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Monday, October 16, 2023 -

Call for Patient Safety Champion Nominations

We are looking for Patient Safety Champions across Nova Scotia Health! These are individuals or teams who model and demonstrate a genuine interest in safety. They are respected by their peers for modeling Nova Scotia Health core values of patient safety.

Nominate an individual or a team by October 16.

https://surveys.novascotia.ca/champions2023#

Nominees will be announced during Patient Safety Week, Oct. 23 to 27.

From NSH News September 26, 2023

Thursday, October 26, 2023 -

Public panel discussion:

Environment, brain development and mental health

How do environment influences affect brain development and mental health?

With guest speaker: Dr. Tomas Paus, Professor, Université de Montréal

Time: 7 - 9 p.m.

Location: The Peggy Corkum Music Room, 6181 Lady Hammond Rd., Halifax, NS

Registration: FREE and open to the public. No registration required.

Poster [PDF]

Friday, November 17, 2023 - Medicine Matters

On behalf of Dr. Trudy Taylor and the Continuing Professional Development Committee, we look forward to your participation in Medicine Matters on Friday, November 17, 2023. Itinerary to follow closer to the date. Hope to see you there.

Time: 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Location: Collaborative Health Education Building (CHEB)

Plenary session: Aligning with your 'why' as a core motivator - Dr. Angela Cooper

Agenda [PDF]

Registration Link:

https://surveys.novascotia.ca/TakeSurvey.aspx?SurveyID=l2K19n812#

Contact: Tammy.Zoccole@nshealth.ca

Thursday, November 23, 2023 - DoM Research Evening

Please join us for Research Evening on November 23, 2023. This event will include dinner and presentations.

The Commons Room has a maximum capacity of 120, so please RSVP early to ensure you have a seat! Please let Dariush know (domresearch@nshealth.ca) if you have any food restrictions or allergies.

Time: 6 - 9 p.m.

Location: Commons Room at the Atlantica Hotel (1980 Robie St., Halifax, NS B3H 3G5)

RSVP: domresearch@nshealth.ca

December 31 - Learning Management System (LMS)

Mandatory learning courses to be completed annually online through Nova Scotia Health.

https://elearning.nshealth.ca/

(Login to view your course list; complete by December 31 annually)

September

• Ify Ezemenari is currently Acting DoM Manager, effective September 11, working alongside DoM Manager Cara Yee.

• Simrat Singh joined the Department as a casual administrative staff on September 18 and is now working in the Division of Cardiology with Electrophysiology.

• Suzanne Marshall has joined the DoM as our Manager in the Education Office. Suzanne has a Bachelor of Arts, a Bachelor of Education, and a Master of Education degree all from Memorial University. She has a wealth of experience to bring to this role including her most recent job as the Administrator for a large Canadian not for profit organization. Suzanne has worked as a recruiter for international teachers, responsible for all facets including qualification assessments, interviewing, facilitation of visa applications and facilitating recruitment events. Suzanne is also an educator and taught junior high school for 7 years in St. John’s as well as Korea.

• Danielle Stone moved from Hematology to Clinical Dermatology & Cutaneous Science as Education Program Assistant on September 22.

• Sarah Cooper has moved from the Education Program Assistant Role to the Team Lead Role in Digestive Care & Endoscopy replacing Sandy Porter who retired at the end of August.

October

• Dr. Jessica Dawe will join the Division of Neurology effective October 3, 2023.

• Dr. Teresa Rodriguez will join the Division of General Internal Medicine in a locum from October 13, 2023 - March 31, 2024.

Recently approved/processed

• Dr. Shahid Ahmed, Division of General Internal Medicine, Clinical Assistant

• Dr. Akeem Sarumi, Division of General Internal Medicine, Clinical Assistant

• Dr. Nirahulan Sivanandan, Division of General Internal Medicine, Clinical Assistant

• Dr. Marium Hayat, Division of Hematology, Clinical Assistant

• Dr. Somi Lamai, Division of Hematology, Clinical Assistant

• Dr. Andrew Grant, Division of Cardiology, academic only appointment, Charlottetown, PEI

• Dr. Bashar Moghrabi, Division of Cardiology, academic only appointment, Moncton, NB

• Dr. Nicole Maillet-Lebel, Division of Clinical Dermatology & Cutaneous Science, academic only appointment, Moncton, NB

• Dr. Sherif Elshazly, Division of General Internal Medicine, academic only appointment, Moncton, NB

• Dr. Daryush Kiamiri, Division of General Internal Medicine, academic only appointment, Bridgewater, NS

• Dr. Alaa Mohamed, Division of General Internal Medicine, academic only appointment, Moncton, NB

• Dr. Benjamin Glickstein, Division of Geriatric Medicine, academic only appointment, Miramichi, NB

• Dr. Maude Landry, Division of Hematology, academic only appointment, Moncton, NB

• Dr. Narina Aliter, Division of Medical Oncology, academic only appointment, Saint John, NB

• Dr. Luisa Galvis, Division of Medical Oncology, academic only appointment, Fredericton, NB

• Dr. Pierre O'Brien, Division of Medical Oncology, academic only appointment, Moncton, NB

• Dr. Stephen Morais, Division of Rheumatology, academic only appointment, Charlottetown, PEI

• Dr. Nour Issa, Clinical Assistant, Division of Cardiology

• Dr. Rasika Muthukuda, Clinical Assistant, Division of Cardiology

• Dr. Samuel Abegunde, Clinical Assistant, Division of Hematology

• Dr. Sona Ebadi, Clinical Assistant, Division of Hematology

• Lewina Gilbert, Booking Clerk associated with Department of Medicine

• Lillian Francis, Booking Clerk, associated with Department of Medicine

• Angela Doucette, Billing Clerk, DoM Physician Services

• Taylour Stevens, Part-time in DoM Finance Office

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Ali Imran as the Head, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism effective immediately. Dr. Imran has been working as interim Head of Endocrinology since 2020.

Dr. Imran received his medical degree from King Edward Medical College, Pakistan and completed his postgraduate training in Endocrinology in UK and Canada. He is a Professor in Medicine at Dalhousie University and Co-Director of the Interdisciplinary Thyroid Oncology Clinic and the Halifax Neuropituitary Program. He is also cross appointed in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the Division of Neurosurgery.

His areas of research include neuroendocrine disorders and thyroid oncology. He has published several key papers in these areas and has co-authored a book on clinical neuroendocrinology. Dr. Imran is also an accomplished watercolorist and his paintings have been exhibited both locally and internationally.

We would also like to take this opportunity to thank the outgoing Head, Dr. Stephanie Kaiser, for her leadership and dedication to the division.

Please join us in welcoming Dr. Imran to the role!

Please note: The announcement for Dr. Paige Moorhouse will be included in the November newsletter.

To help further the work of the strategic plan, we are focusing on strengthening our toolkit to improve culture and conflict in our workplace. Content submitted by Diane LeBlanc, Basia Solarz and Brennan Dempsey.

LUFU and you

Active or reflective listening is a way of being attentive and providing feedback to a communicator. It is a useful method of signaling interest, soliciting and retaining useful information, and increasing mutual engagement, and as such it can be very valuable in leadership contexts.

We are regularly advised to indicate our interest through our posture, through paraphrasing or summations, and to hear our partner’s words rather than plan the next thing we have to say. This is all great advice, although sometimes it still falls short, and communication is ineffective. If someone is repeating themselves, emotionally activated, or inexplicably stubborn, for example, it may be that active listening is insufficient.

Sometimes what is truly needed is understanding.

In Getting to Zero, Jayson Gaddis suggests we are best served by the “LUFU” method - Listen Until they Feel Understood. (In the same chapter of this book, Gaddis suggests that “people who suck at conflict also suck at collaboration” which is a statement worth some contemplation.)

LUFU contains some of the same injunctions as active listening advice - we should paraphrase our agreement, ask questions of curiosity, and so on - but also, we need to go deeper. Empathy, validation, and owning our own part of a conflict are surer ways of making people feel understood, and de-escalating conflictual situations.

Gaddis argues that the phrase “that makes sense” is a very effective first step in validating another person. He also notes that if we really want to own our part of a conflict, we cannot engage in rationalizations or long explanations of our conduct. However, if we can suppress our natural instincts and instead focus on mutual understanding, we can be much more effective in conflicts while maintaining our key relationships. 

Department of Medicine Committee Membership 2023-2024

Department of Medicine Committees guide our members, activities and processes. By working together, we improve the function of our department. Without committee membership, our department would operate quite differently. 

Our committee membership is composed of more than 400 roles/positions. Approximately 25% of positions change each year. Changes occur due to role changes, staff changes, development or realignment.

Committee members can be appointed based on their role within the Department (e.g. Division Heads, Directors, Chairs) or voted in by Department members. Membership terms are generally three years with option for renewal (exceptions apply). Terms of reference are currently being reviewed for each committee.

Current committees include:

• Awards & Recognition Committee
• Clinical Fellowship Committee (CFC)
• Clinical Systems and Innovation (CSI) Committee
• Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Committee
• Education Committee
• Equity Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Committee
• Executive Committee
• Financial Management Committee (FMC)
• Internal Medicine Competence Committee
• Internal Medicine Program Directors Committee (IMPDC)
• Internal Medicine Residency Program Committee (RPC)
• Investment Portfolio Committee (IPC)
• Medicine Teaching Unit (MTU) Education Committee
• Nominating Committee
• Point of Care Ultrasound (PoCUS) Committee
• Promotions Committee (calendar year)
• Quality Improvement Steering Committee (QISC)
• Research Committee
• Resident Research Committee
• Risk and Rewards Committee
• Simulation Committee
• Strategic Plan Steering Committee
• Survey and Search Committees
• Undergraduate Medical Education Committee

Annually, we strive to send out the call for nominations in February/March after all upcoming vacancies / changes are identified. The call for interest then goes to all department members where nominations and self-nominations can be submitted. A special call for interest is sent when a director or chair is stepping down from their role.

The DoM Nominating Committee meets to review nominations and makes recommendations in order to fill vacancies. Recommendations are made based on the current committee membership while keeping in mind a balanced, equitable and broad representation for the department. Our goal is to fill positions for the June Department meeting where new member changes are voted on and approved at the monthly department meeting.

We thank every member who currently participates (or has participated) on a department standing or ad hoc committee.

For more details on the current membership for 2023-2024, please see the attached PDF (pictured below).

For more information on committee membership, contact anne.veinotte@nshealth.ca.

Current vacancies for 2023-2024 include:

Call for Interest – Survey and Search Committees

The Department of Medicine has the responsibility to complete Divisional Surveys and Searches. These surveys and searches generally occur every five years for each Division, and provide an opportunity review the operations and performance of a Division’s clinical care, education and research mandate. The Division Surveys may evolve into a Divisional Search if the Division Head role is being vacated.

The committees that will conduct these surveys and searches should have appropriate representation from members of the DoM. The Department asks that faculty members consider volunteering to sit on upcoming survey/search committees. It is anticipated that the next survey committees will be formed in late 2023-early 2024.

Work on these committees will include reviewing documentation about the Division, as well as interviewing Division members and other individuals as appropriate. Committee member input will then be sought to inform the final report, which will summarize findings and make appropriate recommendations.

A copy of the Department & Division Survey & Search Guidelines has been attached for your reference (please note that the DoM timelines may differ from those indicated in the document).

If you are interested in volunteering to sit on one of these committees, please fill out the form at: https://surveys.novascotia.ca/DoMSurveyCommittees (note: if you have previously submitted your information, it does not need to be resubmitted).

If any questions, please let me know.

Thanks,

Heather Fraser, B.A., J.D.

PHYSICIAN RESOURCE CONSULTANT | DEPT OF MEDICINE

Community helps make resident doctor’s cycling dream come true

"Wheels started spinning when Yarmouth community navigator Nancy Ellis met resident Dr. Ziyad Alanazi, and learned of his dream of cycling in the Gran Fondo Baie Sainte-Marie race in Clare.

Alanazi arranged his residency in Yarmouth to be close to the Gran Fondo, and even had a custom jersey made with his country's Saudi Arabian flag along with the Dalhousie medical school logo. Unfortunately, he was not able to get his bicycle shipped in time. Within hours, the local community did some fast peddling and found Alanazi an appropriate bike, and Gran Fondo organizers made sure he was registered. He got a lift from Yarmouth to the starting line in Clare and finished 6th in his division, with a time of five hours, 38 minutes, and 43 seconds, cycling 128 kms.

Congratulation to Dr. Alanazi and thank you to Nancy Ellis and everyone who helped make his cycling dream come true."

Story from NSH News September 26, 2023

Our Department's Regional Education Coordinator, Amanda MacKay, connects residents with appropriate contacts for their rotations. Amanda regularly connects with Nancy Ellis, Yarmouth's Community Navigator, about residents in the program. Dr. Ziyad Alanazi is a PGY1 Core Internal Medicine Resident who recently completed a rotation in Yarmouth.

This was truly a team effort! Well done!

Dr. Todd Hatchette receives 2022 Lea C. Steeves Award

Dr. Todd Hatchette of the Division of Infectious Diseases and the Department of Pathology has been selected as the recipient of the Dr. Lea C. Steeves Award for 2022.

The Dr. Lea C. Steeves annual award highlights continuing medical education teachers, and is given to an individual who consistently provides an exceptionally high quality of education to their students.

Dr. Hatchette was selected for this award based on his excellence in teaching and his demonstrated commitment to physician education.

From

Faculty of Medicine Leadership Update - September 27, 2023

Quality Improvement Steering Committee (QISC) Initiative Funding Competition - Spring 2023

Congratulations to the following awardees and teams (6 projects):

Green MTU: Shrinking the carbon footprint of 8.2 through reducing metered dose inhaler usage



Awardee: Dr. Nabha Shetty, Division of General Internal Medicine

Project team members: Elisa Purdy (Health Services Manager, MTU), Tamara Baker (Clinical Pharmacist), Cheryl Macneil (Clinical Nurse Educator), Lucy Eum (Internal Medicine Resident)

Improving the efficiency of the triage process for gastroenterology



Awardee: Dr. Ali Kohansal, Division of Digestive Care & Endoscopy (DC&E)

Project team members: Dr. Michael Stewart (Assistant Professor. DC&E), Dr. Sunil Patel (Associate Professor. DC&E) and Dr. Dana Farina (Associate Professor. DC&E)

Integration of a physician assistant into gastroenterology ambulatory care services to improve clinic efficiency and cost-effectiveness of healthcare resource utilization

Awardee: Dr. Jennifer Jones, Division of Digestive Care & Endoscopy

Project team members: Dr. Michael Stewart (Assistant Professor. DC&E), Dr. Tasha Kulai (Assistant Professor. DC&E) and Cynthia Stockman (Director, Ambulatory Care)

Implementation of Primary Care Pathway for GI Conditions: DMNB Saint John site

Awardee: Dr. Stephanie Carpentier, Division of Digestive Care & Endoscopy

Project team members: Krista Downey (Project Assistant), Luke Searle (Office Manager)

Improving door-to-needle times in acute stroke thrombolytic treatment

Awardee: Dr Sherry Hu, Division of Neurology

Project team members: Noreen Kamal (Assistant Professor, Department of Industrial Engineering), Gizem Koca (PhD Candidate, Department of Industrial Engineering)

Improving Kidney Transplantation Education in Atlantic Canada: A Quality Improvement Initiative

Awardee: Chandni Sehgal, Pharmacist

Project team members: Dr. Amanda Vinson (Assistant Professor, Nephrology), Dr. Karthik Tennankore (Professor, Nephrology), Dr. Chris Daley (Pharmacist, Mutli-Organ Transplant), Dr. Keigan More (Assistant Professor, Nephrology)

The Women@Heart NS Pilot Project:

Rationale and Design of a Community-Based Peer Support Program for Women Living with Heart Disease in Nova Scotia

Congratulations to team members on their first in-press study for DoM Clinical Systems and Innovations! Authors include:

Zoya A. Gomes BSc, MSc.

Nadine Elias BSc. Kin

Kerri A. Mullen BSc, MSc, Ph.D

Nicole Nickerson

Wanda Firth PDt

Cynthia Kendell BSc. Kin MScHK, PhD

Laura Jimenez BSc

Jennifer Jones MD, FRCPC

Sharon L. Mulvagh MD, FRCPC, FASE, FACC, FAHA

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589790X2300255X

New Provincial Referral Process for Cancer Care

On Sept. 18, a single provincial referral form and process replaced all previous zone and facility, and division-specific referral forms and processes for cancer care.

This new streamlined provincial referral process will standardize the process and ensure patients are triaged appropriately and receive their appointment as soon as possible. Cancer specialists will have easy access to necessary test results and investigations to support a fulsome discussion with patients about treatment options and plans.

This does not apply to surgical oncology or pediatric/adolescent oncology.

To safely process, triage and schedule new patients, all referrals must include a completed Cancer Care Program Referral form.

If you have questions about this new process, please email Terra Thibault, terra.thibault@nshealth.ca or Valerie Nugent, valerie.nugent@nshealth.ca.

DoM UIMRF Funding Opportunities 2023-24

UIMRF is currently accepting applications for grant and fellowship funding:

Please contact DoMResearch@nshealth.ca for information and application forms. 

DoM Research Awards 2023-24 - Call for Award Nominations

Please see the guidelines and nomination information for the Department of Medicine Research Awards:

DoM Faculty (primary appointment) Research Excellence Awards

– up to 3 awards may be presented

DoM Cross-Appointed Faculty Research Excellence Award

– up to 1 award may be presented

The deadline for award nominations is Wednesday, October 11, 2023 at noon. 

Nominations are to be submitted electronically to DoMResearch@nshealth.ca.

Kindest regards,

Dariush Bakhtiari, PhD

Research Program Administrative Coordinator | Department of Medicine

DoM Research Week 2024 - Call for Abstracts

Open to all DoM Faculty, Residents, Undergraduate Students, Graduate Students, Research Fellows, and Research Staff

The DoM Research Committee invites you to submit an abstract for consideration for DoM Research Week 2024. Please share with your trainees and research groups as needed. 

1. Please complete the Abstract Submission Form
2. Return it to DoMResearch@nshealth.ca by Monday, January 15, 2024.

As noted on the form, please keep the body of the abstract no more than 20 lines of text (Times New Roman, size 10, within the form margins), as this is the maximum amount that will be displayed in the abstract booklet. Late submissions will not be accepted.

DoM Research Week will be taking place in the week of April 8 - 12, 2024.

It is anticipated that this event will have in-person and virtual components.

Kindest regards, 

Dariush Bakhtiari, PhD

Research Program Administrative Coordinator | Department of Medicine

Mental Health & Well-Being

Department of Medicine

Nova Scotia Health

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