BC Care Providers Annual Conference 2015

/in

The 38th Annual BCCPA Conference (BC Care Providers Association) was attended by two members of the Mennonite Benevolent Society Board, along with the entire Executive Team. We are grateful to a member of the MBS Board who offered their place in Whistler to reduce cost, permitting the entire Executive Team to participate.

The theme of the conference was “Sustainability through innovation”. There were more than 24 thought-provoking workshops, 60 speakers and over 70 vendors in the Exhibitor Marketplace.

Speakers included:

  • Dr. Darryl Plecas, MLA, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health for Seniors
  • Daniel Fontaine, CEO BCCPA
  • Robert Ghiz, former Premier of PEI and co-lead of the first Health Care Innovation Working Group (HCIWG)
  • Dr. Sacha Bhatia, Director of the Institute for Health System Solutions and Virtual Care at Women’s College Hospital, Evaluation Lead for choose Wisely Canada
  • Dr. Samir Sinha, Director of geriatrics at Mount Sinai and the UHN hospitals, Provincial Lead, Ontario’s Seniors Strategy
  • Dr. Ryan D’Arcy, Professor and BC Leadership Chair in Medical Technologies at Simon Fraser University and Surrey Memorial Hospital Foundation
  • Sharon Simpson, Director Communications and Marketing at Menno Place spoke on a panel on the topic, “Incorporating faith in a non-faith based care home (addressing spiritual needs of individuals in non-faith based care home).”

Topics included:

  • The Innovation Paradigm: Delivering Excellence and Sustainability in Continuing Care
  • Spiritual Care of People with Dementia: A Creative Approach
  • Creating a Change Platform: Quality Improvement in Residential Care “Safer Care for Older Persons in Residential Environments”
  • The Changing Face of Residential Care
  • Music for Living – Concerts in Care
  • How the Smartphone and mHealth Technologies will Transform Healthcare
  • Reawakening the Connection: A presentation on technology and person-centered care
  • Revisiting End-of-Life in Canada

The conference is a reminder that innovation is necessary in these changing times. As the demand for senior care increases, there is a need to provide care in new ways, to use technology to increase effectiveness and to collaborate in order to create synergy.

Dr. Darryl Plecas announced $50,000 in funding to the Health and Arts Society and Concerts in Care. Menno Place regularly enjoys the musical talents of the Concerts in Care program.