Medical Legal Conference 2019

Course Chairs
Dr. Kathleen Ross — President, Doctors of BC, Vancouver
Allan P. Seckel, QC — CEO, Doctors of BC, Vancouver

About the Course Chairs
Dr. Kathleen Ross has always had a varied medical career, and today you could say she really has three part-time jobs: family physician, obstetrics, and open heart surgical assist. Although, this year, Dr. Ross has had to retreat from her surgical assist duties.

Dr. Ross steps into the role of President after holding the positions of Doctors of BC Board member, Vice-President of the Royal Columbian and Eagle Ridge Hospital Medical Staff Society, Founding Member and Chair of the Fraser Northwest Division of Family Practice, Chair of the Pathways Patient Referral Association, and Physician Leader of the Fraser Northwest Shared Care Committee.

In her off time, she travels with friends, husband, and grown children; she’s into Polynesian dancing; and is a member of her local Rotary.

Allan Seckel is a husband, father, avid reader, fitness enthusiast, and a lawyer. He is currently the CEO of the Doctors of BC, a voluntary association of BC’s physicians. He has been a leader and manager in the private sector, government and the not for profit sector. Allan was Head of the BC Public Service as the deputy minister to Premier Gordon Campbell after 6 1/2 years as the Deputy Attorney General. He holds degrees from Simon Fraser University, the University of Victoria, and Cambridge University. In addition to his role at Doctors of BC, Allan has participated on various boards and councils, and is currently serving as the Chair of Covenant House Vancouver.

Online Moderator
Deborah L. Viccars — Director, Policy & Planning, Doctors of BC, Vancouver

Faculty
Dr. Hugh Anton — Clinical Professor, UBC Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Vancouver
Dr. Shelina Babul — Director, CHIRPP, BC Children’s Hospital, Vancouver
Dr. David A. Brooks — Physician and Surgeon, Gabriola
Dr. Melanie L. Brown — Medical Director, Fraser Health Renal Program, New Westminster
Darrion Campbell — Director, Driver Fitness and Client Services, RoadSafetyBC, Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General, Victoria
John W. Conroy, QC — Conroy & Company, Abbottsford
Dr. Pat Croskerry — Director, Critical Thinking Program, Dalhousie University Medical School, Halifax
Natasha Dookie — Chief Legal Officer, Law Society of BC, Vancouver
Manjit K. Grewal — Alexander Holburn Beaudin & Lang LLP, Vancouver
Dr. Pippa Hawley — Medical Director, Provincial Pain & Symptom Management/Palliative Care Program, BC Cancer, Vancouver
Graeme Keirstead — Chief Legal Counsel, College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC, Vancouver
Melissa Perry — Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP, Vancouver

Click here for full faculty bios »

Welcome and Land Acknowledgement

Dr. Kathleen Ross — President, Doctors of BC, Vancouver
Allan P. Seckel, QC — CEO, Doctors of BC, Vancouver

Regulation of the Medical and Legal Professions: Trends in Professional Regulation

• regulation of professionals
• registration, standards, investigation, and discipline
• recent challenges
• future outlook

Graeme Keirstead — Chief Legal Counsel, College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC, Vancouver
Natasha Dookie — Chief Legal Officer, Law Society of BC, Vancouver

Meta-Cognition and Better Decision-Making

• cognitive errors and failed diagnosis
• assumptions that lead to traps
• meeting the challenge of decision-making under adverse conditions
• fixing the problems

Dr. Pat Croskerry — Director, Critical Thinking Program, Dalhousie University Medical School, Halifax

Break

RoadSafetyBC Updates

• driver medical fitness in BC
  • human rights and legal framework
  • next steps with driver medical fitness
• drugs and driving
  • an update on the drugs and driving initiative (new 90 day ADPs)
  • alcohol versus drugs: challenges and opportunities for detecting impairment at roadside

Darrion Campbell — Director, Driver Fitness and Client Services, RoadSafetyBC, Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General, Victoria

Concussion and Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: Best Practices and Return to Work, School and Sport Environments

• return to work
  • become aware of common symptoms following MTBI that may impact return to work
  • become aware of long term consequences of MTBI that may affect employability
  • be introduced to strategies for dealing with short and long term occupational issues
• return to learn/play
  • become aware of some of the challenges surrounding youth concussions
  • be introduced to strategies for supporting return to school and learning
  • be introduced to strategies to promote safe return to sport participation

Dr. Shelina Babul — Director, CHIRPP, BC Children’s Hospital, Vancouver
Dr. David A. Brooks — Physician and Surgeon, Gabriola

Networking Lunch (provided)

Medico-Legal Reports: Bridging Medicine and Law

• what lawyers want doctors to know
• What doctors want lawyers to know
• best practices and making it work for everyone—especially the patient/client

Dr. Hugh Anton — Clinical Professor, UBC Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation,  Vancouver
Manjit K. Grewal — Alexander Holburn Beaudin & Lang LLP, Vancouver

Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID): The Patient's Journey

• patient experiences with health care decision-making
• patient experiences with legal decision-making
• overcoming common challenges

Dr. Melanie L. Brown — Medical Director, Fraser Health Renal Program, New Westminster
Melissa Perry — Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP, Vancouver

Break

Cannabis in Canada: A Medicine and Law Update

• the legal framework for medical cannabis—a short history
• the new legal landscape of edibles, topicals, and extracts
• the current state of medical cannabis
• the future outlook for medical cannabis

John W. Conroy, QC — Conroy & Company, Abbottsford
Dr. Pippa Hawley — Medical Director, Provincial Pain & Symptom Management/Palliative Care Program, BC Cancer, Vancouver

Closing Remarks

Dr. Kathleen Ross — President, Doctors of BC, Vancouver
Allan P. Seckel, QC — CEO, Doctors of BC, Vancouver