January 2026 Newsletter

WORKING GROUP UPDATE FROM YOUR MSA

In the December newsletter, we listed the new and existing members of the VJH MSA's Working Group. Regrettably, we omitted the names of two esteemed representatives: Dr. Jennifer Smith, Hospitalist Medicine, and Dr. Cynthia Ciezki, Obstetrics & Gynaecology. Both physicians have made significant contributions to the team, and we are grateful for their dedication.

PRESTIGIOUS TEACHING AWARD BESTOWED TO VJH
OBGYN DEPARTMENT

The D. A. Boyes Society established the Community Teaching Award in 2018 to honor Dr. David Alexander Boyes’ dedication to medical education in British Columbia. This annual award recognizes a community in British Columbia or Yukon for outstanding commitment to undergraduate or resident training in Obstetrics and Gynaecology. We're proud to announce this year's recipient is Vernon Jubilee Hospital's OBGYN Department. At the annual D.A. Boyes meeting on November 20th Dr. Cynthia Ciezki accepted this award on behalf of Drs. Raelene Foisy, Nicholas Half, Jennifer Procyshen, as well as herself, who were the members that participated in teaching within the department in 2025.The award also comes with a financial grant for $5000 to direct to sponsorship of a visiting lectureship and/or mentorship by an expert of their choice. This represents a noteworthy accomplishment considering the staffing challenges encountered by the department. Congratulations!

WELCOME TO THE VJH TEAM!

We are pleased to introduce you to some of the newest addition to our VJH Medical Staff.

Anesthesiology

Dr. Annie Lagace

Medicine

Dr. Isabelle MacLean

Upcoming Events!

The Vernon MSA is introducing a new event in 2026, called

"PickleDOC". This first event in the 2026 series is on January 17 2026, 4:30pm – 6:30pm at the Vernon Pickleball Sport Complex at Marshall Fields and MSA members can now sign up to participate in this mini tournament.

There is space for 32 contestants to compete in this event and players will be assigned on a first-come, first-serve basis, so make sure you secure your space by signing up early!

ENTRY FEE is $40 to play.

Click on the Poster or scan the QR code to register.

MSA Pub Night and PickleDoc Tournament Awards

Saturday, January 17

Support your colleagues by joining us for a pub dinner and prize-giving ceremony at The Kal at 7:00pm following the PickleDoc tournament.

ENTRY FEE is $15 (meal not included)

Click on the Pickle or scan the QR code to register. Space is limited.

CME GRAND ROUNDS

Change of date to January 22, 2026 8:00am-9:00am "Immune-Related Adverse Events Associated with Cancer Immunotherapy", a growing area of relevance for frontline clinicians.

Presented by, Noura Safar, MBBS, MRCP (UK)

BC Cancer Medical Oncologist

Key toxicities, early clinical clues, and recommended initial evaluations will be outlined, with emphasis on conditions requiring urgent intervention. Practical guidance will be provided to support timely recognition and coordinated management of these increasingly encountered complications.

February 12, 2026 8:00am-9:00am "Advancing Stroke Recovery through Innovative Clinical Research at UBC"

Presented by, Dr. Brodie Sakakibara, PhD

Okanagan Stroke Research Lab, UBC Okanagan

Learn about the ongoing research initiatives and explore opportunities for patient referral and collaboration. The team led by Dr. Sakakibara, Principal Researcher, is running patient-focused clinical trials that use virtual platforms to provide evidence-based rehabilitation and stroke prevention. These studies seek to improve access and continuity of care for stroke survivors in British Columbia.

Click here for or scan the QR code for Zoom link to access CMEs

VJH General Medical Staff Meeting

Thursday, January 29th 7:00am-8:30am

VJH Education Room

A continental breakfast will be served to those in attendance.

SAVE THE DATE!!

Annual Spring Gala

Saturday, April 11th

being held at

"The Edge at The Rise"

Watch for more information in the New Year in the newsletter and on the MSA's Events page.

If you're a physician with a rental property and are looking to rent to another physician, post your property on the Physician Waffle House.

Something to Sell? Post that too!

November's Kudos Winner!

Raelene Foisy, MD was nominated by Dr. Yann Brierley for “Hanging in there”, "Going the extra mile" and "Supporting the team". To thank her for going above and beyond, Raelene won a prize pack to the Towne Cinema in Vernon!

Click/tap here or scan the QR code to access the online form.

MINGLE JINGLE

A good time was had by all at this year's seasonal event. Held at the Cambium on December 5th, attendees "got their jingle on" while mingling with colleagues!

This Quick Guide of funding opportunities & resources has been prepared for VJH physicians. Click or tap here to download your copy.

DID YOU KNOW...
...that you can visit vernonphysiciansociety.ca to find upcoming events, resources and easy to use forms to submit a funding application for an FE project.

Working on a funding application? Your preparation time is billable under the FE activity Physician Engagement Application Support (PEAS). If this activity is not on your personal drop down menu, contact support@vernonphysiciansociety.ca and it will be added to your profile.

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