Participants - VCH Smoking Cessation Workshop

Update: June 3, 2024

• The workshop occurred on May 13, 2024. Thank you to all the participants who joined the focus group and shared their wisdom with us

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What are we doing?

Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) and Legacy for Airway for Health (LAH) are hosting an in-person workshop for people who have current or past experience smoking, or have had experiences attempting to quit smoking. VCH understands the importance of smoking cessation (SC) in preventing and managing long-term health conditions and aims to improve clinical smoking cessation services within the VCH region.

The purpose of the workshop will be to develop a plan for improving smoking cessation services across VCH. We will hear from VCH health care providers; operational and medical leaders; and people with current or past smoking experience within the VCH region.

Clinical smoking cessation services include:

1. Screening for tobacco use
2. Prescribing or providing nicotine replacement therapies (NRT) like patches, lozenges, or gum
3. Prescribing other medications like varenicline or bupropion
4. Offering brief or intensive addiction counseling

How you can get involved?

We are seeking 2 (two) to 5 (five) patient partners to join us at the smoking cessation workshop on Wednesday, May 13th, 2024 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at Vancouver General Hospital (VGH) Campus (899 West 12th Avenue Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9). Patient partners will be invited to share their lived experiences and perspectives to help shape the development of the smoking cessation services improvement plan.

Who should apply?

• Individuals with current or past smoking experience who have made attempts to quit smoking
• Individuals with prior experience accessing Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) programs and service

Please note this is not an opportunity for individuals seeking medical advice. Please contact your health care provider if you wish to seek medical advice.

What is the deadline for this engagement opportunity?

Please complete the application survey at the bottom of this page by April 7th, 2024 to express your interest in attending the workshop. An honorarium of $25/hour for any preparation meetings, $100 for workshop attendance, and travel/accommodation costs will be provided. Participants will have the option to attend an orientation meeting and receive support through zoom, phone calls and/or emails prior to the workshop.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Isha Joshi at isha.joshi@vch.ca or 604-655-1917.

We would like to acknowledge that our places of work and the Vancouver Coastal Health facilities are located within the traditional territories of the Heiltsuk, Kitasoo-Xai’xais, Lil’wat, Musqueam, N’Quatqua, Nuxalk, Samahquam, shíshálh, Skatin, Squamish, Tla’amin, Tsleil-Waututh, Wuikinuxv, and Xa’xtsa.