October 12, 2006

One of the biggest rural health conferences ever to be held in NorthernBC will be in Prince George from October 19-21. Nearly 200 delegatesare expected to attend and more than 100 presentations will be given ontopics ranging from rural health care access and aboriginal healthservices to preparing health practitioners for rural practice. Theconference is being presented by the Canadian Rural Health ResearchSociety and will take place at the Prince George Civic Centre.
 
The mission of the Society is to facilitate research aimed at improvingthe health of people living in rural and remote Canada. Taking part inthe conference will be researchers, educators, health care providers,policy-makers, health care planners and administrators, and othersinterested in rural health issues.

Access a PDF file of the conference schedule by clicking this link.

“Connecting research to improving the day-to-day practice of healthcare delivery is a top priority for the people attending thisconference,” says Martha MacLeod, a professor of Nursing at UNBC andthe conference Chair. “The presentations will present research on keyhealth and safety issues affecting rural Canadians along with effectivestrategies to recruit and retain nurses and physicians in rural areas.We’ll also be examining the results of health programs that weredeveloped by health agencies, agricultural producers, and communitiesacross Canada.”

Among the presenters will be UBC professor Brett Finlay, Director ofthe SARS Accelerated Vaccine Initiative, who will give a keynoteaddress titled “Battling the Bugs: Confronting the Microbial Menace” onFriday, October 20, at 9am. The following day, Saturday, October 21,also at 9am, plenary speakers Warner Adam and Mary Teegee from CarrierSekani Family Services will talk about “Culture, Clan Systems andColonialism: Impacts on Today’s Health and Social Issues.” Both talkswill be at the Civic Centre.

UNBC is a national leader in teaching and research aimed at rural health and human development.

For more information about the conference, visit the website: http://crhrs-scrsr.usask.ca/princegeorge2006/

Contact:
Martha MacLeod, Nursing professor, UNBC – 250.960.5262
Donna Bentham, Rural and Remote Nursing Research Coordinator, UNBC – 250-960-6405
Rob van Adrichem, Director of Media and Public Relations, UNBC – 250.960.5622