Conversations for Change: Choosing Wisely at Island Health Events
Thanks to Health System Redesign (HSR) funding, the Choosing Wisely at Island Health Oversight Committee has been able to connect with medical staff and multidisciplinary teams on a deeper level.
Engagement is the spark that drives change. By working closely with physicians and care teams, we’re building a culture of thoughtful decision-making, working together to reduce unnecessary tests and treatments while embedding Choosing Wisely Canada recommendations as best practice. These recommendations don’t just improve patient care, they help create a more sustainable health system for everyone.
With HSR support, we’ve launched multiple Subject Matter Expert Groups, hosted island-wide virtual symposiums, and partnered with both Island Health Research for Knowledge-to-Action month and the Environmental Sustainability Program during Island Health’s first-ever Climate Change & Planetary Health Conference.
Since 2020, we’ve hosted five virtual events and participated in one in-person event, engaging over 350 participants, including nearly 200 physicians across the island. These conversations have been key to shaping the future of Choosing Wisely at Island Health. Your voice matters and together we’re making a difference!
Stay tuned for updates about the event or email MedStaffQI@islandhealth.ca if you have any questions.
- From Recommendations to Action: Sustainability in Clinical Practice on November 21, 2025
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Choosing Wisely at Island Health partnered with the Environmental Sustainability team to host our 6th event on November 21, 2025.
This 3-hour virtual event brought together 63 medical staff and sustainability champions to explore practical ways to reduce healthcare’s environmental impact and highlight the alignment between sustainable healthcare and Choosing Wisely recommendations. Each presentation included actionable strategies for reducing unnecessary resource use. Together, these sessions inspired participants with real-world examples, practical tools, and opportunities to collaborate toward a greener, more sustainable health system.
The event featured three presentations all centered around environmental sustainability including two presentations from Green Team participants with work focused on reducing overuse and one presentation on Waste Segregation in healthcare. A special thank you to our presenters, Dr. Joelle Dennie, Dr. Kara Schneider, Dominique Duquette, Cassy Melvin, and Spencer Graham.
Visit the links below to see a copy of the agenda and read the answers to the slido questions captured during the event.
Click here to view a PDF copy of our agenda.
Click here to read the answers to the Slido Questions, written by Cassy Melvin and Spencer Graham. *Island Health login required*
This event was made possible through HSR funding which provided sessional payments for fully licensed island FPs and SPs. Health System Redesign is supported by the Joint Collaborative Committees—a partnership between the Doctors of BC and the Ministry of Health—The Specialist Services, Shared Care, and Family Practice Services Committees.
- Choosing Wisely for Patients and the Planet: December 6, 2024
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“The Canadian Medical Association explains the commitment for physicians to “do not harm” extends to the planet.” (Source: Why Canada needs a net-zero health system)
Recognizing our healthcare system is often faced with staff and resource shortages alongside the climate crisis it is more important than ever to focus on the right test at the right time for the right purpose. Reducing unnecessary lab tests has a measurable impact on our patients and on planetary health.
By popular request, the Choosing Wisely at Island Health Oversight Committee hosted a 1-hour virtual event on December 6, 2024, focusing on how appropriate lab testing and medication prescribing can make a positive difference in reducing the environmental impacts of healthcare. This was our sixth event made possible through HSR Funding and feedback was overwhelmingly positive. The session was a mix of presentation and group discussion, and we were grateful to be joined by 65 enthusiastic physicians and care team members.Building on the momentum from the event, we're exploring opportunities to develop impactful educational resources for clinical teams and expanding the Choosing Wisely at Island Health Public Awareness Campaign. This next wave of materials will emphasize appropriate lab testing and prescribing, thoughtfully integrating sustainability principles and aligning with the triple bottom line—people, planet, and prosperity.
This event was made possible through HSR funding which provided sessional payments for fully licensed island FPs and SPs. Health System Redesign is supported by the Joint Collaborative Committees—a partnership between the Doctors of BC and the Ministry of Health—The Specialist Services, Shared Care, and Family Practice Services Committees.
- Climate Change and Planetary Health Conference: September 26, 2024
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Choosing Wisely Canada announced the release of new Climate Action recommendations at their National Meeting on April 15, 2024. These recommendations highlight sustainable changes we can do to make a difference. Reducing overuse in healthcare benefits both patients and the planet—an approach that aligns closely with Island Health’s ongoing efforts to reduce our climate impacts.
Planetary Health is a shared passion at Island Health, and it’s reflected in our commitment to environmentally responsible care. On September 26, 2024, the Environmental Sustainability Program hosted Island Health’s first Climate Change & Planetary Health Conference in Nanaimo (*Island Health login required*), a transformative day that brought together over 200 employees, medical staff, and leaders to explore and advance climate action and environmental sustainability. The event also marked the official launch of Island Health’s Climate Change and Planetary Health Strategy.
Members of the Choosing Wisely Oversight Committee were present to highlight how CWC recommendations support sustainability in healthcare. As part of the conference, we hosted a dedicated breakout room to explore these connections in greater depth, fostering dialogue on how reducing overuse can drive both clinical and environmental benefits.
Physician engagement was made possible through HSR funding which provided sessional payments for fully licensed island FPs and SPs. Health System Redesign is supported by the Joint Collaborative Committees—a partnership between the Doctors of BC and the Ministry of Health—The Specialist Services, Shared Care, and Family Practice Services Committees. 42 physicians representing communities island-wide registered to attend this incredible event.
- Simple Steps to Support Sustainability – Choosing Wisely Together on November 17, 2023
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We are thankful to our participants and presenters for ensuring our fourth annual virtual symposium was a great success! The virtual event took place on Friday, November 17, 2023 and began with Dr. Jessica Otte’s keynote on the ‘Joy of Less’. Dr. Otte’s talk explored the present healthcare crisis including extreme shortages of resources and the struggle with ever-increasing volumes of tasks and burdens and ended on a hopeful note with how Choosing Wisely can restore joy to our work.
The virtual symposium progressed with updates on a few Choosing Wisely initiatives underway at Island Health including our Oversight Committee projects Using Blood Wisely, Using Lab Wisely, and reducing antipsychotic prescribing for seniors with dementia in acute care, followed by a discussion on the Island Health experience on choosing wisely prior to surgery through ‘Drop the Pre-Op’.
Climate change and sustainability continue to be priorities for medical staff at Island Health. By reducing unnecessary tests, treatments, and procedures we can lessen our impact on the environment. This year our symposium featured three new initiatives highlighting the importance of promoting low carbon high quality care at Island Health and beyond: The Critical Air Project, Environmentally sustainable kidney care, and Medical Imaging iodinized contrast recycling project.
We want to recognize our incredible presenters, Drs. Adele Harrison, Jessica Otte, Jennifer Duncan, Michael Chen, Lindi Thibodeau, Jeff Hu, Val Stoynova, Caroline Stigant, Gillian Hurwitz, Jacquie Gregory, Kathy Norman, Anna Macdonald and Colleen Inglis. We are grateful to those listed above and to the many others who came together to highlight Choosing Wisely at Island Health.
Visit the links below to view the event agenda and outline.
Click here to view a PDF copy of our agenda.
Physician engagement was made possible through HSR funding which provided sessional payments for fully licensed island FPs and SPs. Health System Redesign is supported by the Joint Collaborative Committees—a partnership between the Doctors of BC and the Ministry of Health—The Specialist Services, Shared Care, and Family Practice Services Committees.
- Choosing Wisely and Knowledge-to-Action: Sharing an update on Climate Conscious Quality Improvement in Action on November 18, 2022
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We hosted our third annual Choosing Wisely at Island Health session on Friday, November 18, 2022, sharing an update on our journey to Quality Improvement Status as part of the Choosing Wisely Canada Hospital Designation Program. Following our two successful symposiums in 2020 and 2021 we enjoyed a new approach this year, partnering with Island Health Research to participate in the 10th Annual Knowledge-to-Action (K2A) Month.
K2A occurs every November and is a month dedicated to learning the importance of translating evidence into practice to improve care and outcomes. It was a wonderful opportunity to connect with physicians, nurse practitioners, interdisciplinary team members and interested Island Health staff while providing an update on the work of the Oversight Committee.
Our session with K2A, “Choosing Wisely: Climate Conscious Quality Improvement in Action”, described the 3 key initiatives currently underway: Using Blood Wisely, Using Labs Wisely, and reducing antipsychotic prescribing for insomnia in acute care. Our aim to improve the care experience for patients and providers by choosing wisely is built on the 4 pillars of climate conscious healthcare, reducing unnecessary variation in practice, addressing resource challenges and using quality improvement methodology. You can watch a recording of the session to hear how and why we Choose Wisely at Island Health by clicking here or by visiting the Research at Island Health Vimeo page.
We want to recognize our incredible presenters, Drs. Adele Harrison, Annemarie de Koker, Al Buckley, Jeff Hu, Jennifer Duncan, Jennifer Oates, Jessica Otte, Michael Chen, Jacquie Gregory, Sarah Porter and the support from Amanda Leddy and Annie Moore with Island Health Research for making our session a success. We are grateful to those listed above and to the many others who came together to highlight Choosing Wisely at Island Health.
Physician engagement was made possible through HSR funding which provided sessional payments for fully licensed island FPs and SPs. Health System Redesign is supported by the Joint Collaborative Committees—a partnership between the Doctors of BC and the Ministry of Health—The Specialist Services, Shared Care, and Family Practice Services Committees.
Choosing Wisely: Climate Conscious Quality Improvement in Action - November 18, 2022 - A Day for Quality Improvement! Choosing Wisely at Island Health: Engaging with Best Practice on November 26, 2021
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Island Health hosted our second virtual symposium on Friday, November 26, 2021. This action-packed 3 ½ hour zoom symposium enabled us to engage with 80+ medical staff and multidisciplinary team members to learn, share, and develop Choosing Wisely at Island Health.
Incorporating feedback from our debut event in 2020, this virtual symposium featured more breakout sessions and opportunities to collaborate with colleagues following a positive inquiry approach.
A detailed program and summary of the event can be viewed here.
Following the symposium Choosing Wisely at Island Health partnered with Physician Quality Improvement to offer a 2-hour Introduction to Quality Improvement session. This opportunity to learn the language of Quality and Patient Safety and the basics of the Model for Improvement was a popular end to the day.
Visit the PQI page or email PQI@islandhealth.ca to learn more about future opportunities to develop your quality improvement toolbox.
Choosing Wisely at Island Health 2021: detailed program and summary Physician engagement was made possible through HSR funding which provided sessional payments for fully licensed island FPs and SPs. Health System Redesign is supported by the Joint Collaborative Committees—a partnership between the Doctors of BC and the Ministry of Health—The Specialist Services, Shared Care, and Family Practice Services Committees.
- Choosing Wisely at Island Health: Putting recommendations into practice on November 20, 2020
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Island Health hosted our first ever Choosing Wisely virtual symposium on Friday, November 20, 2020. This 5-hour event included presentations on Choosing Wisely Canada initiatives at Island Health, a keynote from David Braley Chair and Professor in Family Medicine at McMaster University Dr. Dee Mangin, and ten engaging breakout sessions to discuss future initiatives and improvement opportunities.
We had 100+ registrants ranging from medical staff to multidisciplinary team members and the event was a great success! A special thank you to those involved in planning and for those who participated.
A detailed program and summary of the event can be viewed here.
Answers to questions asked during the panel can be viewed here.
Choosing Wisely at Island Health: Putting recommendations into practice detailed program and summary
Choosing Wisely at Island Health: Putting recommendations into practice Sli.do Panel Q&AP
Physician engagement was made possible through HSR funding which provided sessional payments for fully licensed island FPs and SPs. Health System Redesign is supported by the Joint Collaborative Committees—a partnership between the Doctors of BC and the Ministry of Health—The Specialist Services, Shared Care, and Family Practice Services Committees.
Want the latest news on Choosing Wisely at Island Health?
To read more about current initiatives happening at Island Health visit our main Choosing Wisely at Island Health webpage and navigate to one of our exciting project pages for the most up to date news, or email MedStaffQI@islandhealth.ca to find out how you can get involved.
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