Health care providers who treat injured workers will gather in Vancouver this June for a full-day conference focused on clinician well-being, trauma-informed practice and alignment in worker recovery.

WorkSafeBC is hosting its 18th annual Health Care Professional Conference on June 11 at the Westin Bayshore in Vancouver. The event runs from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Pacific time.

The conference draws health care professionals from across disciplines who work within the workers’ compensation system in British Columbia. Sessions will cover evidence-based approaches to supporting injured workers and the clinicians who treat them.

Early-bird registration closes April 30.

Clinician burnout in focus

The opening keynote will address a growing concern in health care: provider burnout. Dr. Shahana Alibhai will lead a session titled “You Matter Too: Reconnecting with Purpose, Resilience, and the Heart of Care.”

The session is described as interactive and is aimed at helping providers manage the emotional demands of their work. It is designed for clinicians who work long hours and carry significant emotional labour in supporting patient recovery.

Indigenous health review revisited

A second major session will examine progress since the release of the In Plain Sight report. Released in 2020 and 2021, the report documented systemic racism against Indigenous peoples in B.C.’s health-care system.

Harmony Johnson, the executive director of the original review, will present an overview of the findings and reflect on changes made over the past five years.

Trauma care and clinical resilience

Two afternoon sessions will explore the clinical and psychological demands of complex care. One session will outline the difference between trauma-informed care and trauma treatment, covering how the nervous system responds to trauma and how that affects the therapeutic relationship.

A second session, “Gentleness and Resilience in Complex Clinical Work,” will address how providers can manage cases where outcomes fall short of patient expectations. The session aims to help clinicians avoid internalizing systemic limitations as personal failures.

Recovery alignment and vocational rehabilitation

Later in the day, sessions will focus on consistency in care delivery across B.C. One presentation, “Aligning Recovery Across B.C.,” will examine how clinician and claim owner expectations can vary and the impact that has on injured worker outcomes.

The final session will address vocational rehabilitation through a collaborative approach, looking at how providers, workers and the compensation system can work together on return-to-work planning.

Speakers and logistics

Confirmed speakers include:

  • Dr. Shahana Alibhai, MD, CCFP — keynote speaker
  • Dr. Aamir Bharmal, MD, MPH, CCFP, FRCPC — chief medical officer, WorkSafeBC
  • Harmony Johnson, BA, MHA — executive director, In Plain Sight review
  • Ashley Good — founder and chief executive officer, Fail Forward
  • Katelyn Peterson — clinical manager

Afternoon breakout sessions are still to be confirmed. The full schedule and registration information are available on the WorkSafeBC conference website