Community Engagement and Wellness Resources

The Physician Health Program (PHP) and Joint Collaborative Committees (JCCs) lead a Provincial Physician Peer Support Initiative in BC, aimed at fostering healthy workplace cultures through peer connections. Local programs enhance coping skills, strengthen social networks, reduce isolation, and promote a culture of care and compassion for physicians.

Eligibility

• Any existing physician organization, such as Medical Staff Associations, Divisions of Family Practice, Sections, hospital departments and others, may apply.
• If you are an individual physician interested in getting involved, we encourage you to connect with your local physician organization to apply.
• Multiple organizations serving the same geographic location may submit a joint application.

How to apply

Applications are currently closed. If you would like to be notified of when the Initiative relaunches recruitment, please email programs@physicianhealth.com.

Program objectives

Our goal is to help create a safe environment for confidential, short-term, empathetic conversations among physician colleagues, allowing them to share their experiences with trained listeners. We work with local physician organizations to develop a physician peer support program that will work for their communities based on best practices.

Program support

• One-time start-up fund: Each site can receive up to $48,505 to launch their peer support program, based on the estimated need for 0.1 FTE of Physician Lead time and 0.2 FTE of administrative support. This funding is available only during the first one and a half years. Organizations are encouraged to collect data on program uptake and satisfaction to secure future funding and ensure sustainability.
• Peer support training: Sessional funding and up to 4 MOC Section 1/Mainpro+ Group Learning credits will be provided to physicians attending peer support training. This funding is separate from the one-time start-up fund.
• Implementation toolkit: A comprehensive toolkit with resources for program implementation will be provided that can be adapted to local needs.
• Knowledge-sharing meetings: Regular leadership meetings among peer support sites to offer knowledge sharing and implementation support.

Format

• PHP and the JCCs offer provincial peer support training. The training is delivered and adapted to the BC Context by local BC physicians experienced in peer support.
• Local physician organizations (e.g. Divisions, MSAs, Sections, etc.) are responsible for implementing the peer support program at their local site/community, including recruiting peer supporters, facilitating peer support matches, promoting the initiative, etc.
• PHP and the JCCs facilitate inter-site peer support matches for physicians who are not comfortable receiving peer support within their local site/community.
• PHP and the JCCs support peer supporters with resources and regular opportunities for participating organizations to share knowledge and collaborate.
• Please refer to these Terms of Reference to understand the commitment involved.

Organizations involved with this initiative

• Organizations involved with this Initiative
• BC Association of Pakistani Physicians
• BCMHSUS Forensic Physician Engagement Society, BCMHSUS Concurrent Disorders Physician Engagement Society, BCMHSUS Correctional Health Services Physician Engagement Society
• Cowichan Division of Family Practice
• Division of Cardiology, University of British Columbia
• Elk Valley Hospital Medical Staff Association
• East Kootenay Division of Family Practice
• Fraser Northwest Division of Family Practice
• Kelowna General Hospital Medical Staff Association
• Mission Hospital Division of Family Practice /Medical Staff Association
• Northern Interior Rural Division of Family Practice
• North Shore Division of Family Practice
• Penticton Medical Staff Association
• Prince George Medical Staff Association
• Public Health and Population Medicine Section
• qathet Division of Family Practice
• Rural and Remote Division of Family Practice
• Sechelt Hospital Medical Staff Association
• Shuswap North Okanagan Division of Family Practice
• Vancouver Division of Family Practice
• Vernon Jubilee Hospital Physician Society
• Victoria Division of Family Practice, South Island Division of Family Practice, South Island Medical Staff Association, Saanich Peninsula Physicians Society

To reach out to one of these local programs, visit the Local Peer Support Program webpage for contact information and intake processes.

The PHP Physician Wellness Network (PWN) brings together non-profit organizational leaders who lead physician wellness initiatives across British Columbia. By reducing silos, the PWN fosters meaningful discussions and resource sharing to enhance physician health and well-being. It currently has 97 members from 55 organizations.

Eligibility

• Non-profit organizations with professional responsibility for physician wellness or that provide wellness or support services to physicians and/or medical learners in BC.
• Two representatives from each organization may participate in the network.

How to join

• Before signing up, please review the Terms of Reference to understand the commitment and guiding principles. 
• Please complete the PWN registration form.

If you have any questions about the PWN, please email programs@physicianhealth.com.

Upcoming gatherings

PWN Spring 2026 Virtual Gathering

• Date and time: June 11, 2026, at 4:30–7:00 p.m. PST via Zoom
• Theme: Creating Spaces for Physician Wellness
• Registration: This event is open to PWN members only. If you are already a member, please check your emails. If you are not a member, join using the registration form above.

PWN Winter 2026 In-Person Gathering

• Date and time: Evening of January 27, 2027.
• Theme and registration: Check back for more details.

Physician Wellness Network Rounds

A provincial physician wellness lecture-style speaker series available to all BC physicians. Participants can expect to hear speakers discussing emerging physician health topics, impactful initiatives and strategies to improve wellbeing at an individual and organizational level. Learn more about the Spring PWN Rounds.

Shame Competence: What it is, why we need it, and how it can transform healthcare

• Date and time: May 20, 2026, from 5:30–6:30 p.m. PST
• Register for the Zoom webinar.
• Shame has a powerful but often unspoken influence in medical culture, shaping how physicians experience feedback, learning and professional relationships. During the session, Dr Bynum will use personal narrative, audience engagement, and visual imagery to explore shame in healthcare and introduce shame competence—a set of skills, principles and practices for constructively engaging with shame at individual and organizational levels.
• Speaker: Will Bynum, MD, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Family Medicine at Duke University School of Medicine and a Veteran of the United States Air Force. He has published and spoken widely on the topic of shame and is Co-Founder and Co-Director of The Shame Lab, which conducts research, training, and delivers consultancy to advance constructive engagement with shame in professional practice.

What activities does the PWN host?

• Two annual PWN gatherings with curated agendas from members and networking opportunities. Held in the Spring and Fall every year.
• The needs of PWN participants inform other activities and collaboration between Gatherings.

• Your local Division of Family Practice and/or your Medical Staff Association offer information on local physician wellness initiatives
• Local Peer Support Programs: Many local physician organizations offer a physician peer support program that delivers 1:1 non-clinical emotional peer support for physicians experiencing distressing situations such as a college complaint, bad patient outcome, workplace conflict or life changes that might impact work.
• BC’s Regional Health Authorities provide varying wellness supports for physicians. Contact your local health authority to better understand whether you are eligible for support through your health authority.
• Doctors of BC Regional Advisors and Advocates support physicians in the communities where you live and work. They offer advice and advocacy support, referrals to Doctors of BC services, resources and benefits and more.

• Doctors of BC has additional supports available to physicians, such as insurance advisors, practice support, and support for physician leadership training.
• Resident Doctors of BC offers various initiatives to encourage resident wellness, such as an after-hours food program, resident lounge support, group sports funding and more.
• UBC Resident Wellness Office offers free and confidential resident counselling, group support, referrals, workshops and more. 

• The Canadian Medical Association’s Physician Wellness Hub provides original CMA content, curated resources, and information from trusted sources for physicians, residents, and medical students seeking guidance and self-help.
• CMA’s Wellness Connection is a virtual, safe space for physicians and medical learners to gather to discuss shared experiences, get support, seek advice, and help each other. CMA Virtual group support sessions, led by trained facilitators, are available each week. There are sessions on mindful parenting, compassion rounds, psychological first aid, stress reduction, and more.
• Canadian Medical Protective Association is a not-for-profit mutual defence association governed by a council of physicians representing members from across Canada.