The Gasette

Learning about acute and chronic pain management was on the agenda at the 2024 Atlantic Pain Conference. The conference is a multidisciplinary event held annually in cities across the unceded territories of the Mi'kmaq, Wolastoqiyik, Innu, and Inuit peoples, including Halifax, St. John's, Charlottetown, and Fredericton. The conference attracts a wide range of health care providers, including physicians, nurses, social workers, physiotherapists, massage therapists, and occupational therapists. Importantly, patients are also invited to attend with free registration, and they are involved in the planning and organization of the meeting.

In recent years, engagement with medical students has been a priority, with increasing numbers attending to learn how to better help patients suffering from pain.

The brainchild of retired department members Drs. Mary Lynch and John Clark, this annual conference was established to improve pain management education in our region. Over 150 participants attended this year’s virtual conference in October 2024. As in past years, the Department had strong representation from both current members and alumni, including Drs. Jane Seviour, Ivan Cohen, Leo Fares, Karim Wafa, and Karim Mukhida, who served as speakers.

The legacy of former department members' contributions to pain management was honored with plenary talks in their names. This year's Dr. Lynch Keynote Speaker was Dr. Roshanak Charghi from McGill University, who discussed interventional approaches to managing low back pain. The Dr. John Fraser Keynote Lecture, presented by Dr. Jaris Swidrovich from the University of Toronto, truly captured the spirit of Dr. Fraser's lifetime of work.

Conference Chair Dr. Karim Mukhida summarized the event by saying, “The Atlantic Pain Conference was a successful day of learning, sharing, and building capacity within teams to better diagnose and treat those living with acute and chronic pain. A special thank you is extended to Jessica Howe, conference organizer since 2016, whose professionalism, hard work, and dedication have ensured the conference’s continued success.”

During their years of study, Dalhousie medical students face the daunting task of selecting a residency program that sparks their interest and best aligns with their skills, experience, and aspirations. One way they gain exposure to medical professions is by participating in the Annual Career Evening, hosted by the Faculty of Medicine's Postgraduate Medical Office. This November, over 300 students attended the event, many of whom visited the Department of Anesthesia's booth. Faculty members Drs. Narendra Vakharia, Tristan Dumbarton, IB Adedugbe, and Jon Bailey, along with residents Drs. Janlyn Hoffman, Alexander MacPherson, Nathan Baron, and Livia Anthes, engaged with students, sharing their experiences in anesthesia. They provided valuable information on the residency program as well as on the rewarding careers available in anesthesia.

According to Dr. Anthes, our Chief Resident, “Career Night is a fantastic opportunity to showcase our specialty to medical students of all years, especially pre-clerkship, as they get such limited exposure to anesthesia otherwise. Word is getting around that we are the best-kept secret in acute care: we gain mastery in life-saving skills, have extensive options for further training, job stability, high work-life satisfaction, and lead strong multidisciplinary teams. Many students asked us if we ‘always knew’ we wanted to train in anesthesia. We were honest about how we all had very different routes to get here. The one thing we all agreed on was that anesthesia brings together everything we enjoyed from different specialties into one amazing package.”

While the information-sharing is greatly valued, it’s the interactive, hands-on opportunities to explore anesthesia tools that students particularly enjoy. Those who visited the booth eagerly tried out their technical skills on the simulation equipment. A special thanks goes to Dr. Bukky Akindele, Undergrad Medical Director, our presenters, and the Office of Education staff for organizing our participation in this event.

Recruiting talented faculty has been a key priority for the Department in recent years, and we are very proud of our success in this area. From July 2023 to June 2024, the Department successfully recruited and onboarded 14 new clinical faculty as continuing appointments and secured ten locum tenens physicians with terms ranging from a few weeks to a full year. Since then, an additional nine clinical faculty members have joined the team.

For new staff, transitioning from learner to clinical faculty, or moving to Halifax from elsewhere in the country or internationally, can be overwhelming—adjusting to new ways of working, different equipment, and multiple sites. Recently, our Wellness Committee hosted a dinner for newly joined faculty members to discuss their experiences and gather feedback on their transitions. This informal networking event was not only enjoyable but also provided valuable insights into areas where the Department can improve onboarding, communication, and daily operations. Many suggestions centered around creating better systems for accessing information, clearer communication, and more structured support for new staff during their transitions.

Dr. Stephanie Power, Wellness Director, shared her thoughts on the evening: “It was wonderful for our newer team members to build friendships and network in an informal, positive, and social environment. Continuous feedback, transparency, and promoting a supportive, collaborative culture are critical to ensuring that both new staff and the Department as a whole continue to thrive.”

Understanding that climate change impacts health, the Department has recently undertaken two initiatives to contribute to a greener environment and build awareness about environmental sustainability.

The Department’s Wellness Committee organized a fun Eco-Commute Challenge to encourage members to reduce carbon emissions by commuting to work in an environmentally friendly way. Forty-three department members participated in this five-week program, collectively logging an impressive 2,918.5 kilometers of eco-friendly commutes. The most common commuting methods were cycling, followed by walking, which together contributed 1,219.4 kilometers. Other commute options included driving fully electric vehicles, carpooling, using public transit, and riding e-scooters. Participants not only logged their commute options and distances but also shared the new discoveries they made about the city during their commutes.

In recognition that anesthesia and surgical practices have a significant environmental impact, the Department has created a new Medical Director of Environmental Sustainability position for anesthesia within the NSH-Central Zone. Dr. Genevieve McKinnon will assume this role in January 2025, collaborating closely with interdisciplinary teams and leadership to promote a greener hospital environment and incorporate sustainability into perioperative processes. Dr. McKinnon shared, “We know that despite our best intentions, hospitals are major contributors to carbon emissions, with operating rooms being one of the largest sources due to energy-intensive procedures and reliance on single-use materials and anesthetic gases. We want to champion actions to advance our commitment to environmental sustainability and help position the Department as a leader in healthcare sustainability practices.”