May

This may seem like an unusual topic for my final president’s comment, but it’s a topic that will affect every one of us at some point in time. And I think I can safely say that we all want the same thing, whether for a patient, a loved one, or ourselves. That one thing is a good death.

The following physicians have died over the past year; please consider submitting a piece for our “In Memoriam” section in the BCMJ if you knew the deceased well.

Aspect Biosystems is a UBC venture using 3D printing technology to create human tissue. The greatest potential of 3D printing may lie in the power to print human parts, but current technology is hard to adapt for biological purposes. A group of researchers based out of Dr Konrad Walus’s UBC Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering lab think they have the right formula, and the immediate impact might be to provide a new and better way to test drugs. Ultimately, the work could lead to growing organs for human transplant.

The Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health is Canada’s largest integrated brain centre, uniting research and patient care to change the way brain disorders are treated and studied. Clinics, research, and education facilities are located under one roof, providing expertise in neuroscience, psychiatry, and neurology in a space that was designed with patients in mind—short walking distances, simplified way-finding, and numerous places where patients can rest or pause.

In response to a Ministry of Health Report, Improving Health Services for Individuals with Severe Addiction and Mental Illness, the BC government is launching an Assertive Outreach Team in Vancouver and opening a new Acute Behavioural Stabilization Unit at St. Paul’s Hospital to improve care for patients with severe addiction and mental health needs.