MEET THE ORGANIZING COMMITTEES

THE STEERING COMMITTEE

Dr. Alison Fox-Robichaud (Chair)

  • Dr. Fox-Robichaud (she/her), BSc, MSc, MD, FRCPC (Int. Med, Crit Care), is Professor of Medicine at McMaster University and a Critical Medicine Specialist, Head of Service for the Critical Care Response Team and Director of Medical Education at Hamilton Health Sciences. She is also Scientific Director of Sepsis Canada, a nationally funded research network. She has over 140 peer reviewed publications reflecting broad academic interests including animal models of sepsis, health services research and clinical trials.

    A leader in the critical care community, she was the first female president of the Canadian Critical Care Society (CCCS) from 2015-2018 and the first female chair of the Canadian Critical Care Examination board. Internationally, she is a member of Global Sepsis Alliance board, the advisory board of the International Society for Rapid Response Systems and the council of the World Federation of Intensive and Critical Care.

    She has been honored nationally for her work in electronic early warning scores to prevent patient deterioration. Internationally, in 2018 the Global Sepsis Alliance awarded her an individual award for her sepsis leadership.

Sarah Crowe (Co-Chair)

  • Sarah began her nursing career at Surrey Memorial Hospital in 2001 in the Emergency department before transitioning to critical care in 2004. She completed dual specialty certification in both Emergency and Critical Care Nursing. Sarah completed a Master of Nursing in 2010 and has held a variety of leadership roles in Fraser Health including charge nurse, educator and regional Clinical Nurse Specialist for Critical Care. She went on to complete a post-master’s graduate diploma in Nurse Practitioner (family) in 2018, and then developed the Critical Care Nurse Practitioner role at Surrey Memorial Hospital. Sarah has now began working on her PhD in Nursing at UBC. Her key areas of research and interest are in ICU survivorship, chronically critically ill patients, and supporting the mental health and practice of clinicians. She has received several research grants for her work. Sarah is currently the President of the Canadian Association of Critical Care Nurses, helping to provide a national voice for critical care nurses.

Dr. Faisal Siddiqui

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Dr. Cheryl Holmes

  • Dr. Cheryl Holmes is Clinical Professor and the Head of the Division of Critical Care at the University of British Columbia (UBC). She trained in Internal Medicine and Critical Care in Vancouver, British Columbia and has made significant contributions to the field of vasopressin in septic shock. During her distinguished career in critical care, Dr. Holmes served as a dedicated clinician educator and was the Medical Director, Critical Care, at Kelowna General Hospital. She also the founder and inaugural President of the BC Society of Critical Care Medicine.

    In her leadership role as the Division Head for Critical Care at UBC, Dr. Holmes is leading the Division’s strategic plan implementation in the delivery of the vision "Extraordinary critical care through innovation, education, collaboration, and advocacy." Dr. Holmes is a committed medical educator. In 2013, she completed a Master of Health Professions Education at the University of Illinois in Chicago, earning Best Thesis for "Harnessing the Hidden Curriculum; a Four Step Competency Approach”. Since 2017, she has served as the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Medical Education (UGME) in the UBC Faculty of Medicine, ensuring that undergraduate medical education aligns with the principles of societal accountability and responsibility.

    Dr. Holmes is influential in shaping the future of medical education in Canada. She co-chairs the UGME Deans' Council for the Association of the Faculties of Medicine in Canada (AFMC) and collaborates on initiatives such as the Culture of Academic Medicine Initiative and the Okanagan Charter Collaborative for the AFMC. Through these roles, Dr. Holmes is committed to cultivating respectful, compassionate, and health-promoting environments in academic medicine, where equity, diversity, inclusivity (EDI) and social justice are prioritized.

    Dr. Holmes serves on the board of the Canadian Residency Matching Service (CaRMS) as the EDI Subcommittee Chair, and she plays a vital role in the Committee for the Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools (CACMS), specifically in leading the revision of accreditation standards and elements to reflect the evolving landscape of socially accountable medical schools.

    Dr. Holmes' scholarship includes promoting learner wellbeing, fostering inclusive learning environments, social accountability of medical schools, and facilitating the professional identity formation of health professionals. In 2015, she received the Canadian Association for Medical Education (CAME) Certificate of Merit for her outstanding contributions.

Dr. Karen E.A. Burns

  • Dr. Burns is a pulmonologist, intensivist, and epidemiologist. She practices critical care medicine at Unity Health Toronto - St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, Canada. She is a Professor of Medicine and Clinician Scientist at the University of Toronto. She holds a Scientist appointment with the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute (Toronto, Canada) and part-time faculty in the Department of Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact at McMaster University. Her research program focuses on characterizing practice variation in liberating critically ill adults from invasive ventilation and evaluating mechanical ventilation support strategies. As a clinician scientist and clinical researcher, she utilizes various research methodologies (national and international surveys, large-scale observational studies, systematic reviews and meta-analyses, and randomized trials) to address important research questions within her program of research. Most studies within her research program have been conducted under the auspices of the Canadian Critical Care Trials Group (CCCTG). She is the past Chair of the Women in Critical Care interest group of the American Thoracic Society, a member of the Executive of the CCCTG, and current President of the Canadian Critical Care Society.

Christine Halfkenny-Zellas

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Andrew West

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Dr. Frederick D’Aragon

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Dr. Bojan Paunovic

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Dr. Dominique Piquette

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Dr. James Downar

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Dr. Catherine Farrell

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THE SCIENTIFIC PLANNING COMMITTEE

Dr. Frederick D’Aragon (Chair)

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Dr. Brandi Vanderspank-Wright (Co-Chair)

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Carolyn McCoy

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Dr. Claudia dos Santos

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Dr. Julie Reid

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Dr. Salmaan Kanji

  • Dr. Kanji is a Clinical Pharmacy Specialist in Critical Care at the Ottawa Hospital and an Associate Scientist at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. He has published on a variety of topics related to critical care pharmacotherapy and has active research programs in critical care pharmacokinetics, atrial fibrillation, sedation, delirium and medication safety in the ICU.

Dr. Braedon McDonald

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THE LOCAL ORGANIZING COMMITTEE

Dr. Cheryl Holmes (Chair)

  • Dr. Cheryl Holmes is Clinical Professor and the Head of the Division of Critical Care at the University of British Columbia (UBC). She trained in Internal Medicine and Critical Care in Vancouver, British Columbia and has made significant contributions to the field of vasopressin in septic shock. During her distinguished career in critical care, Dr. Holmes served as a dedicated clinician educator and was the Medical Director, Critical Care, at Kelowna General Hospital. She also the founder and inaugural President of the BC Society of Critical Care Medicine.

    In her leadership role as the Division Head for Critical Care at UBC, Dr. Holmes is leading the Division’s strategic plan implementation in the delivery of the vision "Extraordinary critical care through innovation, education, collaboration, and advocacy." Dr. Holmes is a committed medical educator. In 2013, she completed a Master of Health Professions Education at the University of Illinois in Chicago, earning Best Thesis for "Harnessing the Hidden Curriculum; a Four Step Competency Approach”. Since 2017, she has served as the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Medical Education (UGME) in the UBC Faculty of Medicine, ensuring that undergraduate medical education aligns with the principles of societal accountability and responsibility.

    Dr. Holmes is influential in shaping the future of medical education in Canada. She co-chairs the UGME Deans' Council for the Association of the Faculties of Medicine in Canada (AFMC) and collaborates on initiatives such as the Culture of Academic Medicine Initiative and the Okanagan Charter Collaborative for the AFMC. Through these roles, Dr. Holmes is committed to cultivating respectful, compassionate, and health-promoting environments in academic medicine, where equity, diversity, inclusivity (EDI) and social justice are prioritized.

    Dr. Holmes serves on the board of the Canadian Residency Matching Service (CaRMS) as the EDI Subcommittee Chair, and she plays a vital role in the Committee for the Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools (CACMS), specifically in leading the revision of accreditation standards and elements to reflect the evolving landscape of socially accountable medical schools.

    Dr. Holmes' scholarship includes promoting learner wellbeing, fostering inclusive learning environments, social accountability of medical schools, and facilitating the professional identity formation of health professionals. In 2015, she received the Canadian Association for Medical Education (CAME) Certificate of Merit for her outstanding contributions.

Sarah Crowe (Ex-Officio)

  • Sarah began her nursing career at Surrey Memorial Hospital in 2001 in the Emergency department before transitioning to critical care in 2004. She completed dual specialty certification in both Emergency and Critical Care Nursing. Sarah completed a Master of Nursing in 2010 and has held a variety of leadership roles in Fraser Health including charge nurse, educator and regional Clinical Nurse Specialist for Critical Care. She went on to complete a post-master’s graduate diploma in Nurse Practitioner (family) in 2018, and then developed the Critical Care Nurse Practitioner role at Surrey Memorial Hospital. Sarah has now began working on her PhD in Nursing at UBC. Her key areas of research and interest are in ICU survivorship, chronically critically ill patients, and supporting the mental health and practice of clinicians. She has received several research grants for her work. Sarah is currently the President of the Canadian Association of Critical Care Nurses, helping to provide a national voice for critical care nurses.

Kuljit Minhas

  • Kuljit Minhas (BSc ’03 RT ’06) is a registered respiratory therapist who has been working with the Fraser Health Authority (FHA)-Royal Columbian Hospital for nearly 18 years. He is a professional practice leader with FHA and is a past president of the BC Society of Respiratory Therapists (BCSRT) as well as the current president of the Canadian Society of Respiratory Therapists. He was also part of a group of professionals working to establish the College of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Health Professionals in BC. Through each role Kuljit leverages his extensive knowledge and industry connections to improve the quality of public health-care in B.C.

    Whether serving on committees, presenting at industry conferences, mentoring colleagues or interacting with patients, Kuljit brings his expertise, passion and commitment to improving BC’s health industry for both patients and professionals. In September 2023, Kuljit was the inaugural winner of the BCSRT Lynn MacIsaac Leadership Award, given to an RT leader in B.C. with a passion to inspire and develop others who has made a significant contribution to the profession.

Sybil Hoiss

  • Sybil began her critical care nursing career at Royal Columbian Hospital in 2010 and held leadership roles including interim unit educator and BCIT clinical instructor. Sybil moved to the Interior, completing a Master of Nursing in 2018 and held the role of Regional Clinical Nurse Specialist with Interior Health. In 2021, Sybil held the role of Provincial Quality Lead with the BC Sepsis Network / Health Quality BC. She supported the revision of the BC Emergency Department Sepsis Guidelines. At Health Quality BC, Sybil also supported the Quality Standards work with Provincial Health Services Authority.

    Recently, Sybil joined the newly formed Critical Care BC Health Improvement Network as Clinical Initiatives and Innovation Lead. She works with health authority leaders and staff to improve the equitable delivery and experience of critical care services across BC to optimize health outcomes.

    Sybil is enrolled in the Sepsis Canada/CIHR Lifting Research Training Program. She serves on the UBC Action on Sepsis Research Cluster Steering Committee. Her continued involvement as president of the CACCN – BC Chapter, supports the critical care nursing voice across BC. Sybil is passionate about end of life care in the ICU, critical illness survival, and supporting sepsis survivors and their families in rural and remote areas of the province.

Prachi Khanna

  • With curiosity and a strong desire to ask better questions about how things work, Prachi Khanna is committed to bridging gaps in healthcare through collaboration in clinical research, health systems and services research, as well as knowledge translation. Her involvement in health systems and services related research and initiatives across the region and beyond has a strong emphasis on patient engagement and advocacy to create a system that drives equitable, goal-concordant, person-centered care that truly meets them where they are. It begins with the question-- "What matters to you?" in its core.

    Prachi is a graduate student at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine where she is working towards her Master of Science in Epidemiology and developing her research and critical appraisal skills. Prachi completed her undergraduate studies (B.Sc., Biology) and Professional Certification in Infection Prevention and Control at the University of British Columbia (Vancouver), where she is currently pursuing a Graduate Certificate in Indigenous Public Health.

    Learn more and connect with Prachi at https://www.linkedin.com/in/khannaprachi/

Kali Romano

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Gabrielle Levin

Sharon Hickin

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THE SPONSORSHIP COMMITTEE

Dr. Faisal Siddiqui (Chair)

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Steve Reynolds

Dr. Vikas Chaubey

Dr. Michelle House-Kokan

  • Dr. Michelle House Kokan, RN, MSN, EdD, CNCC(C), CCNE

    Michelle is an adjunct faculty member in the Critical Care Nursing program at BC Institute of Technology, and fulltime Faculty Development Lead for the Specialty Nursing Department. Michelle has been a critical care nurse since 1991, completing dual certificates in trauma and cardiac critical care in Calgary, then working in various critical care units in Manitoba, Alberta, and British Columbia as well as working as a medevac flight nurse in northern Manitoba. Michelle has been a critical care nurse educator for over 25 years in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland in clinical teaching and learning, curriculum design and development, simulation education, distance education and online learning, as well as faculty support and development. Michelle has a keen interest in supporting nurse educators in their educational practice, particularly within the clinical context. Her doctoral research in education and adult learning focused on how nurse educators understand and develop educational pedagogy in specialty nursing education. Michelle currently serves as Co-Editor for the Canadian Journal of Critical Care Nursing.