Honoring the 215 Indigenous children on Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc territory

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Alongside the rest of the country, we were deeply devastated to learn of the discovery of 215 Indigenous children on Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc territory earlier this week.

As members of the health research community, we must take accountability for our actions and for our learning to support our Indigenous colleagues, patients, and members of our communities. It is also imperative that we acknowledge the positions we hold and how we might use them to broach difficult conversations and facilitate change to support Indigenous peoples. As a WHRI community, I urge all of us to make the time to pause, reflect, read, and take action in any way possible. Some of the resources below may be a useful first step.  

To commemorate and honour this tragic loss, the C&W campus will be creating a memorial in the Teck Acute Care Centre lobby. They are asking for donations of children's shoes, cards, flowers, or battery-operated tea lights.

If you or someone you know needs additional support, please visit the Employee Mental Health and Wellness page on POD to see a full list of the mental health resources available to you. If needed, please also visit the Mental Health and Wellness Supports for Indigenous People web page on the First Nations Health Authority website.

Educational resources:

• Final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada 
• The Indian Residential School Survivor Society (IRSSS)
• Indigenous Canada | University of Alberta (ualberta.ca)
• In Plain Sight Report
• Feminists Deliver
• To donate to the survivors of the Kamloops

Sincerely,

Lori A Brotto PhD, R Psych
Executive Director, WHRI
Professor | Department of OBGYN, UBC
Canada Research Chair | Women’s Sexual Health

Image source: Feminist Deliver

WHRI is developing a new digital health strategy to support members as they adopt digital health tools into their research and to catalyze new digital health projects focused on improving women’s health.

We would really appreciate your input! Help inform our digital health strategy by taking the 2021 WHRI Digital Health Survey. It takes around 10-15-minutes and complete responses will be eligible for a $100 gift card raffle.

The survey is available here: https://rc.bcchr.ca/redcap/surveys/?s=HKYHRRWWNK

For any questions, please contact candice.taguibao@cw.bc.ca​

Thank you in advance for your time! 

Congratulations to the recipients of MSFHR's Rapid SARS – COV2 Vaccine Research Initiative in BC

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Julie Bettinger (BCCHR/WHRI member) and Dr. Valorie Crooks, recipients of the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research Rapid SARS – COV2 Vaccine Research Initiative in BC funding competition.

Dr. Bettiner's project aims to develop culturally appropriate communication interventions to promote COVID-19 vaccination among BC's ethnically South Asian communities, while Dr. Crook's project aims to tackle pandemic-related challenges within the long-term care sector.

Updates to Oak Tree Clinic space

The Reproductive Infectious Diseases Program and Pediatric Infectious Diseases Program are both transitioning into the Oak Tree Clinic space!

The move is part of the Health System Redesign project, and is intended to "join the current multi-disciplinary care offered at the OTC – creating a more comprehensive model of care."

You can learn more about this move and its impact on care here.

My Next Birth featured by UBC

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My Next Birth is a digital health program developed by Dr. Sarah Munro.

The program - which was implemented by Perinatal Services BC - can be accessed online, and supports shared-decision making in planning a birth after a previous C-section. 

Read the full feature here. 

June Funding Opportunities

Check out upcoming funding deadlines, put together by Eric, our Research Development Facilitator!

Click here to download the file, which contains links to the funders' websites.

@WomensResearch

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With the announcement of BC's Restart Plan, there have been lots of questions around what it will look like to return to in-person work!

In season one of @WomensResearch, we spoke to Dr. Lori Brotto, Dr. Gina Ogilvie, and Heather Corcoran about virtual leadership and the changes they'd like to see carried into our resumption of 'normal' life. Though it was recorded nearly a year ago, their sage words remain relevant as we work toward seeing each other again.