My commitment to you

I want to start my first President’s Blog by acknowledging my predecessor, Dr Kathleen Ross, who has led by example. Before the pandemic, she visited as many communities and with as many members as time allowed. She championed one of the province’s first dedicated COVID-19 assessment sites. She vaccinated patients against influenza in a parking lot in the rain. She spoke ceaselessly to the media supporting the profession and reinforcing public health messaging. She advocated tirelessly for all of us, her colleagues.

When the first wave of COVID-19 was breaking across BC, Dr Ross agreed to continue as our president for an additional six months so that doctors and your association could focus on addressing the pandemic rather than face a transition in leadership. Those six months have been amongst the longest that any of us have experienced. So to Dr Ross and to all Doctors of BC committee members and Chairs who have served diligently for longer than expected, thank you.

I’m stepping into my role as president during an extraordinary time in history. We are facing a healthcare crisis unlike we have ever experienced in our careers. Doctors have been giving it their all for months, day after day returning to the front lines, all while feeling increased stress, anxiety and even burn out. Our health and well-being are paramount not only during these challenging times, but also as we move beyond this crisis. We must look after ourselves and each other so that we can address the mental health issues already emerging in our patient population and be leaders in advocating for the right mental health supports.

During my term I will carry on Dr Ross’ work in supporting doctors as we travel through this pandemic and as we move toward life in a post-pandemic world. This health care crisis has forever changed us: it has changed how we practice medicine, how we deliver care, and how we need to design healthcare in the future. And I will ensure our voices are heard every step of the way.

As your president I look forward to supporting the association as it continues its diversity and inclusion work. We recently established the Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Working Group, which received a record number of applications, have implemented several recommendations the Barrier Assessment report identified, and are assessing a number of others.

We are innovating, collaborating, and adapting in unprecedented ways, and we are doing so together. Our profession will not only survive this pandemic, but thrive in spite of it. The time will come when we have surmounted COVID-19, but to do so we need to stick together now and long after the pandemic is over. This means continuing to embrace our uniqueness, celebrate our differences, and recognize these lend to our collective experience and our collective knowledge.

This holiday season will be very different, with no extended family and friends joining us in celebration. I hope that you have some time to rest and rejuvenate, and that your are able to safely connect with loved ones.

I feel very optimistic about what’s in store for 2021. Dr Henry recently said she can see the light at the end of the tunnel… and I see that light too. I also look forward to being your president this upcoming year. I am driven by the motto “leave something in better shape than when you found it” and that is what I plan on doing as president. I welcome this opportunity and I invite you to reach out and share with me what’s on your mind, by emailing me at View Email Addresspresident@doctorsofbc.ca. Never has there been a more important time for us to be “Better Together.”

- Dr Matthew Chow