BiRCH Clinic celebrated at the HQBC Health Quality Awards

In December, Dr. Jennifer Kask (Cohort 7) and the Birth Related Cardiovascular Health (BiRCH) Clinic were the winners of the "Optimizing the Early Years" Award at the BC Quality Awards. To read more about the project please click here. 

This win was also celebrated in the Island Health Weekly.

Everyday Champion Runner-Up: Dr. Michelle Tousignant

Dr. Michelle Tousignant (Cohort 9) was the runner-up for the HQBC Everyday Champion Award, for her PQI project "Saving Seconds, Saving Lives". This project empowered over 300 students and staff from Royal Oak Middle School with hands on CPR and AED training. To read more about her project, please click here.

Island Medical Program Leadership and Awards for Dr. Michelle Tousignant

Further congratulations are in order for Dr. Michelle Tousignant (Cohort 9) who has a new leadership role with the Island Medical Program as the Year 4 Electives Director. She was also awarded the Clinical Skills Tutor of the Term for Spring 2025 - Way to go, Michelle!

Dr. Michael Chen, PQI Faculty, is the Temporary Medical Director for Laboratory Medicine, Pathology and Medical Genetics

Congratulations to Dr. Michael Chen (Cohort 2) who in addition to his multiple leadership roles with Island Health and provincially, has taken on the role of Temporary Medical Director for Laboratory Medicine, Pathology and Medical Genetics. Further information on this role (and Michael's many accomplishments) can be found in a recent article in the Island Health Weekly.  

Dr. Jenny Rajala showcasing PQI at the UBC CHSPR Health Policy Conference

Congratulations to Dr. Jennifer Rajala (Cohort 9), whose Quality Improvement project has been accepted for poster presentation at the 38th Annual UBC CHSPR Health Policy Conference (March 12–13, 2026). By clarifying urgent referral criteria and adjusting the booking model, the team increased the proportion of patients with urgent cardiac issues seen within two weeks and reduced average wait times from 44 to 27 days - all without adding staff. A meaningful contribution to system-level cardiac care improvement.

PQI Alum Webinar Series (PAWS): January 22, 5:30pm

PQI Alums Webinar Series (PAWS) invite you to join us for our Monthly CME Session hosted by PQI, Alums, SQI Provincial Team.

From Connection to Impact: What We Learned About Social Capital in the QI Alum Community

Guest Speaker: Dr Alex Hoeschsmann

To learn more and register, click here.

Medical Leadership Opportunities at Island Health

Explore current leadership roles supporting high-quality care and clinical excellence across Vancouver Island. Positions are updated regularly as opportunities become available.

Learn more here.

Partners in Care Conference: Call for Storyboard and Rapid-Fire Abstracts

The Partners in Care Conference: Turning ideas into outcomes, together, will be held in Vancouver on May 27 & 28, 2026. The Shared Care Committee is inviting project teams to submit abstracts for the opportunity to be featured either as a storyboard or rapid-fire presentation.

To learn more, click here.

Are you planning on attending the International Forum on Quality and Safety in Healthcare in Oslo in March 2026? 

Are you presenting a poster or facilitating a session? Did you know our Alum team can support you with your preparation for the event - posters, presentation support or anything else you might need, please reach out.

Explore the Reports Portal!

Looking for insights to support your work? The Island Health Reports Portal houses key metrics across our health system - including patient flow, wait times, service utilization, and more. Simply log in with your Island Health credentials to access dashboards, track trends, and make data-driven decisions. Start exploring here: Reports Portal. Your next insight is just a click away!

Are you interested in connecting with Alums around the province through social media?

The SynergyHub WhatsApp group is described as “a fun BC originated group of passionate health system improvers guided by QI science and interested in collaborating and bridging silos in our system”. You can scan the QR code to join the group.

If more of a local flavour is your preference, we also have a WhatsApp group called QuPID created by our own South Island Alum, Alicia Power (Cohort 4). 

Click here to join the Alum group

Do you have something you'd like to share?

We are always interested in hearing about the work you're doing and what we can share with our community. If you have a shoutout, story, opportunity, or any comments you'd like to share with the PQI community, please email us at pqi@islandhealth.ca.

Thank you!

If you have any questions, comments, or ideas for improvement, please email PQI@IslandHealth.ca 

Visit the PQI page on the Medical Staff website