From ideas
to Impact.Supporting medical
staff-led initiatives at PRH.
Medical staff have an important role in shaping how care is delivered. Through the MSA and Facility Engagement, medical staff at PRH work with colleagues, hospital leadership and Interior Health to identify priorities, develop solutions and advance initiatives that improve patient care and the practice environment.
Better care starts with a conversation.
Facility Engagement creates opportunities for medical staff to participate meaningfully in decisions that affect patient care and their working environment. At PRH, the initiative is managed locally through the MSA, bringing medical staff and Interior Health together to identify priorities, explore solutions and move good ideas forward. This gives medical staff a seat at the table and a way to turn insight from everyday practice into meaningful change.
INFO Clinical Debriefing Turning clinical events into opportunities to learn and improve.
INFO is a structured, interprofessional approach to debriefing high-stakes clinical events. Led locally by medical and nursing champions, the program creates space for teams to reflect on what happened, identify opportunities for improvement and strengthen communication, connection and psychological safety within busy clinical environments.
Activity examples
- Training Emergency Department nurses to facilitate structured clinical debriefs
- Using debrief findings to identify practical improvements in clinical processes and team communication
- Expanding the program from Emergency into ICU, with Internal Medicine identified as a next step
- Developing an evaluation framework to assess psychological safety and operational outcomes
Impact
Fifteen Emergency nurses have been trained in INFO Clinical Debriefing. Debriefs have already contributed to improvements in CPR processes, CTAS 1 care and intubation readiness; development of a consolidated difficult-airway cart; and reported improvements in team organization, role clarity, communication and lab coordination. The initiative is now positioned for broader implementation at PRH and potentially across Interior Health.
RACE Revamp Improving access to urgent cardiac assessment.
The Rapid Access to Cardiology Evaluation (RACE) Clinic helps patients receive urgent cardiac assessment without unnecessary Emergency Department visits or prolonged waits for specialist consultation. With referrals increasing 57% over three years, medical staff and clinical partners are reviewing workflows and triage processes to help higher-risk patients receive more timely assessment.
Activity examples
- Reviewing patient flow and existing clinic workflows
- Refining triage processes to better prioritize higher-risk patients
- Engaging physicians, nursing, cardiac technology, administration, Quality Improvement and Clinical Operations
- Working with Interior Health Quality Improvement support to identify sustainable operational changes
Impact
The work has reduced wait times for P3 patients, introduced concrete workflow improvements and strengthened communication and shared understanding of patient-flow priorities. It has also built greater trust and collaboration between physicians and health-system leadership while establishing a foundation for continued improvement.
Building Addiction Medicine at PRH Local leadership for an area of growing patient need.
As the number and complexity of patients with substance-use disorders increases, medical staff are working with PRH leadership to establish a formal Addiction Medicine Division. The initiative is intended to strengthen clinical leadership, support physicians and staff providing substance-use care and ensure stronger local representation in regional planning and decision-making.
Activity examples
- Engaging physician and site leadership around service sustainability and clinical needs
- Developing a formal briefing note outlining governance, scope and alignment with Interior Health priorities
- Working with the PRH Chief of Staff and Executive Director of Clinical Operations
- Building a pathway toward formal consideration through medical leadership structures
Impact
The initiative has strengthened collaboration between physician leadership and site administration and created shared ownership of risks related to service sustainability and physician burnout. A formal Division would provide clearer clinical leadership, more standardized practices and stronger representation for PRH in regional decisions affecting substance-use care.
Continuing Professional Development Creating opportunities to learn and share expertise.
The MSA's Continuing Professional Development program coordinates accredited and non-accredited learning opportunities across PRH. From education rounds and journal clubs to workshops, simulation and the Getting to Know Your Specialist series, the program supports continuous learning and knowledge sharing across departments and disciplines.
Activity examples
- Accredited Family Medicine and Internal Medicine education rounds
- Emergency Medicine and Anesthesiology journal clubs
- Hospital Medicine rounds
- Getting to Know Your Specialist sessions
- Skills workshops and training for midwives
- Grand Rounds on emerging topics, including AI Scribe
Impact
CPD provides an ongoing structure for sharing knowledge across PRH and supporting both formal education and interdisciplinary learning. Recent programming has included multiple accredited departmental series, specialist learning sessions and workshops, while an AI Scribe Grand Round brought together 45 physicians, three Nurse Practitioners and one midwife.
Collaborative Tables Bringing the right people together to solve practical problems.
Collaborative Tables create a low-barrier way for medical staff and health-system partners to come together around focused issues affecting patient care, workflow or the practice environment. Designed for practical problems that can benefit from a small number of structured conversations, they help clarify roles, build understanding and move workable solutions forward.
Activity examples
Recent discussions have addressed:
- Neurology and Emergency Medicine pressure points and clinical practice change
- Internal Medicine strategic staffing
- Emergency Medicine leadership
- The Heart Function Clinic model
- Management of medical issues in perioperative patients
- Improving call and quality within the DOD program
- Efficiencies within Obstetrics
- Optimizing Neurology services at PRH
Impact
Collaborative Tables provide medical staff with a practical mechanism for raising issues early, engaging the people directly involved and working across departmental or organizational boundaries. Over several years, they have supported conversations and problem-solving across clinical practice, staffing, patient flow, service models and interdepartmental coordination.
Recuitment & Retention Helping build and sustain the medical community at PRH.
The Recruitment and Retention Committee works alongside Interior Health recruitment and local partners to support departments facing recruitment, retention and succession challenges. Its role is to bring a distinctly local perspective to recruitment — helping prospective medical staff understand not only the professional opportunities at PRH, but the community and life they could build in Penticton.
Activity examples
- Collaborating with Interior Health recruitment to complement existing recruitment efforts
- Working with the City of Penticton to create more personalized recruitment visits
- Connecting prospective recruits and their families with local people who share similar interests or family circumstances
- Developing a seasonal menu of community experiences for recruitment visits
- Developing a departmental workforce-planning tool
- Creating physician-led recruitment communications and video resources
Impact
The committee has established a more personalized approach to recruitment, including opportunities for prospective recruits and their families to experience the community through recreation, events, local connections and other tailored activities. A departmental workforce-planning tool has also been presented to medical leadership, helping support more proactive conversations about future staffing needs.
Member Wellness Supporting wellbeing beyond clinical practice
Member Wellness creates opportunities that support the mental, physical and emotional wellbeing of MSA members. Established in response to concerns about burnout, the committee combines learning, social connection, recognition and shared experiences to help strengthen relationships and build a supportive medical community.
Activity examples
- Wellness retreats and workshops addressing issues affecting medical staff
- Social and family events that help members connect beyond the workplace
- Kudos initiatives recognizing colleagues for their contributions
- Appreciation activities that strengthen connections with nursing colleagues
- Informal FE 101 drop-ins in the Doctors' Lounge for conversation, collaboration and support
Impact
Recent activities have ranged from a highly rated wellness retreat focused on meaningful conversations to recognition of 78 members through the Kudos program and family events designed to strengthen connection outside work. Together, these initiatives create informal opportunities for members to build relationships, recognize one another and sustain a stronger sense of medical community.