By Dr. Ava Butler ED Physician, Cowichan District Hospital
Physicians from Cowichan, Port Hardy and Port McNeill gathered in Cowichan Bay
20 Physicians from Duncan, Port Hardy, and Port McNeill have become certified independent practitioners in CPOCUS Resuscitation, an advanced curriculum in point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS). The intensive course ran from April 14 to 17 in Cowichan Bay and was delivered by Prairie POCUS with national ultrasound experts instructing.
Designed to enhance care for patients in shock, respiratory distress, or with undifferentiated chest pain, the course equips doctors with critical diagnostic tools that can be used at the
bedside in rural emergency departments. Most participants work in EDs across the three communities, but the course also drew physicians from family medicine, anesthesia, and internal medicine backgrounds.
What made this course unique was not just the advanced curriculum, but the setting. Typically hosted in large urban centres, this was one of the first times a CPOCUS Resuscitation course was offered in a rural location, specifically tailored for rural doctors.
“I really appreciated being able to see my children in the morning and evening while still having the opportunity to add to my skill set and build our healthcare team,” said Dr. Kalen Leech-Porter, an ED physician at Cowichan District Hospital.
The course also served as a meaningful team-building experience. “It was important for our group to have this training opportunity as a team,” said Dr. Evan Rogers, Chief of Staff for Port Hardy and Port McNeill. “Doing a course like this together where we can get back to the basics of medicine unifies our team. Having the opportunity to learn alongside another similar team helped us to build bridges between communities.”
Local residents played a key role in making the training possible. Volunteer models from the Cowichan Valley offered their time and bodies so physicians could hone their ultrasound technique on real patients. “It’s important to learn rural medicine in a rural area instead of having to go to the city for everything,” said volunteer Jesse Butler. “It was so neat to volunteer two days in a row and see people’s skills and confidence improve dramatically.”
In addition to the newly certified physicians, two Cowichan doctors completed their apprenticeships to become instructors in CPOCUS Resuscitation—ensuring that the capacity for rural ultrasound training will continue to grow on the Island.
Funded through RCME (Rural Continuing Medical Education) support from Cowichan and the North Island, the course reflects a strategic investment in building sustainable, high-quality emergency care in rural B.C.
With more rural clinicians now trained in using POCUS for emergency resuscitation, Island residents can expect improved assessment and faster, more accurate treatment for life-threatening conditions like shock, chest pain, and respiratory distress—all closer to home.