BC Centre for Palliative Care

Flexing Your Core ECHO-Cultural Safety & Humility Practices
2026-01-22 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Vancouver)
Session resources

Session summary notes

Part of our Flexing Your Core ECHO series
This session explores concepts such as privilege, personal and systemic biases and how it can lead to culturally inappropriate care. Scenarios will be shared, and the session will focus on recognizing ways to respond towards providing culturally safer care.
Competency domain: Cultural Safety & Humility

Taking Serious Illness Conversations Seriously: Unveiling South Asian Perspectives on Advance Care Planning
2026-01-20 12:00 - 13:00 | online
Session resources:

Session summary notes
Session recording: YouTube

Part of our Updated & Innovations in Essential Conversations for the Health Care Team ECHO Series.
Based on a qualitative study exploring English-speaking South Asian Canadians’ perspectives using the Serious Illness Conversation Guide (SICG), this session will examine how cultural norms—generational differences, family decision-making structures, physician-patient power dynamics—shape engagement in serious illness conversations and advance care planning. Participants will review key findings, examine recommended adaptations to SICG phrasing, and walk through practical strategies to deliver culturally safe, values-aligned conversations in clinical practice.
Presenters: Dr. Amrish Joshi, MBBS, MSc. Pal Med, LLM, CCFP (PC), FCFP, FRCPC, Medical Lead for QI, Richmond CoC. Palliative MD, Richmond Integrated Hospice Palliative Care Program. Clinical Assistant Professor, UBC Division of Palliative Medicine.
Lara Musa, RN, MPHMSN, CHPCN(C), Palliative Nurse Educator Richmond Integrated Hospice-Palliative Care Team
Monica Kelly, Lead, Goals of Care Support Team, Vancouver Coastal Health
Dr. Sukaina Kara, Palliative Physician, Fraser Health Lara Musa, Regional Clinical Educator, Vancouver Coastal Health Richmond Professional Practice

Flexing Your Core ECHO-The Basics of a Palliative Approach
2026-01-15 12:00 - 13:00
Session resources:

Session summary notes

Part of our Flexing Your Core ECHO series
This session introduces key concepts of a palliative approach. We will discuss who would benefit from a palliative approach to care and talk about a health care provider’s role in providing this approach to care for their patients. A case study will be discussed with participants to give opportunity to reflect on their learnings.
Competency domain: Principles of a Palliative Approach to Care

Implementing the Serious Illness Conversation Program in the East Kootenays
2025-12-17 12:00 - 13:00 | online
Session Resources

Session summary
YouTube recording

Join us to learn about a practical, evidence-based tool enabling clinicians to have more, better and earlier conversations with people. Presenters will share about the Serious Illness Conversation Program (SICP) Implementation toolkit pilot within a rural community in Interior Health. We will share how this toolkit was developed to support identifying barriers and facilitators to SICP implementation and lessons learned from this pilot that can be applied to other care settings and regions.
Presenters: Laura Finkler-Kemeny, RN Clinical Lead, Serious Illness Communication, BC Centre for Palliative Care and Grace Hu, MPH Research Coordinator, BC Centre for Palliative Care

From Vision to Reality: Understanding the Development and Delivery of the PGHPCS Home Hospice Program
2025-12-10 12:00 - 13:00
Session resources

YouTube recording link
Session summary – coming soon

Part of the All Together ECHO Series
This in-service session offers an insightful, step-by-step journey through the development of the Prince George Hospice Palliative Care Society’s (PGHPCS) Home Hospice Program—a compassionate model of care that brings hospice support directly into the homes of those nearing the end of life. Attendees will gain a deep understanding of how the program was conceived, thoughtfully planned, effectively implemented, and is continuously evaluated to ensure high-quality care and responsiveness to community needs.
Presenters: Donna Flood, Executive Director, Prince George Hospice Palliative Care Society & Erin Connelly, Director of Operations, Prince George Hospice Palliative Care Society

Waking Experiences of the Deceased: From Bereavement to End of Life
2025-11-25 12:00 - 13:15 | online
Session resources

Session summary notes
Session recording: YouTube

Part of our Grief & Bereavement Literacy ECHO Series
This session explores the moments when individuals report waking experiences of the deceased, which can include seeing, hearing, smelling, and feeling the touch of the deceased. Normalizing these experiences can help reduce distress in all those who experience them in bereavement and at the end of life.
Poster you can print and share linked here. *This session is scheduled for 75min*
Presenter:

Joshua Black, Ph.D. – Bereavement Initiatives Manager, BC Centre for Palliative Care

with guests:

Marney Thompson, M.A., Director of Bereavement Services, Victoria Hospice Society
Paul Adams, co-chair of the Canadian Grief Alliance

This series is for anyone interested in increasing their knowledge around grief and bereavement to support them personally or in their professional careers.

Men’s Sheds of BC – Men Helping Men Through Social Connection and Support
2025-11-12 12:00 - 13:00
Session resources:

Session summary notes
Session recording: YouTube

Part of the All Together ECHO Series
Men’s Sheds of BC is a trailblazing organization dedicated to fostering a sense of belonging amongst men and addressing social isolation and loneliness. Men’s Sheds of BC offers a welcoming, peer-supported space to help men, both young and old, who are often reluctant to join traditional programs, overcome barriers to connection and community.
Presenter: Curtis Quinn, BC Men’s Sheds

Grief and Bereavement: A South Asian Perspective
2025-10-27 12:00 - 13:15 | online
Session resources

Session summary document
Session recording: YouTube

Part of our Grief & Bereavement Literacy ECHO Series
This workshop explores the unique experiences of grief and bereavement within the South Asian community. Gain insights and be better equipped to support this diverse immigrant group, with varied cultural practices and faiths, in a culturally sensitive manner. Poster you can print and share linked here. *This session is scheduled for 75min*
Presenters: Jas Cheema, MA

This series is for anyone interested in increasing their knowledge around grief and bereavement to support them personally or in their professional careers.

Building Bridges: Advancing Collaborative Pediatric Palliative Care
2025-10-22 09:00 - 17:00 | nanaimo, Canada
This pediatric palliative care symposium is for health care professionals interested in increasing their knowledge and skill in working with children with serious illness and their families.
The goal is to share research and clinical experiences that broaden the perspectives and collaborative efforts to enhance the care delivery in hospital, home and hospice.
Pediatric-focused clinician’s and adult palliative care clinicians most welcome
Register

Islanders Helping Islanders - Quadra's Rural Vision for Wrap-around Palliative Care
2025-10-21 12:00 - 13:00
Session resources

Session Summary Note
Session recording: YouTube

Part of the All Together ECHO Series
How does a small rural community with limited medical resources and aging volunteers enhance supports for people with life-changing illness and their families? Join Quadra Island Compassionate Community’s project team to share approaches, including educating the community to help themselves and each other to navigate the challenges of serious illness, caregiving, end-of-life and grieving
Presenters: Maureen McDowell (Quadra Circle), Jude McCormick (Way To Go Group), Kathleen Monahan (Nav-CARE)

Essential Conversations: Talking to Adults Who Have Challenges in Articulating their Wishes in Medical Care
2025-10-15 12:00 - 13:00 | online
Session resources

Session summary notes
Session recording: YouTube

Advance care planning can be more complex with adults who have cognitive or communication differences. Understanding concepts of inclusion, competency and a model of shared decision making can be helpful for the clinician in supporting care planning and medical directives that align with the individuals wishes. This talk also explores strategies employed in pediatrics where surrogate decision making and family voice can augment and support the patient in these essential conversation.
Session objectives:

Review the definition of serious illness and the zone of health that can guide advance care planning with seriously ill young adults with cognitive / communication impairments.
Discuss issues of inclusion, competency, shared-decision making
Discuss the serious illness conversation guide – pediatrics and application of this to this population

Presenter: Camara van Breemen, MN, Nurse Practitioner (F), Director, Community Care and Provincial Outreach
Nurse Practitioner Team Lead
Canucks Place Children’s Hospice

Home Health – Emergency Response in Island Health
2025-10-07 11:00 - 12:00 | online
Session resources

Heat Check Tool : https://ncceh.ca/sites/default/files/NCCEH%20Extreme%20Heat%20Event%20-%20Health%20Checklist%20WEB_0.pdf
Session summary notes

Part of the Climate, Planetary Health & Palliative Care ECHO Series
The Emergency Response in Home Health at Island Health is aimed to more efficiently identify clients most at risk and enhance staff safety during any emergency situation. This process has improved the program’s ability to monitor staff and client safety while also raising awareness of heat-related illness and safety through discussions and informational brochures in preparation for emergencies
Presenters: Saskia Wald, Island Health and Elaine Heffe, Island Health

Grief in Systematically Oppressed Communities: Building Compassionate Relationships as a First Step
2025-09-23 12:00 - 13:15 | online
Session resources

Session summary document
Session recording: YouTube

Part of our Grief & Bereavement Literacy ECHO Series
This session centers on the importance of building compassionate, trust-based relationships as an important step in supporting grief and bereavement in communities who are systematically oppressed. By prioritizing empathy and connection, participants will explore ways to nurture meaningful relationships as a foundational step toward healing and support. Poster you can print and share linked here.
Presenters: Jennie Biltek, Client Services Coordinator, Sunshine Coast Hospice Society
Stephanie Laing, PhD(c), MSW, RSW – Director of Operations, Kelowna Homelessness Research Centre
Jaylene Scheible – Community Care Collaborator & Consultant

This series is for anyone interested in increasing their knowledge around grief and bereavement to support them personally or in their professional careers.

Empowering Palliative Patients and Families in BC: A Unique Palliative Navigation Program
2025-09-10 12:00 - 13:00
Session resources:

Session recording link: YouTube
Session summary note

Part of the All Together ECHO Series
This volunteer-based program has supported palliative patients and families from the Ismaili Community in the Lower Mainland since 2017. The presenter will share the team’s key experiences and learnings and will review the unique tools that the program has developed to rapidly assess the supports required by palliative patients and their families.
Presenter: Afzal Mangalji

Experiencing Grief as a Health Care Provider
2025-08-28 12:00 - 13:00 | online
Session resources

Session recording: YouTube
session summary notes

Part of our Grief & Bereavement Literacy ECHO Series

Front-line nurses, and clinicians, carry the weight of repeated loss — sitting with patients in their final moments, then moving immediately to the next urgent task. Research in hospice and palliative care shows this cumulative, often unacknowledged grief impacts our emotional health, our relationships with patients, and our ability to sustain compassionate care over time. This session will weave clinical narratives with current evidence to explore how we can name, honor, and address professional grief — and why policy change, including bereavement leave reform, is essential to protect the wellbeing of care providers.
Poster you can print and share linked here.
Presenter: Laura Finkler-Kemeny, RN Clinical Lead, Serious Illness Communication, BC Centre for Palliative Care

This series is for anyone interested in increasing their knowledge around grief and bereavement to support them personally or in their professional careers.

Flexing Your Core ECHO-Ethical practice, Education, Evaluation, Quality Improvement & Research (Summer 2025)
2025-08-26 12:00 - 13:00
Session resources

Session summary notes

In this session we will identify and discuss common ethical issues in palliative care and we will talk through steps to take in addressing ethical issues by discussing a case scenario. Participants will have the opportunity to discuss how education, evaluation, QI and research are important in palliative care context.
Part of our Flexing Your Core ECHO series

Flexing Your Core ECHO-Care Planning, Collaborative Practice & Advocacy (Summer 2025)
2025-08-19 12:00 - 13:00
Session resources

Session summary notes

We will identify the importance of determining a person’s goals for their care at end of life and discuss key elements of anticipatory care planning along with some ideas on what advocacy in your role can look like.
Part of our Flexing Your Core ECHO series

Flexing Your Core ECHO-Self-care (Summer 2025)
2025-08-12 12:00 - 13:00
Session resources

Session summary notes

As healthcare providers we know self-care is important yet it’s something many of us may not take time to reflect on. This session we will reflect on our own self-care needs in relation to supporting patients approaching end of life. We will also discuss ways to support each other as a team in supporting end of life patients.
Part of our Flexing Your Core ECHO series

Flexing Your Core ECHO-Loss, Grief & Bereavement (Summer 2025)
2025-08-05 12:00 - 13:00
Session resources

Session discussion summary

In this session we will discuss how each person’s grief experience is unique. Participants will work through scenarios discussing ways to support patients and colleagues.
Part of our Flexing Your Core ECHO series

Inking the Bond
2025-07-31 12:00 - 13:00 | online
Session resources

Session summary notes
session recording: YouTube video

Part of our Grief & Bereavement Literacy ECHO Series
This talk is a conversation about tattoos, grief, and growth. Stories will be drawn from research and personal experience. The three speakers are all social workers who love to talk about tattoos, the intersection of taboo, the connection to the deceased and the way they can contribute to the process of meaning making.
Poster you can print and share linked here.
Presenter: Susan Cadell, PhD, RSW Professor, School of Social Work, Renison University College

This series is for anyone interested in increasing their knowledge around grief and bereavement to support them personally or in their professional careers.

Flexing Your Core ECHO-Optimizing Comfort & Quality of Life & Last Days and Hours (Summer 2025)
2025-07-29 12:00 - 13:00
Session resources

Session discussion summary

This session is an introduction to promoting comfort and quality of life for people with life-limiting illness. Learners will discuss applying the steps of symptom management and supporting wellness to a case study. We will also discuss what the last days and hours of someone’s life can look like as and how you can support this journey as part of their care team.
Part of our Flexing Your Core ECHO series

Flexing Your Core ECHO-Communication & Virtual Care (Summer 2025)
2025-07-22 12:00 - 13:00
Session resources

Session discussion summary

This session we will discuss foundational communication skills such as active listening. We will also explore a person-centered framework used to guide conversations focusing on what’s important to a person with life-limiting illness. Participants will also have the opportunity to discuss providing virtual care and ways to provide person-centered care in a virtual care appointment

Part of our Flexing Your Core ECHO series

Flexing Your Core ECHO-Cultural Safety & Humility (Summer 2025)
2025-07-15 12:00 - 13:00
Session resources

Session summary and discussion notes

This session explores concepts such as privilege and how it can lead to culturally inappropriate care. Scenarios will be presented to learners and the session will focus on recognizing ways to respond, identifying that each individual we care for is unique, and understanding personal and systemic biases to work towards providing culturally safer care.
Part of our Flexing Your Core ECHO series

Flexing Your Core ECHO-Principles of Palliative Care and Palliative Approach (Summer 2025)
2025-07-08 12:00 - 13:00
Session Resources:

FYC Principles of Palliative Care and Palliative Approach summer 2025 – session summary

This session introduces key concepts of a palliative approach. We will discuss who would benefit from a palliative approach to care and talk about a health care provider’s role in providing this approach to care for their patients. A case study will be discussed with participants to give opportunity to reflect on their learnings.
Part of our Flexing Your Core ECHO series

Exploring the Power of Equine Therapy in Grief Support
2025-06-26 12:00 - 13:00 | online
Session resources

2025.06.26 Session summary notes
Session recording: YouTube

Part of our Grief & Bereavement Literacy ECHO Series
This session will have a presentation with time for Q & A.
Poster you can print and share linked here.
Presenter: Veronica Tod, Grief Support Manager at Abbotsford Hospice and Grief Support Society

This series is for anyone interested in increasing their knowledge around grief and bereavement to support them personally or in their professional careers.

Grief and Loss Along the Dementia Journey
2025-05-28 12:00 - 13:00 | online
Session resources

Session video recording: YouTube link
Dementia education: coping with change, grief & loss – resources list
Session summary and discussion
Presentation slides

Part of our Grief & Bereavement Literacy ECHO Series

Care partners often experience a continuous and profound sense of loss as they walk alongside a person living with dementia. This webinar will delve into the unique challenges that care partners face, illuminating the multifaceted nature of grief throughout the dementia journey. Participants will explore how grief manifests differently at various stages, from early diagnosis to advanced disease progression. We will also address the often-overlooked emotional toll on care partners and provide strategies for recognition and support.
Poster you can print and share linked here.
Presenter: Susan Prosser, Provincial Coordinator of Education at Alzheimer’s Society of BC

This series is for anyone interested in increasing their knowledge around grief and bereavement to support them personally or in their professional careers.

FREE May Webinar – PSWs Share their Passion and Insights on Hospice & Palliative Care
2025-05-08 13:00 - 14:00 | online
An inspiring webinar featuring Courtney Murrell, Myke Dyer, and Matthew Hicks who are three dedicated PSWs/HCAs from the field of Hospice and Palliative care. Hear firsthand stories about their experiences, challenges, and triumphs in making a meaningful difference in the lives of patients and families.

Planetary Health in Hospice Palliative Care Building Climate Resilience and Low Carbon Health Systems
2025-05-07 12:00 - 13:00 | online
Session resources

Session summary notes
Session recording: YouTube

Join us in exploring the topic of Planetary Health in Hospice Palliative Care. This session will introduce you to ways to prepare for climate-related emergencies and how to create climate-informed health programs. Presenters will share, from their British Columbia context, their experiences in kidney care to explore impacts of climate-related emergencies and how to create climate-informed health programs across the spectrum of palliative care including Hospice care. Come to learn from their experiences, tools they have developed or adapted, and share how you too are working towards creating a culture of environmental sustainability across palliative care settings.

Challenges and Resilience in the 2SLGBTQ+ Community: Exploring Grief and Bereavement Through a Holistic Framework
2025-04-23 12:00 - 13:00 | online
Session resources:

Session summary notes
Session recording: YouTube link

Part of our Grief & Bereavement Literacy ECHO Series
This session will discuss the challenges and resilience in the 2SLGBTQ+ community relating to grief and bereavement. Poster you can print and share linked here.
Presenter: Geoff Straw, M.A., Registered Clinical Counsellor

This series is for anyone interested in increasing their knowledge around grief and bereavement to support them personally or in their professional careers.

Frailty and Dementia: Essential Conversations with Families
2025-04-17 12:00 - 13:00 | online
Session resources

Session recording: YouTube
Session summary notes: Frailty & Dementia ECHO session Apr 17, 2025 summary
Dementia Booklet
Frailty Roadmap for Family

For seniors with life-limiting illness and their families, we need gentle but realistic conversations about their medical conditions, changes in their abilities and function, their quality of life, and goals of care. With a gentle approach to medical truth-telling, we can avoid potentially burdensome medical interventions, prevent unnecessary suffering, and empower families to help provide the best quality of life possible for their loved one. Dr Trevor Janz will model these conversations with families for us; about MOST status, CPR and ICU, feeding tubes in stroke and late dementia, falls and hip fracture, pneumonia, dehydration and bladder infections, and avoiding hospitalization
Presenters: Dr. Trevor Janz
