Emergency Education Programs

It can be challenging for family practice residents or physicians who wish to locum in rural areas to gain needed experience and comfort to deliver emergency medicine in rural communities. The Emergency Education Programs are changing this.

The Emergency Education Programs currently have 3 sites: Nanaimo (NEEP), Northern (NoEEP) and Kamloops (KEEP). The Programs offer participants a three-month clinical and academic fellowship in emergency medicine that focuses on emergency medicine, procedures, point-of-care ultrasound, and resuscitations. They are also creating an environment that allows for cross-pollination with the Certification in the College of Family Physicians-Emergency Medicine (CCFP[EM]), and for local leadership in the transfer of these skill sets to practicing rural physicians.

“Had a critical case on my first all ER locum—thanks to NEEP, I felt prepared and poised, effectively managing a severe epileptic emergency with knowledge and calm. It's remarkable how well-equipped I was to handle every aspect of the crisis, including equipment failures. Immense gratitude for the invaluable training and support provided.”

Nanamma Maughn – NEEP 2023

Achievements

Capacity Building

The Emergency Education program set eyes on capacity building in 2023 and we are pleased to report that with the help of RCCbc, a proposal was presented to the Joint Standing Committee to create a fourth training site in a new Health Authority. We have since acquired approval and a budget to create a training cohort for three Rural Fellows at Lions Gate Hospital in North Vancouver (Coastal Health) for September 2024. While initially a cohort of three Fellows, annual expansion will see six Fellows enrolled at the Lions Gate site in 2025.

In facilitating this growth, we have built a local site team of physicians and coordinators who will meet throughout the year. Through targeted outreach and a selection process, the initial cohort have accepted the opportunity and will commence in September. Ongoing support, planning and organization will continue for the new site well into 2024, which will bring our total number of Fellows trained to 24 per year.

Bringing together a Leadership Team

After seven years of grant-dependent funding a proposal has been presented to the JSC to create permanent funding for our ongoing projects led by a steering committee/board of governance to examine and develop processes and policies to ensure the sustainability of this project.

The Steering Committee, or Board of Governance, is currently comprised of Dr. Ray Markham (RCCbc), Dr. John Pawlovich (REAP) along with the original NEEP site-coordinator Natalina diCredico acting as Program Coordinator and Program Developer Dr. Kevin McMeel.

With the intention of satisfying CME accreditations, new application processes, website improvements and candidate review have been developed for multiple sites. Changes to the funding process, including new application deadlines to support advance planning have created additional supports for both program and participants.

Ongoing Supports

We remain committed to program alumni by continuing to support local training initiatives once Fellows have returned to their home sites or communities with faculty development and outreach. From the very beginning, the vision of this program has remained focused on enhancing skill sets in emergency medicine, general procedures and point of care ultrasound while returning alumni to local communities with additional resources to support local care teams.

One Smithers-based alumni, with additional supports from program alumni in Hazelton, was able to create a local POCUS training session reinforcing local bonds and resources. This group then worked together to create a Pediatric Emergency Simulation workshop based on the formal instruction received at a training site. Addition supports include a 4-day point of care ultrasound bootcamp at the Kamloops training site.

Explore the numbers

67 Overall Trainees

To date, there have been 43 people trained through NEEP, 18 through NoEEP and 6 through KEEP.

17 EM Exams

17 people have successfully written the EM exam, 13 through NEEP, 3 through NoEEP and 1 through KEEP.

75 RSA Communities

As many as 75 RSA communities have been impacted by the Emergency Education Programs.

Plans for the Future

We continue to look at ways to broaden our scope by offering consulting services to other centres wishing to support their communities with additional training and knowledge transfer. Working with communities such as Abbottsford, we assist in leveraging clinical opportunities to train locally and foster independent grass roots opportunities for improved care.  

In 2024 we look forward to supporting the community of Cranbrook, as well as further developing our relationship with The University of Calgary Enhanced Skills in Emergency Medicine program who are committed to establishing a similar approach to Emergency Medical Education in Alberta.