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.
Can't join us live?
All registration categories include access to the recorded plenaries and workshops to watch on demand for up to three months after the event.
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. | Oncology Emergencies: What Hospitalists Need to Recognize—Fast | Dr. Caroline Mariano | |||
| 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. Davie 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. | When the Goals of Care Change: Deprescribing in the Hospital | Dr. Chloe Lemire-Elmore Dr. Rachel Carson | |||
| 11:25 a.m. | The Patient With Malignant Bowel Obstruction: A Hospitalist’s Palliative Approach | Dr. Julia Ridley | |||
| 11:55 a.m. | Right vs. Left Heart Failure: Does It Change How We Treat? | Dr. Nima Moghaddam | |||
| 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 Livestreamed | Dr. Simon Christie | |||
| 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 | Dr. Simon Christie | |||
| B2 | When Comfort Is the Goal: Palliative Sedation, Tube Feeding and Difficult Decisions Livestreamed | 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 | Dr. Iain McCormick | |||
| 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 | |||||
12:25 p.m. | Lunch Break
| 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 | Dr. Julie Lee | |
| 9:25 a.m. | From tPA to TNK: What’s Changed in Acute Stroke Management? | Dr. Kimia Ghavami | |
| 9:45 a.m. | The Urge to Culture: Rethinking Delirium and Bacteriuria in Older Adults | Dr. Kevin Afra | |
| 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. | Opioid Withdrawal ≠ Alcohol Withdrawal: How Should We Manage It? | Dr. William Mak | |
| 11:55 a.m. | Atypical Parkinsonism | Dr. Jason Chan | |
| 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 Livestreamed | 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 Livestreamed | Dr. William Mak | |
| F2 | MAiD: Conversations, Capacity, Consent and What Happens Next | TBC | |
| 3:45 p.m. | Movement Break | |||
| 4:00 p.m. | It's Giving Outdated Vibes: 5 Articles to Change Your Practice | Dr. Simon Moore | |
| 4:20 p.m. | Closing Remarks and Time for Evaluation | ||
| 4:30 p.m. | Conference Adjourns | ||
Submission Deadline: Tuesday, December 15, 2026
*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.
The Division of Continuing Professional Development, University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine (UBC CPD) is fully accredited by the Continuing Medical Education Accreditation Committee (CACME) to provide CPD credits for physicians. This activity is an Accredited Group Learning Activity (Section 1) as defined by the Maintenance of Certification Program of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, and approved by UBC CPD. You may claim a maximum of 12.0 hours (credits are automatically calculated). This activity meets the certification criteria of the College of Family Physicians of Canada and has been certified by UBC CPD for up to 12.0 Mainpro+® Certified Activity credits. Each physician should claim only those credits accrued through participation in the activity.