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Regional conference tackles topic of chronic diseases

Family physicians invited to register to attend Chronic Disease Day event in Pitt Meadows.
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Dr. Edward Auersperg with Ridge Meadows Hospital will be talking about Clostridium Difficile: Challenges and Solutions at the upcoming Chronic Disease Day hosted by the Ridge Meadows Hospital Foundation. (THE NEWS/files)

A successful conference geared towards furthering the education of doctors in the community is returning to Pitt Meadows.

The second annual Continuing Medical Education event will feature seven speakers and is free for family physicians to attend.

This year the event will centre around Chronic Disease Day.

“It’s a really good venue because it’s a non-biased venue for the pharmaceutical industry to interact with doctors without causing any ‘troubles,’” said Sayed Atthari, director of the Ridge Meadows Hospital Foundation.

“We are trying to connect three communities. The communities of doctors with the community of pharmaceutical companies and the foundation to make it a really three-way-win situation,” said the pharmacist at Medlandia Compounding Pharmacy in Maple Ridge .

Atthari explained that doctors in Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows and the surrounding region are far from the core downtown Vancouver area, where these conferences are normally held, so it is difficult for them to attend a quality CME.

“We think that our population will be best served, and I am talking the patients, is to have doctors (with a) good education so they get updated on everything,” continued Atthari who added that it is a win for the pharmaceutical industry as well because their representatives have a place to mingle with doctors and talk about their product.

Pharmaceutical companies will have sponsored booths at the event and money from the booths will go to the Ridge Meadows Hospital Foundation to purchase much needed equipment for the hospital.

Last year, $30,000 was raised.

Topics were picked by the Chronic Disease Day management committee. Atthari along with fellow foundation director Dr. Cilliers Marais and development officer Kristina Murray asked doctors throughout both communities what topics they felt they required more education on and what speakers they would like to hear from.

This year speakers: Dr. Edward Auersperg, on Clostridium Difficile – Challenges and Solutions; Dr. May Ong, on Mechanism Based Diagnosis and Management of Chronic Pain; Dr. Matthew Chow, on Advanced Pharmacology for Children and Teens with Common Mental Health Problems; Dr. Monica Li, on Dermatology in Family Practice – Tips, Pearls and Insights; Dr. Shaun Tregoning, on Osteoporosis in Family Practice – What Do I Need To Know?; Dr. Jordanna Kapeluto, on The Underlying Causes of Obesity and All The Management Options; and one other speaker to be determined on Billing Codes for Family Physicians.

Atthari is hoping the number of attendees at this year’s event will double. There were 87 doctors who attended last year.

“We will have established a very credible record of unbiased continuing medical education and pharmaceutical companies will be even more eager to participate and therefore raise more money for the foundation,” he said, adding that they have already had doctors register from as far away as Vancouver Island and Kelowna because of the quality of information that is being offered.

Atthari says he is really proud of this event because he wants to give back to the community.

“I am happy that this is happening in this professional way that is affecting positively a wide range of people, patients,” said Atthari, adding that a better educated doctor means a better diagnosis and better health for the community.

Chronic Disease Day 2018 takes place from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on April 7 at Meadow Gardens, 19675 Meadow Gardens Way in Pitt Meadows.

The event is free for physicians to attend and attendees can earn six Main Pro Credits.

• All delegates must register for the event at rmhfoundation.com/cme.Donations to the Ridge Meadows Hospital Foundation are welcome.



Colleen Flanagan

About the Author: Colleen Flanagan

I got my start with Black Press Media in 2003 as a photojournalist.
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