September 16th - 2026 AGM & Presentation

You are invited to attend Central Island Division’s Annual General Meeting, followed by a special presentation featuring Port Alberni Mayor Sharie Minions and Pat Deakin, Economic Development Manager.

The presentation will showcase Port Alberni’s transformation through HGTV’s Home Town Takeover Canada and explore how the project’s national exposure and community revitalization may help support recruitment efforts—including attracting new physicians and other professionals to the area.

Learn more about the City of Port Alberni’s Home Town Takeover Canada project HERE.

The evening schedule
5:30 - arrive
5:45 - dinner
6:20-6:55 - AGM
7:15 - Presentation – “Port Alberni Home Town Takeover”.
8:30 - event ends

Division members will receive a one-hour sessional for the presentation portion of the evening.

Date: Wednesday, September 16, 2026
Time: Dinner at 5:30 PM, with the AGM and presentation to follow
Location: The Sand Dollar Room at the Beach Club Resort, Parksville
RSVP: Click HERE by Tuesday, September 8, 2026

Welcome Dr. Georg Viviers and Dr. Nathan McClure

We’re delighted to welcome Dr. Viviers and Dr. McClure to Central Island!

Dr. McClure will be joining the Salish Sea Clinic, while Dr. Viviers will be taking over Dr. Clair Biglow’s patients and practicing at the new Primrose Clinic.

We’re excited to have them join our community and look forward to all they’ll bring to local patient care. Please join us in giving them a warm welcome and wishing them both a wonderful start!

FPSC Leadership and Management Development Program

Register now for the FPSC  Leadership and Management Development Program (LMDP),  delivered in partnership with Simon Fraser University’s Beedie School of Business.  

The program is open to physicians in leadership roles within their Division of Family Practice or those planning to assume such a role soon. 

Space is limited. If you're interested in applying, please connect with your local Division of Family Practice and complete the application form. The deadline to apply is September 9, 2026.

Learn more here

RTVS Update

The RTVS Quick Reply Neurology pathway paused until further notice

The RTVS Quick Reply Neurology pathway has been paused until further notice.

A decision to pause the pathway was made after careful consideration and reflects specialist capacity at this time.

We recognize the value this service has provided to rural healthcare providers and their patients, and we appreciate your support and engagement with the pathway to date. Our team will continue to evaluate opportunities to resume the service in the future and will provide updates as they become available.

The 10 other Quick Reply pathways are unaffected by this service change. Anyone with any questions can contact the RTVS team at info@rtvs-bc.ca.

Information on available pathways

Zeyad El Karsh, Physiotherapist • Now Accepting New Patient Referrals

Welcome Zeyad El Karsh - a new physiotherapist now welcoming new patient referrals at Qualicum Associates Clinic.

Zeyad provides individualized, evidence-based care for musculoskeletal injury, post-surgical recovery, chronic pain, and functional decline —with particular strengthin safe, progressive exercise prescription for patients across all ages and activity levels.

Please click here for the clinic poster

Please click here for referral pamphlet

Resource | Alhgoh Together as One, Together as Community: Pathway to Indigenous Cultural Safety

We are sharing along a valuable learning opportunity that may be of interest to primary care teams across the Vancouver Island.

Alhgoh Together as One, Together as Community: Pathway to Indigenous Cultural Safety is a new, free online course offered through UBC Continuing Professional Development (CPD). Alhgoh was developed through multiple partnerships between the First Nations Health Authority and Ministry of Health and is funded by the Province’s Primary Care Strategy.

Designed for physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, pharmacists, specialists, and other health-care professionals, this course supports learners in strengthening culturally safe, anti-racist care practices and meeting their professional responsibilities to provide respectful and inclusive care. This is an excellent opportunity for individuals and teams to build their understanding of Indigenous cultural safety and contribute to more culturally safe and inclusive care for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples across British Columbia.

BC Physician Wellness Hub now available on Pathways

The BC Physician Wellness Hub, developed through a collaboration between the Physician Health Program (PHP) and Pathways BC, brings together trusted physician wellness resources, services, and supports in one convenient location.

Created in response to physician feedback that wellness resources were often difficult to find, the Hub makes it easier to quickly access supports for physician well-being. You can access it directly from the Pathways homepage or through the Resources drop-down menu after logging in. Whether you're looking for wellness resources for yourself or a colleague, the BC Physician Wellness Hub is designed to make finding support simpler.

Island Health Divisions Communication - Upcoming Learning Opportunities

We have three Primary Care Grand Rounds scheduled for the Fall. Details for each session are outlined below, and corresponding calendar invites are attached.

October 7th | 12:00–1:00 PM
Interventional Radiology
Presented by Dr. Vamshi Kotha

November 4th | 12:00–1:00 PM
De‑Medicalizing End of Life: Putting Theory into Practice
Presented by Dr. Chloe Lemire‑Elmore

November 24th | 12:00–1:00 PM
Falls Prevention in Primary Care
Presenter TBC

Session details will be updated on the Primary Care Medical Staff Calendar of Events.

If you have any questions, please contact: PCGrandRounds@islandhealth.ca

When a Community Leads: Whistler 360’s Story of Trust, Teamwork, and Transformation

Whistler 360 Health is a community‑governed, not‑for‑profit primary care centre that grew out of years of planning and relationship‑building. To support this mission, the clinic joined Quality Team Coaching for Rural BC (QTC4RBC), which uses evidence‑informed frameworks and facilitated dialogue to support relationship-building and problem-solving over a six-month program.

Read the full story to learn more about how Whistler 360's experience in quality improvement began with quality relationships.

Read the story

From the BC Injury Research and Prevention Unit - Concussion Awareness Training Tool (CATT) and resources for Medical Professionals

The Concussion Awareness Training Tool (CATT) is a free, provincially-funded, evidence-based concussion education resource designed for 8 different audiences, including medical professionals, parents/caregivers, and youth. The website features eLearning courses and tailored resources for each audience. Content is regularly reviewed and updated to reflect the latest research and guidelines, and is now available in four languages.

Medical professionals can further their knowledge of concussion recognition, diagnosis, treatment, and management by completing the CATT Medical Professionals course, which offers up to 2 hours of CME credits.

Information | Registration

Nominate rural health leaders for the 2027 BC Rural Health Awards

Nominations for the 2027 BC Rural Health Awards are open until October 23, 2026.

The awards recognize rural physicians, residents, and communities whose leadership, service, and commitment are helping to improve the health of people and communities in rural BC.

Nominate a leader

Pathways: Need advice on caring for a patient with a spinal-cord injury? 

Available on Pathways, The Spinal Cord Injury Navigation Service (SCI Nav) from Vancouver Coastal Health connects physicians with free expert advice, consultations, training, and resources to support the care of patients living with spinal cord injury across BC, and helps physicians build confidence in providing complex SCI-specific care.

Details and referral information

The CARE Course goes WILDE

Dates: September 21–24, 2026
Location: Pemberton, BC

The CARE Course goes WILDE brings experienced rural physicians, nurses and pre-hospital providers together for immersive learning in outdoor and remote settings.

The course includes emergency care content from The CARE Course, along with wilderness medicine learning.

Register

Dr. Danette Dawkin to take on CEO role as RCCbc enters next stage of growth

We are pleased to share that Dr. Danette Dawkin will take on the role of CEO, effective Aug. 1, 2026. The new CEO role adds organization-wide leadership and coordination while maintaining RCCbc’s existing leadership roles; Dr. Ray Markham will continue as executive director, medicine, and Leslie Carty will continue as executive director, operations, working alongside Danette and RCCbc’s directors in their respective areas of leadership.

Danette brings deep experience as a rural family physician and health system leader and will continue to practise while taking on the CEO role. Her appointment will help RCCbc continue to grow in a way that remains grounded in rural practice, community relationships and the partnerships that shape its work. This next stage of RCCbc’s development is about strengthening the structure and support needed to carry that work forward as the organization grows.

Read the story

Oceanside Hospice Society

The Oceanside Hospice Society serves individuals and families experiencing end-of-life, care-giving and bereavement in the area stretching from Deep Bay to Nanoose, and west to Errington and Whiskey Creek
We strive to provide links in the continuum of care by supporting care giving at home, in hospital or the palliative care unit at Trillium and at community care facilities.

Please contact us at 250.752.6227 or visit https://oceansidehospice.com/  for further information.

Divisions Dispatch

The latest news from the provincial team and complementary organizations.

Please click here for updates including:

• LFP Payment Model updates
• Webinars and continuing medical education (CME)

Divisions in the News

Divisions in the News
See what is going on in other divisions around BC:

https://divisionsbc.ca/provincial/news-and-events