May 2026

This month we are following up on a special request from our PQI Central team, who are eager to hear from PQI Alum about the long‑term impact PQI has had on your work. Your insights matter - if you haven't already completed the survey, please consider contributing this week - we are aiming to have the best completion rate in the province!

You will also find information below on an exciting funded opportunity for Alum - supporting work around the Provider Profile - learn more below!
 

PQI Alum: Please Share Your Impact

The Specialist Services Committee (SSC) is gathering PQI alum perspectives for an Impact Summary of the PQI Program (2015–2025) and they want to hear how PQI training has influenced your practice and your ability to remain in clinical care.

Please complete a short survey to share your experience. Participants may enter a draw for a $500 prepaid VISA gift card and can opt to be interviewed about how PQI has made a difference (sessional funding available). The survey is open until May 22, 2026. Have your voice heard!

                Complete the Survey
 

PQI Alum Opportunity: Help Shape Provider Profile Supports

Here’s your chance to help shape how Provider Profile is introduced and supported across Island Health.

We are looking for PQI alum physicians to join a small, paid working group to co-develop communications and education materials that support meaningful use of Provider Profile for reflection, learning, and quality improvement.

This may be of particular interest to PQI alum who care about meaningful data and its role in practice improvement.

What’s involved:

  • Communications development: about 2 hours in May and June
  • Education materials development: about 5 hours between June and September
  • Sharing and promotion: about 3 hours between October and December

Time commitment is flexible and you can join for all of the activities or only the ones that have meaning to you. Funding is available through Health System Redesign at the JCC non-clinical rate for fully licensed specialists and family physicians.

To align with available data, we hope to include at least one physician perspective from Emergency Medicine, Obstetrics, and Pediatrics. Participants must have been Most Responsible Provider within the last five years and have data available in Provider Profile.

To learn more or express interest, please contact Sarah.Porter@islandhealth.ca by Friday, May 22.

Express Interest

Also, stay tuned for an Alum Exchange on June 18 (12 - 1pm) on Provider Profile, with special guests from Clinical Analytics who can talk about the methodology that was used to build it and answer any data-specific questions. If you use Provider Profile and you are interested in supporting the Alum Exchange, please let us know, we’d love to have more Alums involved and will work with you to develop the presentation.  

I am interested in playing a role in the upcoming Alum Exchange on Provider Profile

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Dr. Vamshi Kotha, Medical Director, Research and Innovation in Quality

Last month we shared the news of Dr. Vamshi Kotha's (Cohort 9) new role, and we made an error in his new title! Dr. Kotha is the new Medical Director for Research and Innovation in Quality for Island Health - congratulations Vamshi! 

Michael Chen, Department Head, Laboratory Medicine, Pathology and Medical Genetics

Michael Chen (Cohort 2, PQI Physician Faculty) has been acting Department Head for a number of months, and has now officially moved into the Department Head position for Laboratory Medicine, Pathology and Medical Genetics.

Congratulations to PQI Alum graduates from Cohort 24 of the UBC Sauder Physician Leadership Program

Recent graduates include Dr. Graham Blackburn (cQA Alum), Dr. Ali Yakhshi Tafti (Cohort 6) and Dr. Jodie Turner (Level 2 Alum) who was also class valedictorian.  

If you are interested in learning more about the UBC Sauder Physician Leadership Program, please click here.

Shoutout to Dr. MC Gregorie and the Physician Health Program 

Dr. Marie-Claude Gregorie (Cohort 9) was recently featured in a video from Doctors of BC sharing her story with the Physician Health Program (PHP). You can see the video here. 

To learn more about the Physician Health Program, please click here.
 

Quality Forum 2027 - It's time to submit your abstracts! 

HQBC is now accepting abstracts for Quality Forum 2027 which will take place in Vancouver on March 9 - 11, 2027. The theme for the Forum is Rooted in Strength. Nurturing the Future.The deadline for abstract submission is June 19, 2026.

Need support putting together an abstract? We can help! please reach out to us: pqi@islandhealth.ca

Learn more, and submit your abstract here.

Island Health Self Care Cafe Presents: A Speaker Spotlight with Dr. Joanna Cheek

Dr. Joanna Cheek (Cohort 4) will be leading a workshop on understanding how our mental health symptoms help us navigate unhealthy environments on June 1, 2026 from 1:00 - 2:00pm on Teams. 

If you are interested in attending, please click here for the calendar invite and Teams link.

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Medical Leadership Opportunities at Island Health

Island Health's new leadership structure launched on March 1. 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.

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Are you planning on attending an upcoming conference where you will be presenting or displaying a poster?

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.
 

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