Western Hospitalist Conference
A brand-new conference designed by hospitalists, for hospitalists.
This inaugural Western Hospitalist Conference brings together hospital medicine physicians and interdisciplinary healthcare professionals from across British Columbia and Western Canada for two days of practical, evidence-based learning focused on the realities of modern inpatient care.
Delivered in a flexible hybrid format, this exciting new conference offers attendees the opportunity to participate in person or virtually while engaging with expert faculty, thought-provoking discussions, and clinically relevant updates that can be applied immediately in practice.
From rapidly evolving advances in artificial intelligence and acute stroke care to complex conversations around capacity, MAiD, and non-beneficial care, the program addresses the medical, ethical, and system challenges hospitalists face every day.
Why Attend?
This Conference is designed to help clinicians:
- Stay current with the latest evidence and guideline updates
- Improve confidence managing complex inpatient conditions
- Explore emerging technologies shaping hospital medicine
- Navigate challenging ethical and palliative care decisions
- Learn from your colleagues on innovative quality improvement initiatives
- Connect with colleagues and leaders in hospital medicine across the region
Whether you're an experienced hospitalist, a physician new to inpatient practice, or a healthcare professional involved in acute care medicine, this event will offer an opportunity to gain practical insights, strengthen clinical decision-making, and connect with a growing community of hospital medicine leaders.
Hosted by:
| Time | Session | Speaker | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7:15 a.m. | Breakfast and registration open | |||||
| 8:00 a.m. | Welcome, Opening Remarks and Housekeeping | ||||
| 8:20 a.m. | A.I. and Emerging Technology: What Hospitalists Need to Know Now | Dr. Kendall Ho | |||
| 9:05 a.m. | Right vs. Left Heart Failure: Does It Change How We Treat? | TBC | |||
| 9:25 a.m. | Decompensated Cirrhosis Update | Dr. Eric Yoshida | |||
| 9:45 a.m. | Bacteremia: Echo, CT or Nothing? Let the Bug Guide You | Dr. Davy Wong | |||
| 10:05 a.m. | Networking Break | |||||
| 10:25 a.m. | Hospital Medicine in BC: Where Are We Now—and Where Are We Going? | Dr. Vandad Yousefi | |||
| 10:55 a.m. | The Patient With Malignant Bowel Obstruction: A Hospitalist’s Palliative Approach | Dr. Julia Ridley | |||
| 11:25 a.m. | When the Goals of Care Change: Deprescribing in the Hospital | Dr. Chloe Lemire-Elmore Dr. Rachel Carson | |||
| 11:55 a.m. | Oncology Emergencies: What Hospitalists Need to Recognize—Fast Oncology Emergencies: What Hospitalists Need to Recognize—Fast | Dr. Caroline Mariano | |||
| 12:25 p.m. | Lunch Break | |||||
| 1:25 p.m. - 2:25 p.m. | Concurrent Sessions — Choose one of three | |||||
| A1 | ECG: Rhythm, Rate and What to Do Next | TBC | |||
| B1 | When Comfort Is the Goal: Palliative Sedation, Tube Feeding and Difficult Decisions | Dr. Julie Ridely | |||
| C1 | Hospitalist QI in Action: Real Projects, Real Challenges, Real Change
| Based on submissions | |||
| 2:25 p.m. | Networking Break | |||||
| 2:45 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. | Concurrent Sessions Repeat — Choose one of three | |||||
| A2 | ECG: Rhythm, Rate and What to Do Next | TBC | |||
| B2 | When Comfort Is the Goal: Palliative Sedation, Tube Feeding and Difficult Decisions | Dr. Julie Ridely | |||
| C2 | Hospitalist QI in Action: Real Projects, Real Challenges, Real Change | Based on submissions | |||
| 3:45 p.m. | Movement Break | |||||
| 4:00 p.m. | Things We Do for No Reason: Is This Actually Helping & What does the Evidence Show? Challenging Our Habits in Hospital Medicine | TBC | |||
| 4:20 p.m. | Day 1 Closing Remarks | ||||
| 4:30 p.m. | Day 1 Ends | ||||
| 4:30 p.m. - 4:50 p.m. | Section of Hospital Medicine in BC Chapter Update | |||||
| Time | Session | Speaker | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7:30 a.m. | Breakfast and registration open | |||
| 8:00 a.m. | Welcome, Opening Remarks and Housekeeping | ||
| 8:20 a.m. | Keynote: When More Isn’t Better: Navigating Non-Beneficial Care in the Hospital | Dr. David Migneault Dr. Roderick Tukker Julia Lauwers Associate General Counsel, VCH | |
| 9:05 a.m. | Diabetes Update | TBC | |
| 9:25 a.m. | From tPA to TNK: What’s Changed in Acute Stroke Management? | TBC | |
| 9:45 a.m. | Opioid Withdrawal ≠ Alcohol Withdrawal: How Should We Manage It? | TBC | |
| 10:05 a.m. | Networking Break | |||
| 10:25 a.m. | Heart Failure Has Changed: The Four Pillars and How to Use Them | TBC | |
| 10:55 a.m. | Sepsis Update | Dr. Nik Patel | |
| 11:25 a.m. | Pneumonia: When to Treat, When to Switch, and When to Stop | Dr. Kevin Afra | |
| 11:55 a.m. | Parkinsons Plus Syndromes | TBC | |
| 12:25 p.m. | Lunch Break | |||
| 1:25 p.m.–2:25 p.m. | Concurrent Sessions — Choose one of three | |||
| D1 | Who Gets to Decide? Assessing Capacity and Navigating Substitute Decision-Making | Dr. Peter Chan | |
| E1 | The Complex Opioid Patient: Managing Pain, Withdrawal and Overdose in Hospital | Dr. William Mak | |
| F1 | MAiD: Conversations, Capacity, Consent and What Happens Next | TBC | |
| 2:25 p.m. | Networking Break | |||
| 2:45 p.m.–3:45 p.m. | Concurrent Sessions Repeat — Choose one of three | |||
| D2 | Who Gets to Decide? Assessing Capacity and Navigating Substitute Decision-Making | Dr. Peter Chan | |
| E2 | The Complex Opioid Patient: Managing Pain, Withdrawal and Overdose in Hospital | Dr. William Mak | |
| F2 | MAiD: Conversations, Capacity, Consent and What Happens Next | TBC | |
| 3:45 p.m. | Movement Break | |||
| 4:00 p.m. | Read This, Change That: 5 Articles That Matter to Hospitalists | Dr. Simon Moore | |
| 4:20 p.m. | Closing Remarks and Time for Evaluation | ||
| 4:30 p.m. | Conference Adjourns | ||
*All prices are in Canadian dollars.
FEE | BY DEC 15 | AFTER DEC 15 |
|---|---|---|
| Medical Doctors / Nurse Practitioners | $599 | $699 |
| Allied Health | $199 | $219 |
| Residents/Students | $99 | $119 |
In-Person Registration Includes
- Access to all plenary and breakout sessions (based on days registered for)
- Online course materials & on-demand access to recorded lectures (with presenter consent).
- Breakfast, lunch, and coffee refreshment
Cancellation Policy: Cancellations must be submitted in writing to @email by Dec 15, 2026 and are subject to a $50 processing fee. No cancellations or refunds are accepted after this date.
Virtual Registration Includes
- Access to all plenary sessions and two pre-selected breakout sessions
- Online course materials & on-demand access to recorded lectures (with presenter consent)
Cancellation Policy: Cancellations must be submitted in writing to @email by Jan 11, 2026 and are subject to a $25 processing fee. No cancellations or refunds are accepted after this date.