Surgeon Dr. Henry Jiang has received a $10,000 Rural Physician Research Grant to determine the burden of managing small bowel obstruction in the Campbell River Hospital. 

“The Rural Physician Research Grant has been instrumental in supporting my research work in the community setting. It has allowed me to further help my patients through knowledge creation and application,” says Dr. Jiang. “I also appreciate the tremendous support from our Research Associates.” 

Alison James, Rural Research Associate with Island Health, helped Dr. Jiang navigate the application process. Alison and her colleague Robyn Ellsworth are available to help rural doctors pursue their QI or research goals. Their positions are funded through a partnership between Island Health and the Rural Coordination Centre of BC (RCCbc).  

“Not all research takes place in cities and building rural capacity to answer rural healthcare questions is what this grant is all about,” says James. “It’s fantastic when we can help our local physicians do research in their home communities and solve problems to benefit their patients’ healthcare.” 

• Rural Physician Research Grant Program. The program runs twice a year and provides up to $10,000.   
• Rural Global Health Partnership Initiative (RGHPI) offers grants to support projects led by rural BC physicians or medical trainees who partner with underserved, marginalized, or Indigenous rural communities in British Columbia, across Canada, or internationally. Qualicum Beach physician Dr. Kelly Hadfield is a past recipient for her project in rural Ghana. 

The deadline for both grants for the 2023 spring competition is April 30. 

Learn More 

Interested in rural research opportunities and supports? Connect with Robyn!   

• Robyn Ellsworth, Rural Research Administrative Assistant: [email protected] 

For more information on research supports: 

• RCCbc Rural Research  
• Research at Island Health