Program: Friday, October 24

Seating: Mount Benson C&D

Seating: Mount Benson C&D

Seating: Mount Benson C&D

Navigating the complexities of end-of-life care for structurally vulnerable clients on the Downtown Eastside in Vancouver: A community-based multidisciplinary approach

Explore the challenges and barriers to providing palliative care under standard models of care in the context of structural inequities. Using case studies, we highlight the unique needs of clients who live with an intersection of poverty, substance use, housing insecurity, and life-limiting illness. We will discuss bending standard care models to meet these needs, with a particular focus on cultural safety for Indigenous clients, who are disproportionately impacted by structural inequities.

Learning Objectives

1. Identify where standard palliative care approach falls short for clients who use substances and live with structural vulnerabilities
2. Consider psycho-social-spiritual care needs for clients who use substances when providing palliative care
3. Integrate relational practice strategies to build relationship and trust with clients who have often experienced trauma and stigmatization when receiving health care
4. Understand how Indigenous cultural support and culturally safer care are crucial to providing palliative care to Indigenous clients

Speaker: Doris-Lee Prest, Team Lead, Indigenous Crisis Response Team, Indigenous Health, Vancouver Coastal Health

Doris-Lee Prest is Snuneymuxw First Nations who has spent over 20 years working in the Downtown Eastside in various roles. She started off as a medical office assistant, and provided support to Indigenous folks who attend the clinic to receive their care. She has worked as an Indigenous Cultural Practitioner helping Indigenous folks navigate the medical system, and doing end-of-life support with the DTES community. Currently, she is the Team Lead for the Indigenous Crisis Response Team, helping Indigenous folks navigate the mental health care system and engaging with their care.

Speaker: Christina Chan, RN, BScN, MPH, CHPCN(c), Palliative Clinical Resource Nurse, Pender Home Health, Vancouver Coastal Health

Christina Chan is a Palliative Clinical Resource Nurse with the Pender Home Health team (Vancouver Coastal Health), which serves the Downtown Eastside and Chinatown neighbourhoods in Vancouver, BC. Christina entered nursing after a brief career in public health research, and quickly found herself drawn to palliative care. She has spent the better part of the last decade with the Pender Home Health team in frontline and leadership roles, always learning and striving to serve the communities better. She treasures opportunities to provide care to clients in her mother tongue of Cantonese. Social justice and equity are core values that drive her every day work. She spends most of her spare time running after two young daughters, and enjoys cooking, swimming, and spending time in the outdoors.

Speaker: Dr. Catriona Aparicio, Palliative Care Physician, Home Consults and May’s Place Hospice, Vancouver Community Palliative Care Program, Vancouver Coastal Health

Dr Catriona Aparicio is a palliative care physician working with the Vancouver Community Palliative Care Program within Vancouver Coastal Health. She works mostly with Home Health at Pender Community Health Centre and she also works at May’s Place Hospice on the Downtown Eastside. She trained as a family practitioner in the UK and has worked in palliative care for the last 20 years at BC Cancer Agency, Vancouver Hospice Society and a brief sabbatical at Royal Trinity Hospice in London, UK. When not at work she can be found whiling the hours away facetiming her daughters or trying to turn a sailing boat around in a tight marina.

Speaker: DoraLi Harrison, MAPPL, Spiritual Health Practitioner, Spiritual Care and Multifaith Services, Vancouver Community Palliative Care Program, Vancouver Coastal Health

DoraLi Harrison (she/her) is an Interfaith Spiritual Care Practitioner working with Vancouver Coastal Health’s Vancouver Community Palliative Care Program, where she provides spiritual and emotional support to individuals and families navigating serious illness, end-of-life, and bereavement. She also promotes opportunities in the workplace for spiritual and emotional care for her home health colleagues. Outside of her work at VCH, DoraLi currently serves as Chair of the Living Interfaith Sanctuary, an organization focused on building connection and belonging across beliefs and traditions. She also has a rich tapestry of experience as a parent, artist, and community organizer, and over a decade of past work as a birth/postpartum doula and childbirth educator. She loves collecting books, bits of sea glass, and stories of human resilience.

Love As Deep As The Road is Long: Youth Reflections On Grief, Legacy & Community

Join us for this inspiring presentation where participants in a youth leadership program will talk about their experiences of significant loss and the kinds of things that helped them when grief turned their world upside down. They will reflect on the legacy of their loved ones, and how the support they found at a family-centred bereavement agency helped them to build a compassionate community that has not only enabled them to feel seen but has also sustained them on the long road of grief.

Learning Objectives:

1. To help participants gain a deeper understanding of what the “lived experience” of grief is like for a child or adolescent
2. To help participants learn new ways in which they can support children and youth who are coping with loss, grief and bereavement
3. To help participants have more clarity about adult responses that are typically “not helpful” for children and youth who are coping with loss and grief
4.  To help participants understand the significance and value of peer support and community for children and youth who are coping with loss, grief and bereavement.

Speaker/Moderator: Dr. Heather Mohan, PhD, RCC, MTA, Executive Director/Therapist, Lumara Grief & Bereavement Care Society

Dr. Heather Mohan is a Registered Clinical Counselor and a Certified Music Therapist with a Masters degree in Music Therapy and a PhD in Arts Education. She has worked as a therapist, program coordinator, researcher and educator in the hospice/palliative/bereavement care field for over 25 years. She is currently an Adjunct Professor in the UBC Department of Medicine (Division of Palliative Care). She works full-time as the Executive Director of Lumara –a BC-based, registered charity she co-founded in 2007 to provide emotional support and care for children and families coping with serious illness, grief and loss. Heather has been invited to present her clinical work and research on palliative and bereavement care at conferences and universities around the world: in Canada, United States, New Zealand, Japan and Europe.

Speaker: Gillian Riel

My name is Gillian Riel. I am 21 and currently in my fourth year of university. My family and I were lucky to be given the opportunity to be a part of Lumara to begin our healing and growing process after my father died when I was just five years old. We attended our first Camp Kerry in 2009, soon after his passing. Camp Kerry is an opportunity that I believe has made me into who I am today. The support and compassion I received at such a young age helped me with my grief journey in ways I will forever be grateful for. It is amazing to know that now I am one of those people who can provide support and compassion to those going through a difficult time, just like I was many years ago.

Speaker: Claire Riel

Hi, my name is Claire Riel, and I’m 19 years old. I’ve been connected to Lumara for over 16 years, and it’s been a huge part of my life in so many different ways. My journey began in 2009 when I was just 3 years old. That year, I attended Camp Kerry for the first time with my mom and siblings after we lost my dad to cancer. From that very first experience, I felt something special, a kind of support and understanding that I couldn’t find anywhere else. Over the years, I kept coming back to Camp Kerry, first as a participant, then as a peer mentor, and eventually as a volunteer. The support I received from the volunteers at Lumara made such a lasting impact on me, and I knew I wanted to give that same support to others one day. Now, I’m honored to be a Peer Youth Leader. I love being part of this team because I get to walk alongside kids and teens who are going through the same kind of loss I experienced; helping them through their grief journey, just like others once helped me. The Camp Kerry community is more than just a program, it’s a family. And I’m so grateful to be part of it.

Speaker: Tristan Carrothers

I’m Tristan Carrothers, I’m 18, and I lost my dad to cancer in October of 2022. After my father’s death, my family and I were in an understandably hard place, and attending my first Lumara Youth Retreat in the spring of 2023 was life-changing. Since then, I’ve attended every Camp Kerry and Youth Retreat as my role as part of Lumara has grown from participant to Youth Peer Leader. Lumara’s support, and the environment that they are able to create is singular in its sense of safety, comfort, and openness. Every year, I keep coming back to their Camps and Retreats because of the community that they’ve cultivated over the years, the opportunity to process my own grief, and to learn how to support others in theirs.

Speaker: Gabrielle Carrothers

Hello! My name is Gabrielle Carrothers. I am a 14-year-old high school student, and in 2022, I lost my father to cancer; a battle he had been fighting for as long as I can remember. After his death, life felt very different. Relationships, people, routines, and much more changed, which, for someone so young, was scary and disorientating. Thankfully, there was Lumara. From the very first event I attended, I knew it was a community like no other, one where I would always feel welcome; and as I continue to return, the more I realise the effect Lumara has had on my personal growth. I wouldn’t be who I am without it. Being a Youth Peer Mentor has allowed me to give back to this amazing community, and I hope to help at least one person, the way so many amazing people helped me.

Speaker: Lily Friesen

My name is Lily Friesen, I am 19 years old, and I have been involved with Lumara since 2013. My mother and I first attended the Camp Kerry retreat in September of 2013, just a few short months after losing my father Doug, after his battle with Multiple Sclerosis and a brain tumour. For every year after that, we continued to attend Camp Kerry, and also participated in other programs Lumara offers, such as the Circles of Strength support groups. For the past 12 years, I have been deeply involved with Lumara, and I am now a youth peer mentor with the organization. I lost my mother Ruth in 2022. She passed with the help of MAiD, due to her struggle with Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 2. Even through the most difficult period of my life, I felt so incredibly supported by Lumara and all of the people there. I am so grateful for everything they have given me, and I am honoured to now be able to give support to other people in similar situations.

Speaker: Mya Mackenzie

My name is Mya Mackenzie, and I am 22 years old. At 13 my Dad suddenly passed away after years of struggles with addiction. I was lost and confused, just a kid who didn’t have the skills to handle or understand what had happened. That year my Grandma found Lumara and Camp Kerry, and along with her, my Mum, and my brothers, I found a community of people who finally understood. Over the past nine years I’ve stayed connected with Lumara through youth and family retreats and transitioned into leadership roles. As I get older, I continue to educate myself on addiction and bring focus to the complexity that comes with substance and mental health related loss. Put simply, I strive to be a person my Dad would be proud to call his child. Lumara has given me the opportunity to heal, grow, and find purpose in supporting others through their grief the same way I was supported nine years ago.

The Intersection of MAID and Palliative Care: Impact and Experience of Palliative Care Professionals and Families

Canada is nearly 10 years into the legalization of MAiD. This panel presentation will host a sharing of experience between Palliative Care Providers, MAiD providers and the family of those who have requested and received MAiD. It is hoped that these perspectives will inform end of life discussions and inspire all involved to consider what defines high quality palliative care framed through a patient and family centered approach.

Participants will:

1. Be able to identify 3 key aspects of a MAID assessment used by both palliative care providers and MAID providers in determining a patient’s eligibility and suitability for MAID provision
2. Be able to determine the distinctive aspects of MAiD which impact a family’s experience of grief and bereavement
3. Be able to consider the importance of open conversations about MAiD in palliative care settings.
4. To contrast palliative care and MAiD as separate services with the benefit to patients and families receiving integrated care with minimal points of contact.

Speaker: Dr. Lindsay Eggen, M.D., CCFP, Palliative Care Physician, Vancouver Island Health Authority

Dr. Lindsay Eggen specializes in palliative medicine in Nanaimo, BC. She supports patients and families in inpatient hospital settings, home and community palliative care. Lindsay completes MAID assessments for patients however is not a MAID provider. She aims to have a supportive, open dialogue with all patients who request MAID assessments or further information. Lindsay is originally from Edmonton, Alberta. She completed an undergraduate degree in Nutritional Sciences and worked as a registered dietitian before completing medical school at the University of Calgary. She moved to Nanaimo for family practice residency where she has stayed to work and live with her husband Ben, 6-year- old son and 4-year-old daughter.

Speaker: Dr. Meghan Towers, M.D., CCFP, MAID Provider, Hospitalist Physician, Vancouver Island Health Authority

Dr. Meghan Towers has been an advocate for Medical Assistance in Dying and received formal training to become a MAiD Provider in the Fall of 2018. Since then, she has been providing Medical Assistance in Dying both in the community and in the Hospital in Nanaimo. Dr. Towers lives with her husband, son, cat and 20 ducks in Nanaimo. When not at work, she enjoys spending time in Ucluelet, hiking and camping, weight lifting and traveling.

Speaker: Ms. Ila Patel, BSW, MSc, MSW, Palliative Care Social Worker, Vancouver Island Health Authority

Ila Patel is a Master’s prepared Social Worker who has been specializing in Palliative Care for the past 6 years working with the team at the Palliative Care Unit at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital. Over a career spanning a few decades Ila has worked through the human ages, from infants, children and teens at BC Children’s Hospital; Women and Reproductive Health at BC Women’s Hospital and Health Centre, to Geriatrics in community as part of the Complex Seniors Mental Health Team in Nanaimo, BC.  At the Palliative Care Unit Ila’s primary role is to support the practical and psychosocial aspects of coping with advanced illness, a process which encompasses complex end-of-life decision making. Ila is an advocate for a patient’s rights and wishes, and a support for each family’s unique experience of grief and bereavement.

Speaker: Ms. Cynthia Clark, Vice Chair: MAID Family Support Society, MAID Family Support Society

Cynthia Clark has guided her family through medical assistance in dying (MAID) twice.  First in 2019 when her husband was diagnosed with brain cancer and then again with her father in 2023. For nearly a year, Cynthia was her husband’s caregiver & advocate, while simultaneously guiding her young children through his decision to have MAID. It was their family’s mission to normalize death, be open and honest with the children, and live well, until it was time to “quit while it was still fun”. Cynthia and her family have shared their journey very openly and publicly and continue to use their experiences to help others who are going through MAID, especially those who have young children.

Cynthia is a board member of MAID Family Support Society, a peer support volunteer and Co-Author of The Many Faces of MAID: What to Expect when Someone You Know Chooses Medical Assistance in Dying

Moderator: Dr. Tracy Powell, PhD, R.N. Associate Professor, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Mount Royal University

Dr. Tracy Powell is an Associate Professor in the School of Nursing and Midwifery within the Faculty of Health, Community and Education at Mount Royal University in Calgary, Alberta. With over 30 years of combined experience in clinical practice and academia, she brings a strong background in cancer and palliative care. Since the legalization of MAiD in Canada, Dr. Powell’s scholarly work has centered on this area, particularly exploring the experiences and perspectives of family members, the supports and resources available to them, and the impact of policy on these experiences. She is also a co-investigator on an SSHRC-funded project examining the socio-political factors that influence end-of-life planning among older Canadians. In addition to her academic work, Dr. Powell serves on the Board of Bridge C-14.

Inclusive Care for 2SLGBTQIA+ Older Adults: Early Insights from a Provincial Project

2SLGBTQIA+ older adults often encounter systemic barriers and a lack of visibility within hospice, palliative, and long-term care. This session explores lessons and early insights from the first year of a two-year provincial initiative led by Dignity Seniors Society, working across all five BC Health Authorities to create safer, more welcoming care pathways for 2SLGBTQIA+ people at the end of life.

The session begins with Labhrás Quigley walking participants through the Inclusive Long-Term Care Project, outlining its origins, partnerships, and the progress made toward affirming care for 2SLGBTQIA+ older adults across British Columbia. Following this overview, a panel of healthcare workers with lived experience will share candid reflections on the challenges and opportunities within the system, offering practical insights into how inclusive and culturally safe care can be strengthened at every level.

Through stories, emerging findings, and tangible tools, participants will reflect on how health authorities and care providers can build capacity and foster environments of belonging, safety, and dignity in care.

Speaker: Labhrás (Lar) Quigley (he/him) – Project Lead, Dignity Seniors Society

Labhrás is a Cultural Deathcare Practitioner and community organizer committed to advancing inclusive and culturally safe care for underrepresented communities. He leads The ABE Project, a nonprofit dedicated to reimagining death, dying, and grief, and serves as Project Lead for Dignity Seniors Society’s Inclusive Long-Term Care Initiative, a two-year provincial project to affirm care for 2SLGBTQIA+ older adults. His experience includes work with Dying with Dignity Canada, MAID Family Support Society, Callanish Society, Vancouver Hospice, and the Downtown Eastside Community Deathcare Project.

Speaker: Emily Wyatt (she/her) – 2SLGBTQIA+ Liaison Nurse, Island Health

Emily is a registered nurse who has worked in emergency care, youth primary care, and as Canada’s first 2SLGBTQIA+ Liaison Nurse. She took the lead on creating and implementing this pioneering role within Island Health. As a transgender woman with firsthand experience in both healthcare provision and patient challenges, Emily is dedicated to fostering supportive relationships within the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and enhancing the skills of her colleagues in delivering safe and affirming care. Her extensive background in nursing, including work at the Victoria Youth Clinic and emergency departments has equipped her with deep relational skills and a strong understanding of the health needs of marginalized populations. Emily is a passionate advocate for social justice, focusing on racial, gender, and economic equity, and is committed to improving healthcare outcomes for her community.

Speaker: Josephine “Jo” Agudo (she/they) – Nursing Practice Initiative Lead, Vancouver Coastal Health

Josephine is the Nursing Practice Initiative Lead with the Long-Term Care and Assisted Living Professional Practice Team at Vancouver Coastal Health. She leads strategic initiatives to advance person-directed, culturally safe, and inclusive nursing practice across the health authority. Passionate about creating safer spaces in long-term care, Jo is dedicated to fostering environments that honour dignity, equity, and the diverse lived experiences of both residents and care providers.

Speaker: Shayla Feniuk (she/her) – Training Lead, Health Information Management, Island Health

Shayla has been part of Island Health for nine years, working across multiple portfolios under Health Information Management. For the past seven years, she has supported Registration Practice & Reliability as a Training Lead, helping strengthen accessibility, consistency, and inclusion in patient registration systems. Passionate about community and belonging, Shayla has played a pivotal role in organizing Island Health’s participation in regional PRIDE events and continues to advocate for greater visibility and inclusion in healthcare spaces.

Moderator: Shaun Lee (they/them) – Inclusive Speaker & Advocate

Shaun is a passionate advocate and facilitator dedicated to creating safe, inclusive spaces where people can show up as their authentic selves. With warmth, humour, and vulnerability, they guide communities and organizations in unlearning old narratives and embracing diversity. Shaun’s message bridges understanding and compassion, helping build stronger, more connected communities.

Development and implementation of Home Hospice program in Northern Rural Community through Hospice Society

The Prince George Hospice Palliative Care Society launched its Home Hospice program in 2023 to fulfill the community’s desire for end-of-life care at home. Developed through comprehensive needs assessments and research in collaboration with UNBC, the program offers 24/7 nursing support, symptom management, and emotional care. Early outcomes include reduced hospital admissions and significant healthcare savings. The program’s development and evaluation are detailed in a study published in PLOS O.

Panel Discussion: Building Community-Based Home Hospice—Lessons from Prince George

This panel will explore the PGHPCS Home Hospice program, focusing on five critical areas:

1. Understanding Community Needs: Participants will learn how PGHPCS conducted comprehensive community assessments to identify gaps in end-of-life care services. This process involved surveys and stakeholder interviews to ensure the program addressed the specific needs of Prince George residents.
2. Creating Collaborative Stakeholder Groups: The discussion will highlight strategies for forming effective multidisciplinary teams, including healthcare providers, caregivers, and academic partners. Attendees will gain insights into building sustainable alliances that enhance program development and execution.
3. Advancing Work Amidst Resistance to Change: Implementing new initiatives often faces resistance. Panelists will share experiences and methods used to overcome organizational and cultural barriers, facilitating smoother adoption of home hospice services.
4. Developing an Evidence-Informed Evaluation Tool: The session will cover the creation of mixed-methods evaluation frameworks to assess program effectiveness. Participants will learn about integrating quantitative metrics and qualitative feedback to inform continuous improvement.
5. Importance of Academic Partnerships: Emphasis will be placed on the role of academic collaborations in enhancing program credibility and research capacity. The partnership between PGHPCS and the University of Northern British Columbia serves as a model for integrating academic expertise into community-based care.

By the end of the panel, attendees will have a comprehensive understanding of the strategies and collaborations essential for developing and sustaining effective home hospice programs in community settings.

Moderator: Dr. Shannon Freeman PhD, Associate Professor, School of Nursing, University of Northern BC

Presenter: Mrs. Donna Flood, RN, MA, Executive Director, PG Hospice Palliative Care Society

Donna Flood, a seasoned healthcare leader with over 40 years of experience, has made contributions both globally and locally. Her early work with Mother Teresa’s hospice in Calcutta and her role as Director of Care in Nunavut highlight her dedication to compassionate care. As Executive Director of the Prince George Hospice Palliative Care Society, Donna has expanded services, including initiating BC’s first Home Hospice program, enhancing EOL care. She led the Hospice House to become a center of excellence and achieved the first hospice accreditation outside Ontario. Collaborating with UNBC, she developed programs addressing grief and long-term illness impacts. Her accolades include the Queen’s Diamond and Platinum Jubilee Medals and the King Charles Coronation Medal. Donna also serves as Vice President of the Prince George Chamber of Commerce and volunteers for Special Olympics.

Presenter: Ms. Maio Li, MScN, Doctorate Student, University of Northern BC

Presenter: Mrs. Erin Connelly, MEd, Director of Operations, PG Hospice Palliative Care Society

Reframing Value: Integrating Lived Experience, Indigenous Epistemologies, and Global Evidence in Palliative Care, EOL, and Grief Research

What if the metrics that guide palliative, end-of-life and grief care captured not only cost or symptom relief, but also dignity, relationality, and the preservation of meaning?

This advanced panel convenes international and Indigenous researchers whose work challenges conventional health system valuation frameworks. Dr. Afsan Bhadelia (Purdue University) and Dr. Natalie Greaves (University of the West Indies) will examine the epistemological, methodological and policy implications of redefining “value” in health systems, including the example of the SAVE Study Protocol, a forthcoming publication on global methodology (Communications Medicine) to examine the value of alleviating suffering through lived experience. A Canadian perspective will be offered by Sandra Fox, lead Indigenous Health Research Unit at Vancouver Coastal Health, exploring Indigenous methodologies, data sovereignty, and ethical space as essential to evidence generation and system design.

Moderated by Pablita Thomas (BC Hospice Palliative Care Association), the session will provoke dialogue on what constitutes knowledge, whose experience counts as data, and how redefining value could transform equity and legitimacy in palliative, EoL, and bereavement research.

Speaker: Dr. Afsan Bhadelia (Purdue University – US)

Dr. Afsan Bhadelia, PhD, MS (she/her) is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Public Health at Purdue University. Dr. Bhadelia has conducted health policy and systems research (HPSR) for 20 years with the aim of advancing value-driven and value-based universal healthcare and social accountability on health. Dr. Bhadelia develops new methodologies and metrics at the convergence of public health, complexity science, public policy, ethics, and economics to examine social and structural determinants of health. Using mixed methods, she applies an equity and justice lens to integrate lived experience in evidence generation as well as to promote public discourse on and social participation in health systems priority-setting and practice. Moreover, she uses chronic diseases and neglected aspects of care (e.g., cancer, palliative care) to trace and assess health systems performance across the life course and the care continuum, including in terms of gender- and age-responsiveness.

Dr. Bhadelia was previously a Fulbright U.S. Scholar, an Albert Schweitzer Fellow, and an NIMHD Health Disparities Research Institute Scholar. She has served/serves on the Lancet Commission on the Value of Death and the Lancet Commission on Cancer and Health Systems. She co-chaired the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Lancet Commission on Global Access to Palliative Care and Pain Relief and lead co-authored its seminal report. Dr. Bhadelia has published in leading medical and health policy journals such as Health Affairs and The Lancet, and co-edited and co-authored the book “Closing the Cancer Divide: An Equity Imperative.”

Speaker: Dr. Natalie Greaves (University of the West Indies – Barbados)

Dr Natalie Greaves is a Tenured Lecturer in public health and Coordinator of the MPhil/PhD program in public health and epidemiology at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Cave Hill Campus in Barbados. Her work includes teaching theoretical principles in palliative care and research methods at both the postgraduate and post-graduate levels.

Natalie  has devoted much of her career advocating for the development of palliative care services and education in the Caribbean.  Leading various scientific  advisory and palliative care development initiatives on the island of Barbados (She was consultant for the Barbados Palliative Care Needs Assessment Project – Ministry of Health Barbados and a founding director of the island’s national Palliative Care Association (2011-2012). She was also consultant to the Barbados Hospice Project stakeholder engagement process, and Chair of the National Advisory Committee on Chronic Pain Management with the Ministry of Health Barbados (2011-2018).

She was section lead for palliative care in the development of the Barbados National Cancer Control Plan (2015-2018).)  In 2016, she received a Commitment to Excellence Award granted by the University of Southern Caribbean-Barbados in recognition of her work in palliative care. She launched UWI Cave Hill’s first graduate course in palliative care as well as a massive open online course in palliative care with colleagues from the Caribbean region. Nattalie joined the board of the International Association of Hospice and Palliative Care-IAHPC in Jan 2023

Her research focuses on applied public health, cancer prevention and control, palliative care, health care organization and delivery, and access pathways to care. Her dominant research methodology is qualitative.

Speaker: Sandra Fox, Lead Indigenous Health Research Unit, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute

I’m from the Musqueam Indian Band and am of mixed Musqueam and British ancestry. I have had the privilege of working in and with Indigenous communities in various capacities in syilx and Secwepemc territories, as well as Musqueam, Tsleil-Waututh, and Squamish territories in British Columbia for over 20 years.

Reporting to the Director of the Indigenous Health Research Unit, I support Indigenous health research initiatives within the Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute (VCHRI) including strategic planning, policy, education, and research activities. I offer guidance both internally and externally on Indigenous research practices and policies to ensure they are done in partnership and in alignment with Indigenous communities and their needs and ethics. I am developing research-specific training and tools for non-Indigenous health researchers looking to continue their cultural safety journey. My work is guided by the Indigenous communities Vancouver Coastal Health serves, as well as my own values and my commitment to truth, reconciliation, decolonization, and Indigenization.

Moderator: Pablita Thomas (BCHPCA)

Pablita Thomas is an executive leader with more than 15 years of experience in the public health and non-profit sectors across Canada and the Caribbean. Known among peers as a “non-profit fixer,” she has led organizations through periods of transformation, stabilization, and growth, combining policy insight, data-informed advocacy, and a deep commitment to equitable care.

As Executive Director of the BC Hospice Palliative Care Association (BCHPCA), Pablita advances the collective voice of more than 70 hospice societies that deliver grief, bereavement, caregiver, and community-based palliative end of life supports across British Columbia and the Yukon. Her leadership emphasizes evidence-based advocacy, sector coordination, and sustainable funding for services that bridge health and community care.

Pablita also serves on the Board of the Caribbean Palliative Care Association (CARIPALCA), a regional body representing CARICOM countries in advancing access, education, and advocacy for palliative care. Through this dual lens, provincial and international, she brings a rare global perspective to the work of end-of-life and grief care, recognizing that dignity, connection, and compassion transcend geography and systems.

She holds an MBA from the Australian Institute of Business and a Bachelor of Applied Science and Diploma in Family and Community Services from the University of Guelph-Humber. Born in Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe, Pablita is fluent in French, English and Creole and continues to bridge cultures through her leadership. She lives in Victoria, British Columbia, with her two daughters.

Pablita believes that the future of hospice palliative care lies in global learning and local action, where communities everywhere are empowered to care for one another through life’s most profound transitions.

Nature and Grief: A Retreat for Families Affected by SUID/SIDS Loss

This presentation will highlight the evidence supporting nature-based grief support, explore the planning, implementation, and evaluation process, and provide a thorough overview of our retreat. Session attendees will leave with ideas on ways to innovate or implement similar supports for families in their local workplaces and communities coping with any form of pregnancy or infant loss.

Learning Objectives

1. Attendees will examine the evidence supporting the benefits of nature-based activities for bereaved families
2. Attendees will be able to outline the process of planning and implementing a nature-based retreat
3. Attendees will review feedback from families regarding the benefits and challenges of a nature-based retreat

Speaker: Mrs. Loralee McInroy, Family Support Coordinator, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre: Pregnancy and Infant Loss (PAIL) Network

Loralee McInroy is the Family Support Coordinator at the Pregnancy and Infant Loss (PAIL) Network in Ontario. PAIL Network is a government-funded program that offers peer support to bereaved families across the province. As a bereaved parent, Loralee draws on her own experience of loss and the voices of other bereaved families to create and implement meaningful support initiatives for families across Ontario.

A New Text-Based Approach to Delivering Quality Bereavement Care

Professional and community support during bereavement is in short supply and can be difficult to access. Often grievers are dissatisfied with the support they receive. Bereavement professionals are seeking innovative low-cost, high-reach forms of support to meet grievers’ needs. This presentation will report on the acceptability and helpfulness of Help Texts, an ongoing, expert, text-based grief support service, among bereaved family members who accessed the service as a hospice benefit.

Learning Objectives

1. Participants will be able to identify the common barriers to delivering quality bereavement support.
2. Participants will be able to describe the value of and strategies for implementing text-based support.

Speaker: Ms. Emma Payne, M.Sc., CEO, Help Texts

Emma Payne is a seasoned technology entrepreneur and MIT graduate, with a 30 year career building online and mobile solutions to increase well-being. She’s the founder and CEO of Help Texts, a company she created in 2018 to break through the barriers to receiving expert bereavement care. Today Help Texts delivers clinically sound caregiver and grief support in 59 countries and 28 languages, tailored based on age, relationship, cause of death and more. Help Texts was the first in the world to publish data on grief-informed texting. Their research published in the OMEGA Journal of Death and Dying in 2023 showed a 95% acceptability rate and 90% 6-month engagement rate with bereaved hospice families in the U.S.

Using the ECHO model to enhance psychosocial palliative care: Lessons learned on building community, increasing competency, and advancing practice

Five years ago, we used surveys and a resource review to identify gaps in opportunities for professional development and education of psychosocial care providers in BC. We have since collaborated to deliver four ECHO series for this group. We will share learnings, from team reflection and feedback received from participants. Attendees can apply our lessons to identify gaps, develop and provide an ECHO series for any discipline that supports patients and families on their palliative journey.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand how the ECHO model can be used to build community, increase capacity, and advance practice among care providers
2. Gain insight into how teams can take on a collaborative approach that maintains goals and objectives of the project while being flexible to meet the education and connection needs of care providers working in an ever-changing healthcare landscape

Speakers:

Mary Coleman, MSW, RSW, Clinical Practice Leader, Bereavement, Canuck Place Children’s Hospice

Mary has been with Canuck Place Children’s Hospice since 2013 with over 25 years in hospice and palliative care in Canada, US, and UK, specializing in bereavement care to children and families. As a co-founder of the BC Psychosocial Community of Practice, she is passionate about enhancing specialist competencies and practice, sits on the leadership team for Canadian Alliance for Grieving Children, and the Canadian Pediatric Palliative Care Bereavement Community of Practice.

Stephanie Stuerle, Program Coordinator, BC Centre for Palliative Care

Stephanie has been with BC Centre for Palliative Care since 2019. Prior to this she worked in non-profit and for profit organizations in administrative and coordinator roles and also has a background in private practice counselling. Stephanie enjoys supporting healthcare and community care providers by providing quality education and helping experts build networks to spread best practices.

The Impact of Collective Trauma – Nova Scotia’s Response to the Worst Mass Shooting in Canadian History

In 2020, the worst mass shooting event in the history of Canada claimed the lives of 22 innocent people in Portapique, Nova Scotia, and deeply affected thousands more.

In response to this collective trauma a partnership was developed between the NS Government, Department of Health and Wellness (DHW), NS Health (NSH) and the NS Hospice Palliative Care Association (NSHPCA) to provide trauma informed grief services and support to those impacted by the massacre and beyond.

Learning Objectives:

1. Participants will be able to identify steps taken by a community dealing with a collective trauma.
2. Participants will learn effective strategies for community engagement.
3. Participants will learn effective strategies for identifying community needs as determined by the community itself.
4. Participants will learn how government, health authorities and community agencies can work together for the benefit of local populations.

Speaker: Ms. Marianne Arab, MSW/RSW, Past President, Board Member, Nova Scotia Hospice Palliative Care Association

Marianne Arab is the Provincial Manager of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care with the NSH Cancer Care Program. Her career experience includes working as an inpatient clinical social work in the areas of Family Medicine, Oncology and Palliative Care and spans over 25 years.

She has lead numerous federally funded initiatives including the Paramedics Providing Palliative Care at Home Program. She has been instrumental in the development of a provincial psychosocial oncology program which provides equitable access for all Nova Scotians to psychosocial care in oncology.

Marianne is the Past President of the Nova Scotia Hospice Palliative Care Association and sits on the Boards of the Canadian Association of Psychosocial Oncology and the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association. Marianne received her BSW from McGill University and her MSW from Dalhousie University

A Retrospective Review of the Development of a Centralized Decision-Making Model in a Metropolis-Sized Community: The Calgary Zone Hospice Access and Hospice Operations Model

The Hospice Access and Hospice Operations Hub (HAHO) is a nurse-led, coordinated system designed to provide equitable, timely, and patient-centered access to residential hospice care. Since its inception in 1995, HAHO has evolved in response to patient and family experiences, leading to the co-creation of standardized transition processes, the development of hospice care guidelines, and the implementation of integrated education across seven independent healthcare organizations.

Learning Objectives:

1. Participants will describe the standard process and criteria used by Palliative and End-of-Life Care programs to assess and transition patients to residential hospice care.
2. Participants will be able to identify key factors influencing the decision-making process for hospice admission, including medical, psychosocial, and spiritual considerations
3. Participants will be able to describe the relevance and potential impact of centralized hospice coordination models on community-based end-of-life care delivery.

Speakers:

Ms. Monique VanderVeen, RN BN MN, Manager, Hospice Access and Hospice Operations, Calgary Zone, Assisted Living Alberta

Monique VanderVeen is a Hospice Palliative Care Nurse and the Manager of Hospice Access and Hospice Operations in the Calgary Zone. She is also a sessional instructor for the University of Lethbridge and Dhillon School of Business, teaching Healthcare Quality Management. As a doctoral student at the University of Calgary, Monique’s research interests include the role and culture of Health Care Aides who work in residential hospices and improving access to hospice care for marginalized populations and those with substance use disorders.

Dr. Faraz Sachedina, MD, Palliative and Internal Medicine Fellow, Alberta Health Services

Faraz Sachedina is a recent graduate in Internal Medicine and is currently completing his Palliative Care Royal College Fellowship at the University of Calgary. He has had an opportunity to journey around the globe while completing his medical training including Eastern Europe and the United States, gaining a wide perspective and the surprising ability to speak Polish. Prior to returning to training, Faraz dabbled in the field of Medical Operations, where he was previously Vice President of a national medical practice stretching across Canada. Faraz has shown a keen eye to medical operations, exploring system-based efficiencies and improving access to medical care. He was introduced to the concept of Palliative Care, with a goal of further exploring areas of health equity, access and advocacy. He hopes to continue to explore health care systems to find ways to build capacity and to support policy creation to continue to advocate for patients’ and their family’s quality of life.

Dr. Angela Ferguson, RN, PhD, CHPCN (C), Assistant Professor, Teaching and Learning, University of Calgary

Angela L. Ferguson is a Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Calgary. She is a primary instructor in the palliative and end-of-life care stream and lead instructor in the rural and remote nursing stream of the graduate-level laddered certificate to Master of Nursing program. Angela’s academic interests include advanced practice nursing education, and optimizing full-scope nursing roles, clinical decision-making, hospice access and the art and science of prognostication. She is interested in initiatives that focus on improving access to high-quality palliative care for vulnerable populations, especially those in rural and remote communities.

A Palliative Care Balanced Scorecard aligned with Quintuple Aims

In the context of a changing healthcare landscape, it is critical for organizations to tell their story with data. The new Ontario HPC Quality Management Platform supports organizations in doing just this. The Palliative Care Collaborative, with over 30 members in Ontario, has extended this to encompass a broad set of tools specialized for the sector. Powerful measures, within a Balanced Scorecard aligned with the Quintuple Aims, address both organizational and system performance.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand how the platform aligns performance measures within the Quintuple Aim framework using a Balanced Scorecard template.
2. Demonstrate new tools and streamlined automated data collection processes which provide new measures and powerful analytical capabilities.
3. Discuss how to extend these to your organization to tell your story and influence your system partners.

Speakers:

Mr. Brian Tramontini, Hons. B. Math, CEO, Stratim

Mr. Tramontini founded Stratim over 25 years ago after holding a variety of roles in government and the private sector. Stratim specializes in organizational performance metrics with a focus on healthcare. Brian co-led the development and creation of the Hospice Palliative Care Ontario (HPCO) suite of performance measures in 2016. The Stratim software platform supports over 60 palliative care services providers across the province of Ontario through the HPCO Metrics Platform. Stratim also supported the formation of the Palliative Care Collaborative which comprises nearly 30 organizations who collaborated to develop data collection and analysis tools specifically for the palliative care sector.

Ms. Andrea Binkle, M.A., RN, Stratim Palliative Care Lead, Stratim

Andrea Binkle is a Registered Nurse with over four decades of experience in health care and holds a Masters of Arts in Leadership. Her past 20+ years of experience and commitment is in the design of hospice palliative care service delivery at the local, regional and provincial level. She has previous held leadership roles at the Ontario Palliative Care Network, a 16-bed Hospice Residence, Waterloo Wellington Community Care Access Centre and the Victorian Order of Nurses and an Associate Professor at Conestoga College. Andrea has designed and implemented various hospice palliative care programs & services. Andrea has extensive experience in the fields of acute, community and long-term care. Andrea is the recipient of the YMCA Women of Distinction Award in Public Service and the CCAC Leadership award.

Five years of a province-wide Compassionate Communities initiative: impact on public awareness of advance care planning and palliative care

This presentation will describe a five-year Compassionate Communities initiative to increase public awareness and understanding of palliative care and advance care planning. Attendees will learn about activities to support conversations around death and dying, improve understanding of palliative care, build community support for people living with serious illness, and support engagement in advance care planning, and the resulting impact on awareness of palliative care and advance care planning.

Learning Objectives

1. Participants will learn about a five-year, multi-sectoral Compassionate Communities initiative that partnered with community stakeholders to increase public awareness and understanding of palliative care and advance care planning in one Canadian province;
2. Participants will learn about the public-facing resources developed and/or adapted to support conversations around death and dying, understanding palliative care, building community support for people living with serious illness, and engagement in advance care planning;
3. Participants will see real-world data from our process and outcome measurement to assess the effectiveness of our initiative to raise public awareness and understanding of palliative care and advance care planning.

Speaker: Dr. Patricia Biondo, PhD, Research Manager, University of Calgary & Covenant Health Palliative Institute

Patricia Biondo is the Research Manager for the Division of Palliative Medicine, University of Calgary, and has been supporting the Covenant Health Palliative Institute’s palliative care and advance care planning public awareness initiatives since early 2021. She has nearly 20 years’ experience supporting palliative care research in Alberta, including the Palliative Care Early and Systematic (PaCES) project and the Advance Care Planning CRIO project.

Development of a novel approach to identify home care clients who could potentially benefit from a palliative approach to their care

A palliative approach is a holistic approach to care rather than a set of services. This approach addresses and manages a person and their family’s psychological, social, spiritual and physical issues, in line with their goals, by focusing on conversations about needs and values. When initiated earlier, it can result in improved quality of life. This research developed a new clinical assessment protocol to flag individuals who could potentially benefit from a palliative approach to their care.

Learning Objectives:

1. Participants will learn about the development of a new flag to identify individuals who could potentially benefit from a palliative approach to their care
2. Participants will learn about participatory research and the benefits and challenges of working with various stakeholders
3. Participants will learn about existing electronic health assessments to target individuals who could potentially benefit from a palliative approach to care using interRAI data

Speaker: Ms. Nicole Williams, MSc, Project Administrator and Data Analyst, Wilfrid Laurier University

Nicole is a data analyst and project administrator at Wilfrid Laurier University, in Waterloo Ontario. She received her Master of Science degree in kinesiology and physical education from Wilfrid Laurier University in 2014. Her research interests include health data research, service use and working with big data, with a focus on several groups, including individuals with sensory impairments, those receiving home care services and recipients of community-based palliative care. Nicole uses data from interRAI assessments, which are standardized assessments used throughout Canada and around the world and generate a wealth of electronic information.

The Strengthening a Palliative Approach in Long Term Care (SPA-LTC) Program: Implementation Strategies and Key Findings

This presentation will provide an overview of the Strengthening a Palliative Approach in Long Term Care (SPA-LTC) program based on research that has been conducted in four provinces. Local champions play a pivotal role in implementing the program which has been instrumental in promoting its successful implementation. For example, hospital use at end-of-life for LTC residents who participated in the SPA-LTC program was significantly reduced along along with hospital deaths.

Learning Objectives:

1. Participants will be able to identify key components of the Strengthening a Palliative Approach in Long Term Care (SPA-LTC) program.
2. Participants will learn how to implement a palliative program in LTC.

Speaker: Dr. Sharon Kaasalainen, RN PhD, Professor, McMaster University

Dr. Kaasalainen is a Professor and holds the inaugural Gladys Sharpe Chair in Nursing at McMaster University. She is an Associate member of the Department of Family Medicine at McMaster. She is also an Honorary Adjunct Professor in the School of Nursing and Midwifery at the University of Technology Sydney. She is a co-lead of the Strengthening a Palliative Approach in Long-Term Care (SPA-LTC) program which aims to improve the quality of living and dying for residents and their family/friends in LTC.

Listening to palliative patients’ stories: An exploration of palliative care volunteers listening-related training needs and experiences

This presentation will focus on the experiences of deployed palliative care volunteers in a rural community who have previously completed listening-focused training. Listening in palliative care often requires intense emotional and self-regulation resources, yet little attention has been given to preparing volunteers for this aspect of the role. We present insights from volunteer focus groups to improve our training and support for developing volunteers listening abilities.

Learning Objectives:

1. Participants will be able to summarize current gaps in the literature around listening training for volunteers in community palliative care settings.
2. Participants will be able to identify and reflect on the importance listening in their work in palliative care.
3. Participants will be able to identify 3 recommendations for listening training in supporting their clients in community palliative care.

Speaker: Prof. Tiffany Kriz, PhD, Associate Professor, MacEwan University

Tiffany Kriz (PhD, Organizational Behaviour) is an Associate Professor in Management & Organizations at MacEwan University. Dr. Kriz’s research program broadly explores interpersonal interactions and relationships in organizational contexts, with a primary focus on interpersonal listening. Within the palliative care and hospice space, Dr. Kriz is conducting research with Bow Valley Palliative to investigate how volunteers are impacted by listening to difficult client experiences, and how they can be better trained and supported to do the important work of listening. Dr. Kriz and Bill Harder co-developed the volunteer module on effective listening offered by Bow Valley Palliative.

Advancing Equitable Cancer Care for People with Incarceration Experience

This presentation shares research findings examining cancer care access for individuals with incarceration experience. It highlights systemic barriers, the role of institutional logics in shaping care, and reveals everyday acts of resistance and negotiation by clinicians working within and against institutional routines.

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify systemic barriers to cancer care for people with incarceration experience.
2. Describe the impact of institutional control on access and clinical decision-making.
3. Reflect on how practice or policy can support more equitable and compassionate care pathways.

Speaker: Mrs. Mar’yana Fisher, RN, PhD (c), Clinical Nurse Specialist, First Nations Health Authority

Mar’yana Fisher is a PhD candidate at the School of Nursing at the University of Victoria.  In her clinical nursing practice, Mar’yana observed inequities in the way palliative care is accessed and delivered to vulnerable populations, especially individuals who experience incarceration. Mar’yana’s personal and professional goals include advocating for the healthcare rights of justice-involved people, advancing equitable palliative care, and examining social injustices within carceral spaces.

Drawing on her unique skill set developed across two undergraduate degrees in Psychology and Nursing and a Master of Science in Nursing, Mar’yana aspires to reduce the disparities experienced by people who face a double burden of incarceration and life-limiting illness.

Nurturing Compassionate Communities in Canada Using Public Education: An Inter-Provincial Collaboration

This presentation describes the process and outcomes of adapting and implementing the Australian PalliLearn public education series for one Canadian province and collaborating with a community organization from another province to adapt it for use with ethnocultural communities. This program encourages community involvement in palliative care and reduces barriers to equitable access to palliative care arising from lack of awareness by engaging a broad public audience outside of the health system.

Learning Objectives:

1. The process by which a public education series can be tailored to different settings/audiences.
2. Features of a palliative care public educational series that make it appealing to public audiences.
3. Characteristics of a successful train-the-trainer program for health professionals.

Speaker: Louise Kashuba, Executive Director, Covenant Health Palliative Institute

Building competency in early palliative care in primary care teams across Canada: CAPACITI virtual education 6-month follow-up

We will present follow-up results from the CAPACITI virtual palliative care training program trial for interdisciplinary providers, offered across Canada. Six months following CAPACITI, providers (n=124) reported a significant mean point increase of 15% in the proportion of their patients identified as requiring a palliative care approach. Competencies in providing this approach and interprofessional collaboration improved significantly post intervention and were sustained six months later.

Learning Objectives:

1. The audience will learn how we implemented CAPACITI across Canada, how we measured the impact of this palliative care education intervention, and the utility of CAPACITI for improving palliative care in primary care in a sustained fashion in their own communities.
2. Based on the lessons learned in this study, participants will obtain insights into enacting and assessing change towards building core competencies in a palliative approach to care.

Speaker: Dr. Daryl Bainbridge, PhD, Senior Research Coordinator

Daryl obtained his PhD in Health Research Methodology at McMaster University. His main research interests involve improving the quality and integration of healthcare service delivery, particularly for those with cancer or other life-limiting illnesses.

Compassionate Dementia Inclusive Communities: An Interorganizational Approach to Volunteer Navigation

This presentation focuses on a project using an interorganizational model to implement volunteer navigation (Nav-CARE) alongside a compassionate, dementia-inclusive community approach (CDIC) to enhance support for persons living with dementia and their care partners. We outline our theoretical approach, detail the specialized volunteer training, and describe a modified compassionate community index survey. These form the foundation of the CDIC toolkit for communities to apply this method.

Learning Objectives:

1. Participants will be able to explain how combining volunteer navigation, compassionate communities, and dementia-inclusive community strategies can enhance community-based support for persons with dementia and their care partners.
2. Participants will learn about the theoretical grounding behind the project—including the Compassionate Dementia Inclusive Communities (CDIC) Toolkit—and understand how specialized volunteer training contributes to its implementation.

Speakers:

Ms. Melody Jobse, Community Engagement Lead, BC Centre for Palliative Care

Melody is the Community Engagement Lead with BC Centre for Palliative Care for the past 8 years, and she also is a key member of a UBCO research team working to animate a compassionate, dementia inclusive communities approach in 6 organizations across Canada. Melody is invested in building capacity, growing Compassionate Communities that support people who are affected by a serious illness, end of life, death and grieving experience. This includes advance care planning facilitator training, delivering All Together ECHO series as well as supporting community and provincial events. Connecting people, passion and knowledge for a greater good is a common theme throughout Melody’s diverse non profit leadership work for over 30 years.

Dr. Eman Hassan, Executive Director, BC Centre for Palliative Care

Dr. Eman Hassan is the executive director of the BC Centre for Palliative Care and the lead for the Centre’s public health portfolio, with more than 20 years of experience leading population and community health initiatives in BC and abroad. Under Eman’s leadership, the Centre’s community-empowering interventions including the Compassionate Communities initiative and advance care planning program received national recognition as an innovation and a best practice in community-based palliative care. In addition to her leadership of the BCCPC, Eman is an adjunct professor at the UBC Palliative Medicine Division. Her current research focuses on the development, evaluation, and spread of innovative interventions and evidence-based collaborative approaches that aim to enhance access to palliative care and bereavement support.

Listening to the “Voices” of Children with Serious Illness: Art, Metaphor, and Silence

Children with serious illness, including life-shortening and life-threatening illnesses, must contend with significant challenges related to limitations of their illness, the loss of physical functioning, and the threat of death. In an arts-based study, 6 children were interviewed to understand their experiences of living with and dying from serious illness. The results of this study inform pediatric palliative care teams in supporting children with serious illness and their families.

Learning Objectives:

As a result of attending this presentation, participants will be able to consider how children’s voices may be incorporated into practice and research in pediatric palliative care. The experiences of children with serious illness–including their engagement with clinical environments, their understanding of their illness and its limitations, how children navigate times of relative wellness, and how one might interpret their silences–will be identified. The application of the findings from this study for clinical practice, pediatric palliative care programs, and for future research will be discussed.

Speaker: Dr. Kate Wong, PhD, RN, Assistant Professor, University of Calgary

Dr. Katherine (Kate) Wong is an Assistant Professor (Teaching/Research) in the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Calgary. Her emerging program of research explores topics in pediatric palliative care with a focus on children’s participation in research. Kate’s clinical background includes pediatric hospice and palliative care and pediatric acute care at the Alberta Children’s Hospital. Kate’s doctoral thesis was a hermeneutic study of the experiences of children with serious illness, including life-threatening and life-shortening illnesses, using arts-based interview methods.

A Retrospective Qualitative Study Examining Bereaved Parents’ Experience of End-of-Life Care at Rotary Flames House

This presentation will focus on the experiences of bereaved parents at Rotary Flames House, a freestanding pediatric hospice in Alberta. There are many gaps in this research area, and we will focus on what was important to parents and families who used the hospice: having an engaged hospice team, frequent end-of-life education, and grief and bereavement follow-up needs. Recommendations for practice will be discussed.

Learning Objectives:

1. Participants will be able to summarize current gaps in the literature around family needs in pediatric hospice care.
2. Participants will be able to list 3 areas that parents identified as important to their EOL experience.
3. Participants will be able to identify 3 recommendations for practice in supporting parents at the end of their child’s life.

Speaker: Dr. Jennifer Dorman, PhD, BN, RN, CHPCN(C), Assistant Professor, Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador

Jennifer Dorman, PhD, RN, CHPCN(C) is an assistant professor in the Faculty of Nursing at the Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador. She has over 15 years of experience in hospice palliative care nursing as a bedside nurse, hospice nurse educator, and researcher, and has also taught palliative care courses at a post-secondary level. Her main research interest explores the relationship between hospice palliative care and medical assistance in dying. Jennifer is also interested in understanding the experiences of underserved populations seeking care at the end of life.

Children’s Hospice Palliative Care in Canada: A Cross-Country Qualitative Descriptive Study on the State of Care

This presentation shares the national findings of a qualitative study on the evolution and current state of children’s hospice palliative care in Canada. Drawing on interviews with 17 specialized teams, we explore care models, system gaps, and strategies for sustainability. Attendees will gain practical insights to inform advocacy, policy, and program development aimed at strengthening equitable pediatric palliative care across the country.

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify three key milestones and challenges in the historical evolution of children’s hospice palliative care programs in Canada.
2. Describe the current structures, services, and models of care used by specialized pediatric palliative care teams across Canada.
3. Recognize common barriers and gaps in delivering equitable and sustainable children’s hospice palliative care nationwide.
4. Apply study findings to inform advocacy, policy, or program development in pediatric palliative care.

Speakers:

Liana Bailey, RN, BScN, PhD(c), Research Associate, Roger Neilson Children’s Hospice

Dr. Lauren Hanes, BSc Pharm, MD, FRCPC, Pediatrician, IWK Health Centre

From Rarity to Inequity: Why Pediatric Palliative Care Needs National Coordination

Across Canada, access to pediatric palliative care is fragmented, under-resourced, and shaped more by geography than by need. Drawing on findings from a national systems-focused review, this session explores why PPC demands national coordination and a collaborative model of care. It also introduces a new bilingual, evidence-based resource hub (launching October 2025)—designed to empower healthcare professionals, build community, and create a shared vision for high-quality care across in Canada.

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify three structural challenges contributing to inequitable pediatric palliative care access in Canada.
2. Summarize national insights from the Mending the Gaps review of PPC system challenges and responses.
3. Describe how www.pediatricpalliativecare.ca is designed to support generalist and specialist providers through evidence-based resources.
4. Explore early steps toward a collaborative, nationally coordinated model of care.
5. Reflect on the role of community-building and shared vision in shaping PPC policy and practice.

Speakers:

Liana Bailey, RN, BScN, PhD(c), Research Associate, Roger Neilson Children’s Hospice

Meghan Lofft, BSc, MHSc, Project Manager, Canada’s Pediatric Palliative Care Alliance

“Palliative doctors are like a different breed…” A Mixed-Methods Evaluation of the McMaster Palliative Care Undergraduate Medical Education program

McMaster University’s goal is to equip medical students with core skills of a primary palliative approach to care as defined by national Educating Future Physicians in Palliative and End-of-Life Care (EFPPEC) competencies. This session outlines the results of a 4-year education evaluation study examining formal and informal curriculum exposures to identify strengths and gaps, and integration of Learning Essential Approaches to Palliative Care (LEAP) modules based on curriculum mapping.

Learning Objectives:

1. Apply a framework for curriculum mapping of national EFPPEC competencies and LEAP Fundamentals modules to optimize formal palliative care curriculum sessions.
2. Review the influence of informal, hidden and null curriculum elements on learning of the core skills of a primary palliative approach to care.
3. Demonstrate an approach to education evaluation to drive iterative curricular changes in palliative care education.

Speaker: Dr. Jeffrey McCarthy, MD CCFP(PC), Assistant Clinical Professor, Division of Palliative Care, Department of Family Medicine, McMaster University

Dr. Jeffrey McCarthy is an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Division of Palliative Care, Department of Family Medicine at McMaster University. He is a Palliative Care physician based at Joseph Brant Hospital in Burlington and serves as the assistant undergraduate education lead in Palliative Care at McMaster University. Dr. McCarthy also serves as chair of clinical skills and OSCE director for undergraduate medical education at McMaster University since 2023.

As an educator, Dr. McCarthy is committed to a philosophy of competency-based medical education. He has a passion for creative curriculum and policy development, including integration of AI simulated patients to enhance case-based learning. He is committed to building capacity to deliver a palliative approach to care within a shared-care and interdisciplinary model through education and collaboration.

Coordinating Compassionate Palliative Care for People Living with Neurodevelopmental Complexity

British Columbians with neurodevelopmental disabilities suffer because the current healthcare system fails to provide consistent, coordinated, integrated, and compassionate palliative care for this underserved and diverse population. Access to disability care and hospice palliative care, two disconnected ecosystems, is critical. This session explores the challenges posed and the opportunities to support individuals affected by neurodevelopmental disabilities to live and die with dignity.

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify and understand the challenges of coordinating disability and hospice palliative care and recognize the effects of these challenges on individuals and their loved ones affected by neurodevelopmental disabilities and complexities.
2. Develop an awareness of specific challenges experienced in families affected by neurodevelopmental disabilities and complexities.
3. Advocate the value of building connections and trust among innovators and champions so as to create meaningful change within the system and for those affected by neurodevelopmental disabilities and complexities (aligning with CPC-NDC’s recommendations).

Speakers:

Ms. Susan Scott Gabe, Steering Committee Member, Hospice Care Alliance of British Columbia, Hospice Care Alliance of British Columbia

Susan Scott Gabe is a seasoned healthcare professional with over forty years of experience in clinical coordination, education, administration, consulting, business development, and governance, Energetic, passionate, and a strategic thinker, she thrives on driving continuous improvement to achieve operational excellence. Susan’s expertise spans the intersection of efficient delivery and effective, compassionate, person-centered care.

Susan dedicates a great deal of her time to supporting multiple worthy causes. She sits on several committees and boards that help advance provincial and national healthcare and community initiatives. As a result of her extensive community service, Susan was awarded the 2025 BC Community Achievement Award at Government House.

Dr. David Hunt, MD, FRCPC (retired), Steering Committee Member, Compassionate Palliative Care for People Living with Neurodevelopmental Complexity, Sovereign Order of St John, Knights Hospitalier.

David G. Hunt, MD, FRCPC, is a recently retired Consultant in Pain Medicine and Palliative Care. He practiced Pain Medicine from 1991 as Clinical/Medical Director of the WCB Interdisciplinary Pain Program at the Rehabilitation Centre in Richmond. In early 2000, he joined the St Paul’s Hospital Interdisciplinary Complex Pain Program as a consultant in pain medicine, where he cared for both Inpatients and Outpatients. He continued full-time Pain Medicine at St Paul’s until 2014 and then transitioned into Palliative Care Medicine at Lions Gate Hospital, the North Shore Hospice and the North Shore Community Palliative Care Program.

Before his Pain Practice, he worked as a qualified Specialist in Emergency Medicine in downtown teaching Hospitals from 1972 until 1991.

He is credited with establishing the Advanced Paramedic Program in Vancouver and setting up the GVRHD Emergency Medical (Disaster) Response Program, which links Lower Mainland Hospital Emergency Departments, Ambulance, Fire, and Police Services.

On the charitable side, he was invited to join the Sovereign Order of St John of Jerusalem, Knights Hospitaller, Vancouver in 2009 and rose in the ranks in 2020 to become Commander (CEO). His term of office ended in December 2022.

He has recently been notified that he has been selected as a recipient of the 2025 Doctors of BC Silver Medal of Service Award.

He is the only yodelling Emergency , Pain, and Palliative Care Doc this side of the Rockies. His mantra remains: Laughter is Still the Best Medicine.

Last Days and Hours Conversation Guide

Within our nursing home care staff there was an identified need for more education for both staff and caregivers on the dying process. The last days and hours conversation guide gives staff and caregivers practical information on what to expect as a client/patient nears end of life.

There are 3 sections to the document

• a conversation checklist for staff
• details about last days and hours or the dying process
• a tool for patients or caregivers on what to expect

Learning Objectives:

1. Participants will define what the Last Days and Hours Conversation Guide is.
2. Participants will recognize the difference between the 3 sections of the Guide
3. Participants will identify if or how the conversation guide could assist in the care of the dying patient in their workplace.

Speaker: Miss Susan Doucette, RN CHPCN(c), Provincial Palliative Home Care Clinical Development Coordinator, Health PEI

Susan is the Provincial Palliative Home Care Clinical Development Coordinator for PEI. A nurse for 32 years with the last 11 years being solely in Palliative Home Care. She is a certified Hospice Palliative Care Nurse, certified in change management, a LEAP Facilitator, and a Last Aid facilitator.  She has a strong passion for spreading the word of what Palliative means and ensuring PEI palliative patients and their families are getting high quality Palliative Care.

Speaker: Mrs. Mallory Peters, BScn, RN, CHPCN(c)

Mallory Peters is a Registered Nurse who is Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Certified. She graduated from St. Francis Xavier University with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and has worked in many different areas of healthcare before settling into Palliative Care for the last several years. She is a Palliative Care Coordinator with Health PEI. She provides pain and symptom management and end of life care for clients and their families/caregivers in rural PEI. She works with the Integrated Palliative Care Program, a specialized interdisciplinary team through Provincial Home-Based Care, that provides comfort and support for clients to live fully until they reach the end of their lives.

Staff Perspectives on an Innovative Hospice at Home Program in Northern British Columbia

To support the end-of-life wishes of dying persons, a novel Home Hospice program was launched in 2023, the first program of its kind in British Columbia. We performed eight semi-structured interviews with staff involved in the implementation and operation of the program, and in this presentation, we will describe the experiences and perspectives of staff in the Home Hospice program, including perceived benefits and challenges of the program.

Learning Objectives:

1. Participants will learn about staff perspectives on a recently implemented Home Hospice program in British Columbia.
2. Participants will understand the benefits of a Home Hospice program compared to other approaches to end-of-life care.
3. Participants will reflect on the challenges of Home Hospice programs.

Speaker: Dr. Shannon Freeman, PhD, Professor, School of Nursing University of Northern British Columbia

Dr. Freeman is a Professor in the School of Nursing at the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC), the Vice-President of the BC Hospice Palliative Care Association and the BC provincial representative to the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association (CHPCA). She has published widely in field of palliative and hospice care, including examining caregiver distress and supports when caring for persons nearing end-of-life, dyspnea at end of life, and palliative patients’ expressions of wishes to die now. Dr. Freeman has examined the experiences of professional caregivers and requests for medical assistance in dying in the non-provider hospice context. Dr. Freeman has been instrumental to co-designing the hospice at home program with leaders at the PGHPCS and is currently leading the evaluation of this new program.

Evaluating the implementation of RESPECT, a risk communication tool, to support the palliative approach in LTC homes

We evaluated training and early implementation of the RESPECT risk assessment tool and a serious illness conversation guide in long-term care homes across Ontario. Using surveys and interviews grounded in the Theoretical Domains Framework, we assessed staff knowledge, confidence, behaviors, and attitudes over multiple time points. Findings revealed improvements across several key domains, highlighting the potential of these tools to strengthen the palliative approach in long-term care settings.

Learning Objectives:

1. Participants will be able to identify and describe a new, validated risk communication tool currently being used to improve palliative care delivery in long-term care homes across Canada.
2. Participants will also be able to identify and describe a well-established, evidence-based serious illness communication guide and training process. This guide is used internationally by trained facilitators to improve serious illness conversations in various palliative care settings.
3. Participants will be able to identify and define 7-10 of the 13 domains from a widely used and evidence-based implementation framework: the Theoretical Domains Framework. This may also encourage them to apply more strategic, evidence-based implementation methods to their own research or practice.
4. Participants will be given the opportunity to appraise the two palliative care tools based on training and early implementation evaluation results.
5. Participants may also consider recommending or applying these tools in other long-term care homes to enhance their palliative approach.

Speaker: Ms. Ishika Tripathi, Graduate Student, Bruyère Health Research Institute

I am a Master’s student in Epidemiology at the University of Ottawa with a focus on implementation science and palliative care. My thesis explores the barriers and enablers to implementing digital palliative care tools in long-term care settings, drawing on the perspectives of healthcare management and key decision makers. This work supports the implementation of RESPECT, a prognostic tool designed to support the earlier identification of palliative care needs and goals of care conversations. Previously, I had evaluated the implementation of RESPECT and serious illness conversation training to improve palliative care delivery in Ontario long-term care homes. I am currently engaging with decision makers across Alberta to inform the strategic implementation of RESPECT into Alberta’s long-term care homes.

Beyond Paper: A Digital Future for Advance Care Planning in Canada

Despite growing awareness of advance care planning (ACP), most Canadians still don’t document their wishes. This session explores how digital tools can address system-level failures, reduce outdated or lost plans, and lower barriers to family conversations. Drawing on principles from quality improvement and just culture, we’ll examine how platforms like Take Care are changing how ACP is done, shared, and implemented.

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify at least three common system-level failures in advance care planning (ACP), including issues related to access, documentation, and communication.
2. Describe how digital tools, such as Take Care, can address these failures by embedding ACP into workflows and reducing emotional and logistical barriers to planning.
3. Apply the ‘Hierarchy of Effectiveness’ to assess the strength of ACP interventions, distinguishing between low-impact strategies (e.g., education alone) and more durable system-level solutions.
4. Recognize how digital ACP platforms can support communication within families and care teams, including practical ways to share and update wishes over time.

Speaker: Dr. Laura Shoots, BHSc(Hon), MD, CCFP-EM, MSc QuIPS, CEO, Take Care

Dr. Laura Shoots is an emergency physician and educator with a master’s degree in Quality Improvement and Patient Safety from the University of Toronto. She is the founder and CEO of Take Care, a platform that helps you create, organize, and share personalized plans for life’s most challenging times—from unexpected hospitalizations to end of life. Passionate about system-level change, she also teaches at McMaster University and has held several leadership roles in healthcare. She also plays soccer with the Canadian Women’s Physician Soccer Team.

Accessibility, universal design, and cross-sectoral partnerships: Transforming Advance Care Planning with healthcare technology

This workshop explores how digital tools can support and enhance Advance Care Planning (ACP) by improving access and engagement. Using the ACP Canada Digital Guide as a case study, it covers a four-phase framework—Discovery, Development, Launch, and Optimization—offering strategies for implementation and partnership. Participants will learn how thoughtful design and cross-sector collaboration can drive adoption and meaningful change in ACP.

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify effective ways to integrate digital tools into Advance Care Planning (ACP) to improve accessibility, user engagement, and completion rates.
2. Apply a four-phase framework (Discovery & Alignment, Implementation, Launch, Optimization) to plan and execute successful technology-enabled ACP initiatives.
3. Recognize the essential components of cross-sector partnerships, including strategies for aligning goals, sharing data responsibly, and engaging diverse stakeholders to broaden the reach and impact of ACP efforts.

Speakers:

Mr. David Helliwell, Co-Founder & Executive Board Chair, Thrive Health

Ms. Karine Diedrich, Director of Programs, Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association

Asking the hard questions: Evaluating bereavement care

While healthcare organizations are well versed in quality improvement and evaluation, bereavement care is often intentionally excluded from these initiatives. In this presentation, we will discuss the ways in which individuals and families who experience pregnancy and infant loss could (and should!) be asked for their feedback about how they felt about the care they received, and discuss how your organization can implement evaluation that includes families who experience loss.

Learning Objectives:

1. Participants will be able to identify the importance of including feedback from families who receive care and support in quality improvement processes.
2. Participants will further develop their understanding of how to design a process that includes the lived experiences of families in program evaluation.
3. Participants will be able to discuss how feedback from people with lived experience provides an increased sense of pride and comfort in the care being provided by professionals.

Speakers:

Michelle La Fontaine, BAA, CLStDipl.,MHA (CC), Regional Program Manager, Pregnancy and Infant Loss Network

Michelle La Fontaine is the Regional Program Manager for the Pregnancy and Infant Loss Network, and is a passionate advocate, speaker, and leader dedicated to raising awareness and support for individuals and families impacted by pregnancy and infant loss. Having personally navigated infertility, miscarriage, and the devastating stillbirth of her twins in 2005, she brings a unique perspective to the conversation around grief and bereavement. Michelle has a background in healthcare as a child life specialist, and worked with children and families in the community for over 15 years before dedicating her career to breaking the silence surrounding pregnancy and infant loss in an effort to create a more compassionate and supportive world for those affected by pregnancy and infant loss.

Megan Fockler, RN, MPH, Manager Pregnancy and Infant Loss Network

Megan Fockler is a Registered Nurse with 17 years of experience supporting families during the childbearing years – first as a Labour and Delivery nurse, and then as an Advanced Practice Nurse in High Risk Obstetrics at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto, Ontario. In September 2024, she transitioned to the role of Manager for Pregnancy and Infant Loss (PAIL) Network, where she provides leadership to the PAIL Network team, and expertise in education, research, and resource development. Her clinical areas of interest include nursing education, quality improvement, and pregnancy and infant loss. She is also very interested in ways the healthcare system can better integrate the patient and family voice into all aspects of care.

Leveraging the Canadian Atlas of Palliative Care to improve palliative care in Canada

The Canadian Atlas of Palliative Care serves as a powerful evidence-based resource for driving improvements in access to palliative care in Canada. Utilizing the first three provincial editions (AB, BC and ON) released in 2025, we will present key data, showcase how Atlases provide a comprehensive view of the strengths and areas for improvement, and demonstrate how Atlases can guide health system planners, policymakers, and health care providers in promoting equitable access to palliative care.

Learning Objectives:

1. Gain an understanding of the goals and purpose of the Canadian Atlas of Palliative Care.
2. Explore key lessons learned from the Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia Atlas editions.
3. Understand how Atlas data can inform policy development, resource allocation, and system-level decision-making.
4. Learn how to apply the Atlas as a practical tool for evidence-based planning and advocacy.

Speakers:

Mr. Jeffrey Moat, CM, Chief Executive Officer, Pallium Canada

Jeffrey Moat is the Chief Executive Officer of Pallium Canada where he provides oversight and direction to the organization and ensures that Pallium is a leading thought partner in the palliative care and compassionate communities’ space.

Dr. Leonie Herx, MD, PhD, CCFP(PC), FCFP, Clinical Professor, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary

Dr. Leonie Herx is Clinical Professor of Palliative Medicine at the University of Calgary and Researcher for the Pallium Canada Canadian Atlas of Palliative Care project.

Voices Matter: Ensuring Autonomy Through Supported Decision Making and Advance Care Planning

In 2024, ACP Canada polled people with disabilities to identify barriers to meaningful Advance Care Planning (ACP). A key finding was the perceived lack of capacity. In response, ACP Canada created resources promoting accessibility, inclusivity, and Supported Decision-Making. This interactive workshop will explore barriers, share tools and strategies, and equip participants to make ACP more equitable, person-centered, and accessible for all.

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify at least three barriers to Advance Care Planning (ACP) participation experienced by people with disabilities, based on 2024 national polling data.
2. Explain the principles of Supported Decision-Making and how they apply to inclusive ACP practices.
3. Apply at least one visual or communication-based tool designed to enhance accessibility in ACP conversations.
4. Recognize key legal considerations related to Supported Decision-Making within the Canadian healthcare context.

Speaker: Ms. Karine Diedrich, Director of Programs, Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association

Karine Diedrich is the Director of Programs at the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association (CHPCA). She joined after serving as Vice-President, Public Engagement and Knowledge Mobilization at Volunteer Canada, following a long-standing role as National Priority Advisor at the Canadian Center on Substance Use and Addiction. She has worked in the non-profit sector for over 15 years, leveraging her skills in partnership development, strategic planning, and communications to tackle complex social challenges.

Karine has held several volunteer positions including Partnerships and Sponsorships Lead for Hacking Health Ottawa and Vice President for the Gloucester Recreation Development Organization. She has a BA in Criminology from Carleton University and a Professional Certificate in Partnership Management from the Norman Patterson School of International Affairs (NPSIA).

Dreams and Waking Experiences of the Deceased: A Workshop in Exploring Bereavement and End-of-Life Experiences

The topic of dreams and waking experiences of the deceased has been surprisingly overlooked in academic literature, which has hindered the support for the bereaved, caregivers, and those at the end of life. This session will explore the recent literature on dreams and waking experiences of the deceased throughout the lifespan. Additionally, there will be a focus in this session on learning how to explore these experiences with people in ways that can facilitate the processing of their grief.

Learning Objectives:

1. Discuss the central findings of academic research on dreams and waking experiences of the deceased
2. Describe the issues commonly voiced in relation to these experiences
3. Describe how exploring these experiences can be used as a tool in processing grief

Speakers:

Dr. Joshua Black, PhD, Bereavement Initiative Manager, BC Centre for Palliative Care

Joshua Black, PhD, is a grief and bereavement researcher, speaker, educator, and host of the Grief Dreams Podcast. Joshua holds a master’s degree (Psychology) from Trent University and a PhD (Psychology) from Brock University. His research has focused on dreams and waking experiences of the deceased, continuing bonds, bereavement during the COVID-19 pandemic, and bereavement in the context of homelessness. He is dedicated to raising awareness of those who are bereaved who are not being provided with the necessary bereavement support.

Stephanie Laing PhD(c), MSW, RSW, Director of Operations, Kelowna Homelessness Research Centre

Stephanie Laing (PhD(c), MSW, RSW) is the Director of Operations for the Kelowna Homelessness Research Centre. Stephanie is a registered social worker with experience in health care, shelter, and field education for social work students. Stephanie’s research interests include forensic social work, co-responding police and mental health teams, and homelessness. She is an enthusiastic advocate for reciprocal and responsive community-based research and is currently exploring bereavement in the context of homelessness.

A Canadian Core Care Pathway for Children with Palliative Care Needs

This interactive workshop introduces the Canadian Core Care Pathway for Children with Palliative Care Needs—a flexible framework for guiding collaborative pediatric palliative care across diverse settings. Participants will explore how the pathway supports hospital, home, hospice, and community-based care, examine real-life models across Canada, and leave with tools and strategies to apply the pathway and use the national resource hub in their own practice.

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe the structure and purpose of the Canadian Core Care Pathway for Children with Palliative Care Needs, including its stages and core components.
2. Identify at least two ways the Core Care Pathway can be adapted to support care delivery in diverse settings such as home, hospital, hospice, or community clinics.
3. Explore how collaborative care models can enhance coordination between generalist and specialist providers across different regions.
4. Use the national PPC resource hub to access practical tools, care planning guides, and role-specific supports for delivering high-quality palliative care.

Speaker: Ms. Meghan Lofft, BSc, MHSc, Project Manager, Canada’s Pediatric Palliative Care Alliance, Roger Neilson Children’s Hospice

Meghan (she/her) has an MHSc from the Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto with an emphasis on translational research and design thinking in the health sciences. She has worked in continuing medical education, writing evidence-based learning modules for family physicians across Canada, and in research project and program management at McMaster University.

She has pursued further education in project management with the goal of supporting knowledge mobilization initiatives across diverse areas of healthcare. Contributing to the initiatives of Canada’s Pediatric Palliative Care Alliance in the capacity of Project Manager aligns closely with her long-term professional aspirations.

Outside of academic work Meghan is a group fitness instructor in Hamilton, ON. She is passionate about physical fitness as a means of supporting both functional health and mental well-being.

Understandings of dignity: A poetic and practical exploration

Human dignity and death with dignity are referenced frequently in hospice palliative care. What is your understanding of dignity and of death with dignity? How does this understanding inform your practice and decision-making? In this interactive workshop you will be guided to create a personal poetic expression of dignity and to discuss diverse personal and scholarly understandings of dignity for hospice palliative care, education, research, and administration.

Learning Objectives:

1. Articulate a personal poetic expression of dignity.
2. Distinguish similarities and differences among understandings of dignity.
3. Discuss implications of diverse personal and scholarly understandings of dignity for practice in hospice palliative care, educational, research, and administrative settings.

Speakers:

Dr. Coby Tschanz, RN, CHPCN (c), Staff Nurse, Educator, Victoria Hospice Society, University of Victoria

I am an Associate Teaching Professor and BSN Practice Education Lead at University of Victoria School of Nursing. As well, I work on a casual basis as palliative response team nurse at Victoria Hospice Society and palliative care nurse consultant at Island Health Authority. My interests are in advancing scholarly and palliative approaches in nursing practice and care. Research foci include human experiences (bearing witness, feeling pulled in different directions, belonging) as framed within humanbecoming (Parse, 2021), a theory of nursing with dignity as ethos. I am inspired by contemplative and poetic pedagogies.

Dr. Christine Jones, M.D., C. C. F. P.–PC, Palliative Care Physician, Victoria Hospice Society

Dr. Christine Jones, MD, CCFP-PC, Medical Director at Victoria Hospice, clinical Assistant Professor UBC Division of Palliative Medicine. Dr. Jones is a seasoned palliative care physician, educator, and passionate advocate for exceptional hospice and palliative care. She joined Victoria Hospice in 2000 as a consulting palliative care physician, where she has since provided compassionate care to individuals with advanced serious illness and their families, both in hospital settings and at home. With specialized training in clinical care, quality improvement, leadership, and education, Dr. Jones has a particular focus on end-of-life communication skills and ethical issues surrounding palliative care, making her a key figure in advancing both the practice and education of palliative care.

Grief support services for Inuit living in Nunavik and Montreal, working in partnership

This workshop describes the results of a five-year partnership SSHRC funded research project to develop community-based grief support services with Inuit from Nunavik, Quebec. We will discuss the perspective of care of a health navigator, assisting Inuit negotiating hospitals in Montreal.   We will share of the co-creation of trainings and healing workshops, both art and land-based, offered to Inuit working in community, health, social, religious and school environments.

Learning Objectives:

1. Participants will identify challenges faced by Inuit navigating health services in hospitals in Montreal Quebec.
2. Participants will identify ethical dilemmas in care in Indigenous contexts and the conflict in values lead to moral distress.
3. Participants will identify how partnerships rooted in  “two-eyed seeing” can contribute art and land-based approaches key to grief literacy and support in Nunavik.
4. Participants will identify personal and professional qualities and values that may contribute to and/or become barriers to engaging in a “two-eyed seeing approach” in their own contexts.

Speakers:

Dr. Shawn-Renee Hordyk, Professor, researcher, psychotherapist, Université du Québec à Montréal

Shawn-Renee Hordyk is Settler Canadian based in Montreal working as professor, researcher and psychotherapist . For the past 11 years, she has worked alongside of Nunavik and Montreal based individuals, community organisations and educational and social institutions to support bereavement care initiatives for Inuit youth and adults.

Ms. Minnie Annanack O’Connor, Health Navigator, Southern Quebec Inuit Association

Minnie Annanack-O’Connor is an Inuk and Settler Irish, originally from Nunavik and grew up in the Cree Nation along the coast of James Bay. She works as a Health Navigator for the Southern Quebec Inuit Association. She has done street outreach with the Indigenous population in Montreal and worked and has been an ambulance first responder and emergency social intervention worker. She also supports Indigenous youth in foster care. She has a deep passion for creative writing and visual art.

From Uncertainty to Confidence: Sharpening Communication Skills in Hospice and Palliative Care through e-Learning, Workshops, and Bedside Coaching

Interested in strengthening your communication skills for emotionally charged or uncertain conversations? We’ve consolidated the highest-yield tools, innovated from patient feedback, and made them easy to access. Offering science-backed online training, workshops, and coaching adapted from leading programs, our resources boost confidence, preparedness, and teachable skills. Over 90% recommend them. Demonstrations for physicians, nurses, social workers, and allied health will be presented.

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe an evidence-based approach to build and strengthen high-yield ACP-related communication skills
2. Learn about novel Canadian communication skills training opportunities backed by science and shown to enhance confidence to deliver serious illness care
3. Observe demonstrations of practical tools tailored to your discipline that you can take back to your practice and workplaces

Speaker: Dr. Warren Lewin, MD, CCFP (PC), Associate Professor and Attending Physician, University Health Network, University of Toronto

Warren Lewin is an Associate Professor in the Department of Family & Community Medicine, Division of Palliative Care, at the University of Toronto, the Site Lead for the Palliative Care program at the Toronto Western Hospital & Toronto Rehab Institute, and a Senior Faculty member with VitalTalk. He completed his family medicine training at the University of Toronto and a one-year palliative medicine fellowship at Harvard University. He feels privileged to teach and learn from clinicians and trainees every day and speaks nationally and internationally about serious illness communication and burnout. He directs The Conversation Lab, a University Health Network hub for communication skills innovation, teaching, and research. When he’s not working, he can be found cycling around the city. 

The White Cart Memorial Film: A Workshop on Grief in the Context of Homelessness

There is limited knowledge on bereavement in the context of homelessness, which hinders how we serve this population. We have created a film that provides a deeper understanding of these experiences among individuals with unstable housing. This includes the impact memorials can have on their grief journey and the challenges of creating/maintaining them. The film calls for compassion and deeper societal reflection on how we support this marginalized population through their grief after a loss.

Learning Objectives:

1. Better understand the bereavement experience in the context of houselessness
2. Identify where people who are experiencing homelessness find their bereavement support and what can be done better
3. Identify the ways they can start the process of developing innovative bereavement care in their organization or community.

Speakers:

Joshua Black, PhD, Bereavement Initiative Manager, BC Centre for Palliative Care

Joshua Black, PhD, is a grief and bereavement researcher, speaker, educator, and host of the Grief Dreams Podcast. Joshua holds a master’s degree (Psychology) from Trent University and a PhD (Psychology) from Brock University. His research has focused on dreams and waking experiences of the deceased, continuing bonds, bereavement during the COVID-19 pandemic, and bereavement in the context of homelessness. He is dedicated to raising awareness of those who are bereaved who are not being provided with the necessary bereavement support.

Stephanie Laing, PhD(c), MSW, RSW, Director of Operations, Kelowna Homelessness Research Centre

Stephanie Laing (PhD(c), MSW, RSW) is the Director of Operations for the Kelowna Homelessness Research Centre. Stephanie is a registered social worker with experience in health care, shelter, and field education for social work students. Stephanie’s research interests include forensic social work, co-responding police and mental health teams, and homelessness. She is an enthusiastic advocate for reciprocal and responsive community-based research and is currently exploring bereavement in the context of homelessness.

“Holding the Whole” through Multidimensional, Interprofessional Care during times of Urgency and Crisis

Urgent palliative care transitions at home require rapid, skilled medical, emotional, psychological, practical, spiritual care as well as care navigation. Our Palliative Response Team comprises a nurse and counselor dyad, visiting together and supported by the team physician, to “hold the whole” of person and family experience at times of crisis. Join us for case scenarios, reflection and discussion to identify essential urgent care practices that can be brought home to your own community.

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe the structure and function of a community-based urgent palliative response team.
2. Identify key interprofessional roles across six domains of urgent home-based palliative care.
3. Reflect on and assess their team’s current capacity for urgent response.
4. Define essential elements of care for urgent palliative transitions in the home.

Speakers:

Dr. Sabrina Gustafson-Vickers, Medical Lead, Geo 4 Palliative and End of Life Program, Victoria Hospice Society

Dr. Sabrina is the Medical Lead for Palliative Care & End of Life (Geo 4) and Lead Physician for South Island community physicians. A graduate of UBC with added competence in Palliative Care, she works closely with the Palliative Response Team to support patients and families during times of crisis. Sabrina is a clear leader in community palliative care—skilled at navigating the complexities of crisis response with calm, focus, and clarity. She manages high-pressure situations and multiple demands with ease, modeling interprofessional collaboration and compassionate care. Outside of work, she enjoys exploring nature with her two young children.

Ms. Michele (Misha) Butot, BEd, MSW, RCSW, Counselor and Social Work, Palliative Response Team, Victoria Hospice Society

Misha is a registered clinical social worker with 20 years of experience on the Victoria Hospice Palliative Response Team, providing in-home support during times of crisis. With a strong foundation in both education and clinical social work, Misha brings a deeply integrative approach to care—truly “holding the whole” of the physical, psychosocial and spiritual care. A skilled interprofessional collaborator, she believes in the power of teams to grow and learn together. Misha is also a certified yoga and meditation teacher, known for her grounding presence at the bedside. She teaches in Victoria Hospice courses and has authored many of the organization’s patient and family education resources.

Ms. Brianna Kennedy, RN, CHPCNA (C), Community Response Coordinator, Victoria Hospice Society

Brianna is a specialized palliative care nurse and Community Response Coordinator with Victoria Hospice. She provides both clinical care and navigation with the Palliative Response Team, drawing on her extensive experience in hospice inpatient and community settings. Brianna brings strong expertise in triage and crisis response—known for her ability to stay calm under pressure and guide her team through complex situations. She exemplifies interprofessional collaboration and mentorship, supporting patients and colleagues with clarity and compassion. In her current role, she “holds the whole” of the team, fostering resilience and coordinated care in times of urgency.

Walking Alongside Indigenous Peoples who are Seriously Ill: Collaborative Curriculum Development for Community Caregivers

This interactive workshop presents the Walking Alongside Indigenous Peoples Who Are Seriously Ill curriculum, a train-the-trainer resource supporting Indigenous family and community caregivers. Through collaborative dialogue and collective learning activities, participants will explore the materials’ practicality and accessibility, identify challenges in implementation, and share key insights that will inform and enhance the training’s relevance, effectiveness, and cultural safety.

Learning Objectives:

1. Participants will be able to identify at least three culturally relevant caregiver training resources, including traditional knowledge systems and community-based tools.
2. Participants will be able to describe two challenges faced by Indigenous caregivers regarding access to or implementation of caregiver training materials.
3. Participants will be able to articulate three key topics or skills that should be prioritized in caregiver education for those supporting individuals with life-limiting illnesses.
4. Participants will contribute to co-creating at least two actionable recommendations to enhance the cultural relevance and sustainability of the caregiver curriculum.

Speakers:

Dr. Holly Prince, PhD, MSW, Division Lead, Centre for Education and Research on Aging & Health, Lakehead University

Dr. Holly Prince is an Anishinaabekwe and a member of Opwaaganisiniing in Northwestern Ontario, Canada. She has a Ph.D. in Educational Studies and a Master’s of Social Work. Her research focuses on decolonial and Indigenist education, the resurgence and re-activation of Indigenous Knowledges, Indigenous health equity and community-based research.

Dr. Prince leads the Indigenous People’s Health & Aging Division at the Centre for Education and Research on Aging & Health, Lakehead University. She has devoted the last 20 years to advancing the right of Indigenous peoples to access culturally appropriate and equitable healthcare and has mobilized her efforts as a national champion of human rights and dignity for people preparing to journey back to the spirit world.

Ms. Kassandra Fernandes, MPH, Curriculum Developer, Centre for Education and Research on Aging & Health, Lakehead University

Ms. Jessica Wyatt, BEd., MA, PMP, Knowledge Broker, Centre for Education and Research on Aging & Health, Lakehead University

This is Still a Love Story: Using Narrative Therapy Ideas and Practices to Support Continuing Bonds with Bereaved Parents, Youth & Families

Join us as we share insights and therapeutic practices rooted in the concepts of Narrative Therapy and informed by thousands of hours of practice with bereaved clients. Whether you are a therapist, a nurse, a social worker or a hospice volunteer, this workshop will provide you with practical ways to listen differently and to invite new and empowering grief stories that unfold the healing potential of validating continuing bonds and supporting ongoing relationships with those who have died.

Learning Objectives:

1. Participants will be able to identify the difference between a relational, holistic perspective and an individualistic perspective in bereavement care.
2. Participants will learn how to facilitate a Narrative Therapy “remembering conversation”
3. Participants will understand the value and benefit of a “remembering conversation” for people coping with grief and loss.
4. Participants will be able to critically question the limitations and dominance of an “individualistic lens” in Western culture and understand the kind of harm it can create/has created for bereaved people.

Speakers:

Dr. Heather Mohan, PhD, RCC, MTA, Executive Director/Therapist, Lumara Grief & Bereavement Care Society

Dr. Heather Mohan is a Registered Clinical Counselor and a Certified Music Therapist with a Masters degree in Music Therapy and a PhD in Arts Education. She has worked as a therapist, program coordinator, researcher and educator in the hospice/palliative/bereavement care field for over 25 years. She is currently an Adjunct Professor in the UBC Department of Medicine (Division of Palliative Care). She works full-time as the Executive Director of Lumara –a BC-based, registered charity she co-founded in 2007 to provide emotional support and care for children and families coping with serious illness, grief and loss. Heather has been invited to present her clinical work and research on palliative and bereavement care at conferences and universities around the world: in Canada, United States, New Zealand, Japan and Europe.

Ms. Shelley Hermer, MSW, RSW, Program Manager/Family Therapist, Lumara Grief & Bereavement Care Society

Shelley Hermer has dedicated over 30 years of professional practise to the treatment of children and families coping with mental health challenges, with a focus in the last 14 years on grief and loss with additional specialization in pregnancy, infant and child loss. Retired from Peterborough Regional Health Centre in 2023, Shelley continues her 15-year involvement with Lumara Grief and Bereavement Care Society, currently as the Regional Manager of Canada East, as well as running a private therapy practice, registered in BC and Ontario. At other times, she can be found with her family in the Algonquin Highlands, BC or in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

The Palliative Outreach Resource Team (PORT): A collaborative partnership to develop, implement, and evaluate an equity-oriented palliative care service

People experiencing homelessness and unstable housing alongside life-limiting conditions and structural inequity have poorer health outcomes and shortened life expectancies. The Palliative Outreach Resource Team (PORT) operates in Victoria, BC to meet the palliative needs of people who face barriers to mainstream palliative care. In this presentation, you will hear findings from a participatory process to develop and evaluate PORT resulting in a sustainable, equity-oriented palliative service.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the need for and benefit of equity-oriented palliative approaches to care. Participants will be able to recognize why traditional models of palliative care often fail to meet the needs of populations who are homeless and unstably housed and explain the benefits of an equity-oriented palliative approach to care.
2. Recognize the importance of multi-sector partnerships. Participants will learn about how the development of partnerships between health authority, community social services, and academia can draw on the strengths of all partners to create health services that effectively meet the needs of patients, caregivers, and communities.
3. Describe indicators and practices for equity-oriented evaluation. Participants will learn what indicators and practices were most beneficial for achieving service sustainability.

Speakers:

Ashley Mollison, Research Manager, Palliative Approaches to Care in Aging and Community Health, University of Victoria

Ashley Mollison (she/her) is a PhD candidate in the Social Dimensions of Health Program at the University of Victoria focused on palliative care, caregiving, and health equity. For the last decade, Ashley has worked with the Palliative Approaches to Care in Aging and Community Health research program (PI Dr. Kelli Stajduhar) to develop, implement, and evaluate evidence-informed resources, programs, and services to advance equity-oriented palliative care. Ashley also holds positions as Coach and Advisor with Healthcare Excellence Canada as well as Research Associate with Cancer Care Alberta. Ashley is a white settler with Scottish and Irish heritage, and resides on Treaty 7 Territories and Districts 4, 5 and 6 of the Métis Nation within Alberta.

Dr. Fraser Black, MD, CCFP(PC), FCFP, Palliative Care Physician, PORT – Island Health

Fraser Black practices both palliative care and inner-city family medicine. With close to 30 years of experience in palliative care, Fraser has provided care to both adults and children. He currently works with the Palliative Outreach Resource Team (PORT) in Victoria, which provides palliative care for patients nearing the end of life who face challenges such as poverty, homelessness or stigma around using substances and often encounter barriers to accessing palliative care services. Fraser’s commitment to palliative care extends globally, with over 20 years of involvement in initiatives across Nepal, India, Tanzania, and Brazil. He has served as a director on the board of the International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care.

Métis insights about palliative and end-of-life care: Honouring the next steps

In this session, you will hear distinct Métis insights about palliative and end-of-life care within Alberta. Through 2024-2025, a Métis patient and family advisor and end-of-life doula encouraged and guided the Health Quality Council of Alberta team to expand how they seek and report palliative and end-of-life knowledges and experiences beyond a western, quantitative lens.

Learning Objectives:

Build an appreciation for why distinctions-based approaches are paramount for delivering people-centred palliative and end-of-life care to Métis Peoples.

Specific ideas from Métis about what could help improve the cultural responsiveness of care, services, policies and practices related to palliative and end-of-life care.

Learnings: both what worked well and where the path caused the project team to pause and reflect – about the process to take a more relational, reciprocal approach to sharing knowledges and experiences.

Session participants feel both a mind and heart connection to what is shared, creating psychological and cultural safety so they feel comfortable to ask questions and continue to build on the conversation with the presenters.”

Speakers:

Julie Handrahan, LPN, End of Life Doula, Transition Well

Julie is a proud Métis woman who has been working in healthcare for over 17 years and became an end of life doula in 2018. As an end of life doula, Julie channels her passion for facilitating conversations around these important life stages and transitions. Daily, she witnesses the importance of having these conversations while we are healthy and sees how being prepared can help with our grief journey. It is through this work she saw the need to normalize talking about death and dying and has empowered hundreds of people to begin the conversation.

Kris Watkins, BA, cum laude, Senior Engagement Advisor, Health Quality Alberta

Kris brings an eclectic background to her role at the Health Quality Council of Alberta. Highlights of her career include serving on the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill response, leading the volunteer and foster programs at the Calgary Humane Society, designing much of the product line for The Powerpuff Girls Movie, and managing sponsors with the Houston Rockets NBA team. With a bachelor’s degree in cultural anthropology (Cornell University) and certificate in public participation (IAP2), Kris is happiest when serving people and her community. She seeks and continues to learn how to actively cultivate welcoming, safer engagement spaces and report learnings in culturally responsive and ethical ways. In her free time, she runs, skis, and writes reviews about horror movies and books.

Louise Crane, Heritage Interpreter

Louse is a proud Métis of Cree heritage who uses the teachings of her Elders in her teaching style. She started her career in nursing and medical office assistant work and then attended the University of Calgary to study Heritage Resource Management. After spending several years managing heritage sites in northern Alberta, she returned to Calgary and spent 25 years working as a community developer and support worker with organizations such as The Alex, Northeast Community Resource Centers, and Mamahawi – Atoskiwin. She tried to retire, however was drawn into teaching at Bay River College and MTG Healthcare Academy. Her board and committee experience includes various University of Calgary health initiatives in Siksika and with Awo Taan women’s emergency shelter, the Mount Royal University Aboriginal advisory committee, and various Health Quality Alberta activities.

Hospice care for sexual and gender minority widows: Hearing their voices, listening to their stories

Dignity at the end of life requires honoring the rights and experiences of all communities. Yet sexual and gender minority women are underrepresented in hospice research. This presentation will address knowledge gained from narrative interviews with lesbian widows. Providing acoustics for unheard voices forges mutual concern and greater trust in healthcare. Insight from this study invites broader dialogue requisite to our understanding that as cultures evolve, new contexts for belonging emerge.

Learning Objectives:

1. Participants will be able to distinguish hospice care challenges and needs that are unique to lesbian widows who have experienced and supported their female partners’ end-of-life process.
2. Participants will be able to integrate new knowledge of lesbian widows’ needs into their hospice practice, contributing to this population’s experience of more peaceful death and dying experiences.
3. Participants will be able to identify barriers to equitable and inclusive care for lesbian widows and their female partners who received hospice services at the end-of-life.

Speaker: Ms. Stephanie Ezell, MS, MPH, RN, PhD Candidate, Hospice Nurse, University of Illinois at Chicago

Stephanie Ezell is a PhD candidate in nursing at UIC and has been a hospice nurse for over 12 years. She received master’s degrees in public health and nursing, researching the influences of war and violence on EOL processes of military and civilian victims of war. In teaching and graduate assistantships, she contributed to courses on social determinants of health and the use of creative arts to help student veterans cope. As an Albert Schweitzer Fellow, Ezell helped older adults with mental illness write their life stories. She received funding for her doctoral program as a Robert Wood Jonson Future of Nursing Scholar. Ezell has presented nationally and internationally on EOL care, bioethics, and other. She hopes her dissertation research increases awareness of the unique experiences and strengths of sexual and gender minority widows and enhances cultural humility in our care for them.

Integrating Palliative Care into Everyday Practice – Implementing the Serious Illness Conversation Program (SICP) in British Columbia

Evidence exists documenting the positive outcomes of Serious Illness Conversations (SICs). However, integration of the SIC into routine clinical practice requires further effort, and clinician education alone is insufficient. This work supports the integration of the SIC into everyday practice across the care team. We undertook research to support the implementation of the SIC Program, culminating in the development and pilot of an implementation toolkit in a rural setting in British Columbia.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the current state of SICP Implementation of BC
2. Identify key barriers and facilitators to SICP implementation across various health care settings in BC
3. Understand how to apply these to two implementation science frameworks to categorize barriers and facilitators to SICP implementation and map them to corresponding implementation strategies
4. Identify, reflect and discuss potential priority barriers and facilitators, and corresponding implementation strategies to the SICP that are relevant to your care setting/area of clinical practice

Speaker: Mrs. Kathleen Yue, RN, BSN, MN, CHPCN ©, Director of Strategic Initiatives, BC Centre for Palliative Care

An Indigenous journey of developing a palliative care program to a hospice

A journey of identifying palliative care needs and community engagement to evolve in to building a hospice in an Indigenous community. Through program development, research and a vision to create programs that are culturally relevant. From an Indigenous perspective of supporting the philosophy of death being part of the life cycle.

Learning Objectives:

1. Participants will realize that there is a significant gap in palliative care services in Indigenous communities.
2. Participants will see how one Indigenous community is able to develop a program that is community based.
3. Participants will be empowered by the opportunity to advocate for programs and services for Indigenous communities.

Speakers:

Mrs. Lori Monture, RN, Palliative Care Program Advisor, Six Nations of the Grand River Well-being

I am a Mohawk woman of the wolf clan. I live at Six Nations of the Grand River. I am a wife, mother and grandmother. I am a Registered Nurse of forty years. I have worked as the Home and Community Care Manager for twenty-five years. I have been developing the palliative care program since the Home and Community Care program started through research, community engagement, training and experience. the development of a Hospice has been a community vision and will now be a reality.

Ms. Lois Bomberry, RN, B.Sc.N, Hospice Project Manager, Six Nations of the Grand River Well-being

My name is Lois Bomberry, I am Cayuga Wolf born and raised on Six Nations of the Grand River Territory. I am a mother, grandmother, and great grandmother I am a Registered Nurse by profession and have been in nursing for thirty-six years in various leadership rles and nursing experiences across the health care system and lifespan. I am an Accreditation Canada surveyor that surveys health services withing First Nations communities across Canada. I enjoy working within the community and collaborating with diverse professionals within the community and across the province. I am currently the Six Nations Hospice Project Manager working towards opening our first five bed community hospice.

Mrs. Verna Fruch, RN, B.Sc.N., Clinical Coach, Six Nations of the Grand River Well-being

Verna Fruch is one of eight siblings born on the Six Nations of the Grand River Territory and is of the Turtle Clan with a Mohawk Mother and a Delaware father. Verna attended the University of Western Ontario, London, completing a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and then attended Mohawk College in Hamilton where she obtained her diploma as a Registered Nurse, being named to the Dean’s Honour list. Her nursing career has spanned over 45 years in many areas of nursing staring with an interest in surgical nursing, working in the operating/recovery room to hospice palliative care. Verna has worked as a Case Manager, gaining valuable experience with the Ministry of Health and being one of the first dedicated palliative case managers for the program. In 2003, Verna returned to her roots and commended working for the Six Nations Home and Community Care program and was instrumental in the initiation of the first palliative care committee. Verna is passionate in her goal to complete her career working to ensure that members of her community can receive compassionate, coordinated hospice palliative care in their community. Verna married her life partner, Alex Fruch and they have two sons.