Poster Abstracts
Explore the abstracts and posters who were selected to present at the 2025 BC Rural Health Conference below.
Stay tuned for how to submit an abstract for the 2026 conference!
Poster Syllabus
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Presenting Authors: Yonabeth Nava de Escalante (PGY 1 Rural Immersion, Family Medicine); Bron Finkelstein (Chetwynd Primary Care Clinic, Clinic Director)
This initiative aims to improve maternity care access in Chetwynd, BC, through a collaboration between the Chetwynd Primary Care Clinic, UBC’s Rural Immersion Program, and Chickadee Maternity. The model integrates local resources with specialized expertise, reducing travel burdens for expectant mothers and providing coordinated care through shared electronic records. Pregnant individuals now have flexible prenatal care options closer to home, with key visits at Chickadee for delivery preparation. This collaborative approach reduces emotional strain, lowers travel costs, and improves health outcomes by providing accessible, timely interventions and continuous care throughout pregnancy.
Contact: Yonabeth Nava - yonabeth77@gmail.com / ylnava77@student.ubc.ca
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Presenting Author: Dr. Jennifer Kask
The Birth Related Cardiovascular Health (BiRCH) Clinic is a multidisciplinary postpartum cardiovascular prevention clinic based at Campbell River Hospital. Pregnancy is a stress test. Events such as hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, gestational diabetes, preterm birth, fetal growth restriction, placental abruption, and stillbirth are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease later in life. Recommended best practice by the International Federation of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (FIGO) is to follow up with these patients at 6 months postpartum. The BiRCH Clinic addresses the ongoing challenge of managing long-term postpartum cardiovascular risk and demonstrates an effective, scalable model for interdisciplinary prevention-focused care.
Contact: Dr. Jennifer Kask - jennifer.kask@islandhealth.ca
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Presenting Author: Sarah Fletcher
This study evaluated the attitudes of pediatricians and residents toward rural outreach clinics in British Columbia, where access to specialist pediatric care is limited and rural pediatrician vacancies are high. Surveys revealed that pediatricians are primarily motivated by a desire to serve underserved communities, with administrative support being a key facilitator and time commitment a major barrier. Residents cited educational value and service opportunities as motivators. Participation in outreach clinics increased residents’ interest in rural practice in their future career. Both groups emphasized the importance of outreach clinics and recommended enhanced support to sustain and improve these services.
Contact: Sarah Fletcher - sarahf1@student.ubc.ca
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Presenting Authors: Leanne Flinton, Dr. Kirsten Miller
Rural communities in Northern Health (NH) face barriers to accessing pediatric care due to few pediatricians and geographic challenges. While geographically large, NH has the lowest pediatrician-to-population ratio, contributing to frequent pediatric patient transfers. From 2020–2024, inclusive, pediatric ER visits averaged 12,000 in the Northwest and 9,700 in the Northeast, and transfers increased annually, with an average of at least two pediatric transfers per week. These trends highlight inequities in access to specialist pediatric care, exacerbated by transport limitations. A regional approach to pediatric service, particularly for rural communities, could be one strategy to address this rural healthcare disparity.
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Presenting Author: Dr. Kirsten Miller
British Columbia Ministry of Health Medical Service Plan (MSP) data from 2013 to 2023 was used to identify the number of pediatricians by health service delivery area (HSDA). The greatest ratio of pediatricians to citizens was found in high population HSDAs, with 6.43 pediatricians/100,000 in 2013/2014 and 8.10/100,000 in 2022/2023. Low population HSDAs had 3.33 pediatricians/100,000 in 2013/2014 and 4.06/100,000 in 2022/2023. There are geographic disparities in the distribution of pediatricians in BC. Rural residents, are doubly disadvantaged when accessing pediatric care, as low population density HSDAs have fewer pediatricians/100,000 and are geographically larger.
Contact: Dr. Kirsten Miller - kirsten.miller@northernhealth.ca
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Presenting Author: Dr. Kirsten Miller
This study describes the use of CHARLiE in supporting the care of pediatric patients from northern BC with severe acute respiratory infections (SARIs) during the 2022-2023 viral season. There were 204 children admitted for SARIs in 3 NH hospitals (in Terrace, Prince George, Fort St. John). There were 22 patients from NH admitted to PICU at BC Children’s Hospital (BCCH), representing 14.1% (22/155) of all patients admitted with SARIs to BCCH PICU. Support from CHARLiE occurred for 36.4% (8/22) of these. CHARLiE’s virtual, real-time expert pediatric advice provides a critical service for rural providers caring for pediatric patients.
Contact: Dr. Kirsten Miller - kirsten.miller@northernhealth.ca
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Presenting Authors: Dr. Tandi Wilkinson, Dr. Virginia Robinson, Jason Curran, Ievgeniia Rozhenko
POCUS is known to improve time to diagnosis, and reduce transfers. However, existing barriers to acquiring and maintaining proficiency with POCUS result in underuse of this technology. Employing the framework of the Eco-normalization model, interviews with a physician, a local hospital administrator and a patient on Haida Gwaii were undertaken to discover the factors that led to the successful implementation of POCUS. Drivers of the innovation include local ‘POCUS champions’ and the desire to provide better and more compassionate care. Enablers of the innovation include specific medical education, administrative support, a culture of learning and collaboration, and patient satisfaction.
Contact: Dr. Tandi Wilkinson - kootenaytandi@gmail.com
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Presenting Authors: Alice Fours, Dr. Alina Constantin
This project introduces a structured point-of-care ultrasound curriculum into University of British Columbia’s pre-clinical anatomy labs to enhance student understanding of anatomy and diagnostic skills. Drawing on best practices and rural physician input, the initiative aims to overcome current barriers such as limited faculty expertise and equipment access and better prepare students for clinical practice, particularly in underserved and remote communities across British Columbia.
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Presenting Author: Matthew Ellies, Manager, Healthcare Integration, Vision Loss Rehabilitation Canada
Vision Loss Rehabilitation Canada (VLRC) delivers an integrated Rural Vision Health Strategy that addresses vision loss and eye health through VLRC core services as well as two innovative programs, the Eye Health Screening Initiative (EHSI) and the Eye Van. The EHSI uses AI-enabled portable fundus cameras to screen for diabetic retinopathy in community-based settings. The Eye Van, a full-service mobile eye clinic, travels over 6,000 km each year to provide exams, treatments, and minor surgeries to over 3,200 patients in Northern Ontario. VLRC also offers telehealth services that connect rural clients with vision rehabilitation specialists for timely support, fostering independence and reducing the burden of vision loss on individuals and communities.
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Presenting Author: Christine Traaseth
Smartphones have the potential to become an alternative to sophisticated laboratory instruments when paired with advanced light-emitting materials like quantum dots (QDs) which allow smartphones to have the sensitivity required for diagnostic testing, allowing routine lab tests (ex. Life Labs) to be performed at the patient site. Thus, we have developed and benchmarked a laser-scanning smartphone imaging platform which is potentially ideal for readout of a variety of different diagnostic tests and unlike common point-of-care tests like the pregnancy test, assays designed with materials like QDs can be quantified, acting as a flexible multi-purpose readout device in non-laboratory settings.
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Presenting Authors: Brooke T. Boswell, Bailey Macklem, and Victor P. Liu
Literature on physical activity (PA) of individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) living in rural northern BC communities is limited. Low PA often leads to negative health outcomes. Special Olympics BC (SOBC) and their Healthy Athletes (HA) program serves to improve health of persons with ID through sport and free health screenings. Partnering with SOBC, HA, people with ID and associated stakeholders in northern BC, we will co-create a research agenda for improving health outcomes. Using the nothing-for-us without-us approach, research questions and methodology will be designed with and for people with ID, thus empowering this community and centering their voices.
Contact: Victor Liu - Victor.Liu@unbc.ca
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Presenting Author: Sophie Tran
Race has historically been used in medicine as a proxy for biological differences among individuals and has often been incorporated as a risk or prognostic variable within clinical decision-making tools. The reliance on race to represent biological, genetic, or social factors can result in dangerous over- or under-estimations of population health risks. Such equations may inadvertently perpetuate stereotypes and systemic inequities within healthcare. This review aims to identify and assess the validity of using race as an input variable in clinical decision-making tools.
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Presenting Authors: Bethany M. Stidolph, Ozren Petković
This quality improvement project, led by PHSA’s Emergency Care BC (ECBC), sought to identify best practices and successful strategies to improve experiences and perceived cultural safety for Indigenous patients seeking emergency department (ED) care. The team interviewed six emergency medicine professionals and Indigenous health advocates. Interview questions were developed in three thematic areas: understanding the current care experience, envisioning an ideal care experience, and identifying strategies to achieve these goals. Interviewees highlighted six key influences to be considered when seeking to improve care experiences: relationship-building, cultural safety, accessibility, support roles, ED realities, and patient understanding of ED policy.
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Presenting Author: Dr. Angela How, MD, FRCP(C)
I do rheumatology outreach to Hazelton, B.C. Historically, attendance at my clinics range from 70% to 80% of booked appointments. In an effort to improve this to a goal of 90%, a physician quality improvement project was launched. Changes were made to the booking process and staff were educated on motivational interviewing. Over the course of the year of the project, with the help of my outstanding team, attendance improved to 90% or more. Details are outlined in the poster.
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Presenting Authors: Katharine Yeo, Dr. Daisy Dulay
Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Indigenous communities in Canada, with particularly pronounced impacts in rural areas due to geographic barriers to healthcare access and follow-up. This retrospective cohort study will leverage the unified Electronic Medical Record system of Carrier Sekani Family Services to examine both traditional (e.g., blood pressure, LDL cholesterol, HbA1c) and emerging (e.g., adverse pregnancy outcomes, metabolic syndrome, antipsychotic use) cardiovascular (CV) risk factors in rural Northern Indigenous communities. The study will assess the prevalence and geographic distribution of suboptimal CV risk management. In partnership with Indigenous leaders, findings will support the co-development of culturally safe, evidence-based interventions to improve local care delivery and advance broader rural and Indigenous health equity.
Contact: Katharine Yeo - katyeo@student.ubc.ca
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Presenting Author: Cameron Aird
This narrative review explores the perceptions and experiences of physical activity among Indigenous populations to improve the relevancy of health promotion and policy. Fourteen qualitative or mixed-methods studies were reviewed using inductive thematic analysis. Three key themes were identified: (1) family and community, (2) cultural and environmental connection, and (3) movement in everyday life. Findings suggest that physical activity is often viewed as embedded in cultural and social life. Therefore, messages should highlight collective and cultural benefits rather than personal gain or structured exercise to better align with Indigenous values and lived experience.
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Presenting Authors: Elder Cheryl Schweizer, Dr. Terri Aldred, Dr. Rahul Gupta, Laura Beamish, Ievgeniia Rozhenko
In the context of the profound ongoing impact that history of colonialism has on the health of Indigenous People, training in trauma-sensitive care is a recognized gap. Taking an Elder-led approach and weaving together Indigenous ways of knowing with Western trauma theory and neuroscience, the Nawh Whu’nus’en – We See in Two Worlds training recognizes that health professionals and patients work in relationship, and a trauma-sensitive approach can help to build trusting relationships. We have heard from participants that the training provided them with a “practical approach that is so healing” to “process and move through trauma responses with patients.”
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Presenting Author: Janet Ocloo, PhD Candidate, Health Sciences, Health Arts Research Centre, UNBC
The H.E.A.L. Healthcare project uses the arts to address oppressive behaviours and attitudes that we all hold and that permeate healthcare systems and culture. HEALhealthcare.ca is a platform for healthcare educators, professionals, students, and practitioners wanting to decolonize their practice and address biases and ‘-isms’ that permeate healthcare systems and culture, especially in rural healthcare settings. Using art-based resources created by artists, writers, activists, and people with lived experience, the curricula provided on this free, open-access website address the longstanding and well-established evidence that health disparities exist because of racist, colonial, able-body/minded, geographic, economic, and gendered inequalities.
Contact: Sarah de Leeuw - Sarah.deLeeuw@unbc.ca
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Presenting Authors: Bruce Hobson, MD; Emily Boardman, MHA; Tanya Glafenhein, MA
In rural British Columbia (BC), where professional isolation can impact healthcare providers, coaching and mentoring foster connection, resilience, and well-being. UBC Rural CPD Coaching and Mentoring Program (CAMP) supports over 400 participants across 50+ communities, offering personalized pathways through goal-oriented coaching and knowledge-sharing mentorship. CAMP fosters a culture of trust, ensuring rural physicians are supported both personally and professionally throughout their journeys, while providing resources to strengthen rural health networks. This poster will present methods, outcomes, and key findings—highlighting how coaching and mentoring improve provider retention, professional satisfaction, and healthcare quality in rural communities across BC.
Contact: Emily Boardman - emily.b@ubc.ca
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Presenting Authors: Dr. Bruce Hobson, Angela Wagner
Our review explores the learning needs of 127 International Medical Graduates (IMGs) and New-to-Rural Practice (NtRP) physicians in British Columbia. Findings highlight the UBC CPD Personal Learning Plans (PLP) program’s relational approach. Findings emphasize how PLP further connects new practitioners with local and regional healthcare resources to enhance their integration into the BC healthcare system. By tailoring a curated and flexible plan to individual needs, the free, confidential and non-reporting PLP program can help IMGs and NtRP physicians make sense of all of the CPD out there. In addition, we can identify resource development opportunities for IMGs and NtRP physicians based on the program’s findings (e.g., clinical practice guidelines) and strengthen partnerships with provincial organizations to effectively utilize resources in support of IMGs and NtRP physicians.
Contact: Angela Wagner - angela.w@ubc.ca
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Presenting Authors: Brook Haight, Project Coordinator, SWITCH BC; Hiren Dodia, Health & Safety Advisor, SWITCH BC
Physicians face significant safety challenges, with 33% reporting physical and 45% psychological safety incidents (Doctors of BC, 2023). To address these issues, Doctors of BC, the Ministry of Health, and SWITCH BC launched the Community Physician Health and Safety (CPHS) Program. This free, voluntary, and confidential initiative provides web-based resources, in-person assessments, and mobile advisor support to help physicians meet Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) standards. The CPHS program addresses OHS gaps in rural community medical clinics, empowering physician employers to create safer workplaces for themselves and their staff, enabling greater focus on patient care.
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Presenting Authors: Michael-Ann Miller, RN BSN (President, Canadian Association for Rural and Remote Nursing (CARRN), Nurse Leader & Rural Health Advocate); Cates Bayabay, RN MHLP CHE (CARRN Newsletter Editor)
Healthcare practitioners in rural and remote settings often navigate a complex balance between professional and personal lives to provide effective care. This poster presentation will showcase Knowing the Rural Community: A Framework for Nursing Practice in Rural and Remote Canada, which acknowledges blurring of professional boundaries unique to rural and remote healthcare practitioners. The Framework identifies lack of anonymity and being highly visible as one of the unique characteristics of rural and remote practice and encourages practitioners and community members, academia, regulators, and policymakers to recognize this unique attribute as a strength of rural and remote practice.
Contact: Michael-Ann Miller - mmillerbsn@gmail.com / Cates Bayabay - cembayabay@gmail.com
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Presenting Authors: Clay Kiiskila, Yonabeth Nava de Escalante, Alexandra Blair, Dawn Wedman
The Rural Immersion Residency Program at UBC aims to address BC’s rural physician shortage, especially in Northern regions where healthcare access is limited. Through longitudinal training in rural, generalist-run centers, residents gain broad clinical experience and build strong ties with local communities. The program emphasizes mentorship, community engagement, and developing tailored healthcare interventions. Residents participate in diverse aspects of care, from chronic disease management to emergency care to maternal health. With four residents placed in Smithers, Quesnel, Vanderhoof, and Chetwynd/ Tumbler Ridge, early results show strong interest in rural practice. This model supports recruitment, retention, and sustainable healthcare in underserved areas.
Contact: Clay Kiiskila - kiiskila@student.ubc.ca
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Presenting Authors: Ozren Petkovic, Michel Hjelkrem
Rural physicians are often required to perform rare but critical High Acuity Low Opportunity (HALO) procedures with limited specialist support. The Interior Health Cadaver and Simulation Education (IH CaSE) course was created to address skill decay by providing hands-on, cadaver-based HALO training. Preliminary findings from participants at Kelowna General Hospital demonstrate a significant increase in procedural confidence, particularly for rarely performed interventions such as burr holes and thoracotomies. These results highlight the value of targeted postgraduate simulation training to enhance emergency preparedness, maintain procedural competence, and support rural physicians in delivering high-quality care.
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Presenting Authors: Dr. Daisy Dulay, Cardiologist, Project Co-Lead; Michael Matula, PCN Pharmacist, Project Co-Lead; Cathy McGuinness, Health Data Coalition; Heather Walker, Northern Physician Quality Improvement Coach
The Fantastic Four Project leverages a team-based approach, integrating Primary Care Network pharmacists, primary care providers, cardiology specialists and community paramedics to improve medication management, enable hybrid specialist consultations and expand home health monitoring for patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. Heart failure is expensive, resource-intensive, and a growing public health concern in Canada. As a chronic condition, heart failure places a significant burden on patients, caregivers, and the healthcare system, particularly in rural and underserved communities. This project is not just about improving heart failure outcomes, it’s about transforming rural healthcare through equity, innovation, and sustainability.
Contact: Catherine McGuinness - cathy.mcguinness@hdcbc.ca
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Presenting Authors: Dr. Daisy Dulay, Erika Pritchard, Karen Shepherd
The Consultation to Conversation (C2C) 2.0 program addresses barriers to specialist care in rural, remote, and Indigenous communities by connecting patients, primary care providers (PCPs), and specialists in real-time 3-way virtual consultations. Developed using the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s Model for Improvement, C2C fosters collaborative care, reduces patient travel & travel costs, and enhances knowledge exchange. Early results from consultations show high satisfaction among patients and providers, improved access, and reduced delays. Patients valued convenience, costs-saved, and emotional relief, while clinicians appreciated timely input and shared decision-making. Ongoing data collection will inform expansion, with a focus on long-term outcomes and sustainable healthcare delivery.
Contact: Erika Pritchard - epritchard@rccbc.ca
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Presenting Author: Esther Kim, MPH
Rural communities often do not have access to health data that is relevant and timely to their specific populations, making it difficult to plan services that appropriately meet the needs of the community. The objective of this work is to describe the development of rural catchments, based on drive time from health facilities. This will make it possible for health systems and services planning decisions to be able to meet population health needs. Applications of this work include gaining a more accurate understanding of population demographics, and being able to measure specific population health needs such as generalist care.
Contact: Ester Kim - dayeon.kim@ubc.ca
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Presenting Author: Dr. Anthon Meyer
The Rural Personal Health Records project addresses longstanding challenges in rural healthcare; fragmented records, limited data access, and high administrative burden. By introducing an integrated Personal Health Record, it enables seamless data exchange across various healthcare settings, labs, pharmacies, long-term care, specialists, and primary care. Providers benefit from reduced documentation workload and improved communication, while patients gain access to accurate, complete health records which fosters engagement, safety, and better health outcomes. The PHR is especially impactful for rural and remote communities, where connectivity gaps and system inefficiencies are most pronounced.
Contact: Anthon Meyer - rphr@rccbc.ca
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Presenting Author: Amanda Enevoldson, BSc.
Rural communities experience longer emergency service wait times and have lower rates of bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) than their urban counterparts. To address this, the Rural CPR Outreach Project was created to teach bystander-CPR to secondary students across rural B.C. Using Heart and Stroke Foundation guidelines, a free 1.5 hour course was designed, including presentation and team-based simulations. The rural CPR outreach program demonstrates a low-cost method of instruction which may be emulated by other health professional programs. This initiative has the potential to further address the healthcare disparity in rural areas by fostering interest to pursue healthcare-related studies.
Contact: Amanda Enevoldson - aenevold@student.ubc.ca
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Presenting Author: Dr. Charles Helm
In British Columbia, 32,000 people are diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) each year with over 1.5 million people living with the disease, costing the healthcare system $509 million annually, with disproportionate impacts in rural, remote, and Indigenous communities. While long considered a chronic, progressive disease, growing evidence shows that remission is possible through food-based approaches. This community engagement project in Tumbler Ridge and Port Alberni aimed to mobilize T2D remission evidence and co-develop patient-centred, food-first support strategies services and supports. We convened community tables using the Partnership Pentagram Plus model and fostered discussion using appreciative inquiry. We identified three key insights in our engagement: the importance of trust-based relationships, the role of local leadership, and the need for culturally appropriate, community-led solutions.
Contact: Alison James - ajames@rccbc.ca