location, is generally public knowledge and not considered PI.

By understanding the importance of data security and adopting these simple practices, you can play a vital role in safeguarding personal information at UBC. Remember, even small actions have a significant impact!”

Read more on the topic:
Safeguarding Sensitive Data: A Guide for UBC Faculty and Staff via UBC.
Security Classification of UBC Electronic Information and Services via UBC CIO.
Safeguarding Research, Data, and Digital Transactions via UBC Privacy Matters.
Privacy and Risk using Generative AI via UBC CIO.