September

The new Royal Columbian Hospital Mental Health and Substance Use Wellness Centre increases access to culturally safe mental health and addictions care. The nearly 37 000-square-metre facility includes 75 inpatient beds along with outpatient services, including a mood disorder clinic, expanded clinics for adolescent psychiatry, reproductive psychiatry and psychiatric urgent referral, group therapy, and neuropsychology clinics.

BC Family Doctors has created a resource that provides guidance for patients who have questions about the safety of returning to work. The straightforward decision map helps individuals identify when they should call their employer, when to call WorkSafeBC, and when to call their family doctor with questions and concerns. Access the resource on the BC Family Doctors website at https://bcfamilydocs.ca/return-to-work-questions.

The Rural & Isolated Support Endeavour (RISE) is a student-run phone support program of the Society of Rural Physicians of Canada’s Student Committee with the goal of emotionally supporting clients who live in rural areas across Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic. The initiative partners medical students with clients in rural communities to provide emotional support and companionship via weekly phone/video-call check-ins.

The report by Dhinsa, Mahon, and Strahlen­dorf in the May issue of the BCMJ [2020;62:130–133] regarding the delays in the early recognition of solitary childhood neoplasms such as osteosarcoma troubled me.

Kudos to Jerry Wong of Peaceful Warrior Arts for the continued outstanding BCMJ cover art.
—Gwen Warren, MD
White Rock