May 1 is National Physicians’ Day in Canada, a day for us to remember and celebrate our physicians and all the amazing work they do. Below, we meet six physicians who are part of the CHÉOS team.
Rita McCracken
CHÉOS Scientist Dr. Rita McCracken has many strings to her bow. In addition to being an assistant professor at UBC Faculty of Medicine, a researcher at UBC’s Department of Family Practice and Therapeutics Initiative, research director of PHC’s Department of Family Practice, and site faculty lead at St. Paul’s Family Practice Residency, she is a family physician and keen advocate for primary care. Dr. McCracken is an expert in the family doctor shortage and can often be seen lending her voice to multiple news articles, including a recent series in The Tyee. She has worked with the elderly, most recently sharing her knowledge on the overprescription of antipsychotics in long-term care homes with CBC News, and is currently navigating the relatively new reality of conducting family doctor services in the midst of a pandemic.
Keep up with Dr. McCracken on Twitter.
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David Barbic
On top of being a Scientist with CHÉOS, Dr. David Barbic is an emergency physician at St. Paul’s Hospital and clinical assistant professor in UBC’s Department of Emergency Medicine. Dr. Barbic’s work aims to save lives both in and out of the hospital. In 2020, he published research revealing that just one in 10 members of the general public would recognize a cardiac arrest. Since the start of the pandemic, Dr. Barbic has been working on the frontline. He and wife Dr. Skye Barbic (also a CHÉOS Scientist!) recently spoke about the impact COVID-19 has had on their lives because of this. He is currently leading a survey to understand how COVID-19 has affected frontline health care workers and their partners. Earlier this year, Dr. Barbic became the first B.C.-based recipient of the 2021 Grant Innes Research Paper & Presentation Award for his paper on the Rapid Agitation Control with Ketamine in the Emergency Department (RACKED) study.
Keep up with Dr. Barbic on Twitter.
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Karen Tran
Dr. Karen Tran is a CHÉOS Scientist, clinical assistant professor in UBC’s Department of Medicine, and general internist at Vancouver General Hospital and BC Women’s Hospital. She is a certified hypertension specialist. Recently, Dr. Tran received a VCHRI Team Grant for her project on ‘Telehealth for emergency-community continuity of care connectivity via home blood pressure telemonitoring’. She will investigate whether using home blood pressure telemonitoring alongside a referral to a specialist-led hypertension clinic is a safe and effective strategy for monitoring people with significantly high blood pressure after they have been discharged from the emergency department.
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Geoffrey Cundiff
Dr. Geoffrey Cundiff is currently the regional head of obstetrics and gynaecology for Vancouver Coastal Health and Providence Health Care, a position he maintains alongside his roles as a CHÉOS Scientist and professor in UBC’s Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology. His clinical practice is based at the Centre for Pelvic Floor in Vancouver, which is dedicated to the management of women’s pelvic floor disorders, such as urinary incontinence, surgical/mesh complications, and sexual dysfunction. Dr. Cundiff spearheaded the establishment of the Angel’s Cradle at St. Paul’s Hospital, providing a safe place for a mother to anonymously leave her newborn baby if she feels unable to care for it. The importance of this initiative was recently highlighted in the media after an infant was abandoned in Port Coquitlam.
Keep up with Dr. Cundiff on Twitter.
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Jane Lea
CHÉOS Scientist Dr. Jane Lea is an associate professor in UBC’s Department of Surgery and director of the BC Rotary Hearing & Balance Centre at St. Paul’s Hospital. Her current clinical practice focuses on disorders of the ear and its related nervous system. At present, Dr. Lea is working to set up a surgical coaching program for staff surgeons to provide them with formal support following their residency and fellowship. She is also involved in a study on hearing loss prevalence among remote First Nations communities, a community she first began working with almost a decade ago.
Check out this UBC Faculty Spotlight to learn more about Dr. Lea.
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Manoj Raval
Dr. Manoj Raval is a colorectal surgeon at St. Paul’s Hospital who also holds positions as a CHÉOS Scientist, clinical professor in UBC’s Faculty of Medicine, and chair of the BC Cancer Agency (BCCA) Surgical Oncology Network Colorectal Surgery Tumour Group. Through the BCCA, Dr. Raval has led a number of initiatives, including the development of Colorectal Cancer Care Pathway maps for patients and the production of cancer management guidelines for colorectal cancer. Dr. Raval recently joined other doctors at St. Paul’s to train a young surgeon from the Middle East, teaching him how to replicate the St. Paul’s model of compassionate care and sharing skills that will inform the future of treatment in Oman.
Keep up with Dr. Raval on Twitter.
