Family Medicine Residency Site: Abbotsford-Mission

“A 28-year-old woman is brought to the emergency department after a motor vehicle collision. She has no clinically significant injuries other than a fractured radius. A urine drug screen is positive for opioids and marijuana. As part of a universal screening program, she undergoes testing for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, and the results are positive. The patient is single and heterosexual, and she reports that she does not use injection drugs but occasionally trades sex for drugs. She has not been tested for HIV previously. Her other routine laboratory studies are normal except for mild lymphopenia. How would you further evaluate and treat this patient?”

Learn more here on HIV Infection: Screening, Diagnosis, & Treatment via NEJM.

“What is…”

Click here to answer.

Sending a big warm welcome to our new cohort of UBC Family Practice residents! A couple of times a month I like to play The Lancet: Picture Quiz and pair it with one of my favourite classical pieces. Come play along.

#TheLancet #PictureQuiz 

Congratulations to our Abbotsford-Mission Family Practice Preceptors and Residents on their program and site awards!

PETER GRANTHAM RESIDENT TEACHING AWARD: DR. CASEY HICKS
R1 recipients have been selected by their site leadership and have demonstrated interest and excellence in teaching. 

BCCFP BEST PRESENTATION AWARDS: DR. MONIKA WOJTERA
This award is offered by BC College of Family Physicians to each training site to best resident presenters of their scholar project at local Scholarship Days.  

SITE TEACHING AWARDS – RESIDENT SELECTED: DR. NADER ELMAYERGI & DR. THANH LUU
Selected by their resident cohort, this award recognizes preceptors/teachers who have demonstrated excellence in teaching. 

SITE MEDICAL EDUCATION AWARDS – PEER SELECTED: DR. THANH LUU
Chosen by their peers, these awards recognize faculty in their work as clinical or academic teachers, scholarly faculty, leaders, mentors or coaches.

COACH’S AWARD: DR. SOPHIA PARK, DR. ANDREA WONG, & DR. BRIAN DRIEDGER
This award acknowledges our Abbotsford-Mission Family Practice preceptors/residents who have demonstrated superior performance, accomplishment, and a commitment to teaching excellence.

“Henry also noted that deaths from COVID-19 have stayed relatively low even during the punishing third wave of the pandemic, which she said ‘reflects the ongoing durable protection from immunization.’

British Columbians aged 12 and over who have not yet been immunized can register in three ways:

• Online through the Get Vaccinated portal.
• By calling 1-833-838-2323. Translators are available in 140 languages.
• In person at any Service B.C. location.

The province is aiming to have most people receive their second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine roughly eight weeks after their first.”

More on B.C. officials announce further reopening plans, with province set to enter Step 3 of its restart via CBC.

As we experience the unprecedented heatwave, please be aware of the following locations that are cooled and available for students, faculty and staff on our Vancouver campus today and tomorrow:

• AMS Nest — 6133 University Blvd 
• Irving K. Barber Learning Centre — 1961 East Mall 
• Thunderbird Stadium concourse and stands — 6288 Stadium Rd 
• Orchard Commons Open Kitchen — 6363 Agronomy Road, access via west doors off West Mall 
• Mercante — 6488 University Blvd. 

For any employees who are working remotely, but who wish to work within an air-conditioned space on campus, please discuss options with your manager. Please also note that working on campus is subject to COVID-19 safety plans, as well as the COVID-19 Campus Rules which can be found at https://srs.ubc.ca/covid-19/ubc-campus-rules-guidance-documents.

Managers with questions about specific situations should contact Safety and Risk Services (ready.ubc@ubc.ca) to discuss any concerns regarding safety regulations. Please contact the Facilities team for questions related to buildings, and your HR team for advice in situations where employees cannot attend the workplace or work remotely.

Advice for staying cool:

• Stay out of the sun as much as possible 
• Plan ahead for where you can spend time in a cool or air-conditioned place, and seek shade when outside 
• Wear a wide-brimmed hat, lightweight, loose-fitting clothing, and sunscreen 
• Avoid strenuous activity and exercise 
• Drink plenty of cool fluids such as water before you feel thirsty 
• Fill up your water bottle frequently at taps and drinking fountains 
• Dampen washcloths, hand towels with cold water to make a cool compress 

Recognizing symptoms and signs of heat-related illness and heat exhaustion:

• Extreme thirst 
• Dizziness 
• Confusion 
• Weakness 
• Fainting 
• Rapid breathing and heartbeat 
• Nausea and vomiting 

If you see someone suffering from too much heat, call 9-1-1 and help them cool off by applying water to their face and neck until emergency services arrive. You can also call 8-1-1 to speak to a nurse. Interpretation services are available on these phone numbers.

For additional information please visit https://srs.ubc.ca/hotweather.

Cooling centres open:
Municipalities and districts across the province have opened cooling centres for those who don’t have air conditioning. 

The City of Vancouver has several open at community centres across the city. 

The City of Abbotsford said its cooling centres would run from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on days when the temperature exceeds 32 C or 30 C for consecutive days.  

These include: 

• Heritage Alliance Church at 3440 Mt. Lehman Road.
• Cascade Community Church at 35190 Delair Road.
• The Abbotsford, Clearbrook and Mount Lehman libraries. 
• The Reach Gallery Museum.  

On Sunday, the Central Okanagan Emergency Operations centre said it has opened several cooling centres across the region, including:

• Parkinson Activity Centre, Kelowna.
• Rutland Activity Centre, Kelowna.
• Lakeview Heights Baptist Church, West Kelowna. 
• Peachland Community Centre, Peachland.

More on B.C. heat wave shatters Canadian record for highest temperature ever recorded via CBC.

“How do you move forward after being released from prison?

Called Trauma at the Root, the participatory project is a collaboration between UBC’s Collaborating Centre for Prison Health and Education (CCPHE) and John Howard Society of Canada that is exploring new ways to foster resilience among men who have been incarcerated.

‘Research shows that incarcerated men often have some form of trauma in their backgrounds,’ said Dr. Chris Richardson, principal investigator on the project. ‘Incarceration itself is also emerging as a recognized form of trauma, with impacts on physical and mental health–especially with respect to how men learn to manage stress. Add in the stigma that can be associated with incarceration and a feeling that, as a man, one can’t ask for help—these are difficult things for anyone to overcome.’

The Trauma at the Root project is exploring the idea that increasing awareness of trauma and its effects can help men develop skills to manage traumatic stress and promote improved self-care. The project is fostering resilience in men by engaging them in strengths-based activities that connect them with peers and allow them to discover their own interests and abilities.”

To learn more about the Shifting Focus and Trauma at the Root projects, contact Kate Roth and Chris Richardson at the CCPHE (ccphe@spph.ubc.ca).

To learn more about community-based research related to the Downtown Eastside, contact Heather Holroyd at the UBC Learning Exchange (heather.holroyd@ubc.ca).