Haven’t Registered Yet?
The 43rd Annual Emergency Medicine for Rural Hospitals Conference is now open for registration.
Jan 22-24, 2027 at the Banff Park Lodge
When Little Things Go Very Wrong: Survival Skills For Managing Pediatric Trauma Patients
Presented by:
William Sevcik MD FRCPC
Format:
Didactic
Description:
Managing a seriously injured pediatric trauma patient is an uncommon event for many healthcare providers, but when it happens, the stakes are high and the stress can be even higher. This practical session focuses on the critical first minutes of caring for an injured child. We will discuss an approach to help participants in assessing, stabilizing, and recognizing and treating life-threatening injuries, while avoiding common pitfalls. This session will also help participants gain the confidence and knowledge to make the best management decisions when little patients present with big problems.
Learning Objectives:
- Have a better understanding of the epidemiology of pediatric trauma.
- Have a better appreciation for the anatomical and physiological differences between children and adults that influence trauma assessment and management.
- Be able to apply a structured primary survey (ABCDE approach) to the assessment of the injured child.
- Be able to Identify life-threatening injuries and prioritize immediate interventions during the initial assessment..
- Understand the principles of initial resuscitation, including airway management, fluid resuscitation, hemorrhage control, and pain management.
- Understand the importance of personal “survival skills”, when dealing with pediatric trauma
9th Edition NRP Updates & Umbilical Vein Catheterization Workshop
Presented by:
Anna Tumoth RN BN CNE IBCLC
Format:
Hands-on
Description:
This interactive, multidisciplinary session combines evidence-based learning with practical skill development. Attendees will explore the key changes and clinical implications of the 9th Edition Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) guidelines through a focused presentation. The session will then transition to a hands-on umbilical vein catheterization workshop, where participants can practice essential procedural skills, discuss best practices, and enhance their readiness to provide safe and effective care during neonatal resuscitation.
Learning Objectives:
After this workshop, participants will be able to:
- Describe the key updates and practice implications introduced in the 9th Edition Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) guidelines.
- Apply current NRP recommendations to clinical decision-making during neonatal resuscitation scenarios.
- Demonstrate correct umbilical vein catheterization (UVC) insertion technique using simulation-based equipment.
- Identify and implement best practices for UVC placement, including equipment preparation, procedural steps, and complication prevention.
Acute Stroke: 2026 Updates for EM
Presented by:
Katie Lin MD MPH FRCPC
Format:
Hands-on
Description:
Join Dr. Katie Lin (EM/Stroke/STARS Air Ambulance neurocritical care expert), for a case-based workshop reviewing the current landscape of acute stroke. Work through real-world cases in this interactive session to learn practical pearls for recognition/diagnosis, neuroimaging decision-making, and transport considerations in acute stroke emergencies. This session will focus on acute ischemic stroke cases, from TIA to minor/major stroke severity.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this session, participants will be equipped to:
- Confidently perform a simplified stroke screening neuro exam, including adapted versions for uncooperative, non-verbal, and/or low GCS patients.
- Describe current guidelines on treatment eligibility for acute reperfusion therapies, including thrombolysis and/or endovascular thrombectomy (EVT).
- Initiate appropriate neuroimaging investigations, transport decision-making, and/or secondary prevention based on local policies and protocols.
Little patients, Big Presentations
Presented by:
Tammy Nelson RN MN ENC(C)
Format:
Didactic
Description:
Children often present with common symptoms that can range from benign illnesses to life-threatening conditions. In rural and remote settings, clinicians must be equipped to rapidly assess, prioritize, and manage pediatric patients with limited resources and support. Topics to be discussed: Febrile child, red flags for upper and lower airway presentations and review of pediatric assessment.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Apply a systematic approach to assessing common pediatric presentations.
- Recognize red flags that indicate serious illness or clinical deterioration.
- Implement initial management strategies for common pediatric emergencies.
- Identify when consultation, transport, or transfer to a higher level of care is required.
- Increase confidence in caring for acutely ill children in rural and remote settings.
Blizzard Rescue: Escaping a Winter Cardiac Crisis
Presented by:
Annamaria Mundell RN MN
Nadine Terpstra RN BScN
Katie Woodford RN BScN
Format:
Hands-on
Description:
Trapped by a winter storm and faced with an evolving cardiac emergency, participants must work together to solve puzzles, interpret clinical clues, and manage a patient with cardiac features. This interactive escape room combines simulation, teamwork, and gamification to create an engaging learning experience that participants can adapt to their own educational settings.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Recognize and respond to changes in a patient experiencing a cardiac event through focused assessment and clinical decision-making.
- Apply principles of ECG interpretation, medication administration within a simulated emergency scenario.
- Recognize when a patient requires escalation to tertiary care and initiate timely communication and transport planning to support safe transfer.
Modernizing the Care of Alcohol Use Disorder in the ED
Presented by:
Brady Bouchard CCFP(EM) MPH CCFP(AM) MBBS
Format:
Hands-on
Description:
Alcohol use disorder and withdrawal are common in the ED, but treatment patterns vary, sometimes arbitrarily. This workshop covers evidence-based pharmacological and non-pharmacological options for AUD, then makes the case for phenobarbital over benzodiazepines for alcohol withdrawal, backed by original research. Participants leave with a ready-to-use order set (Phenobarbital/BZD Pathway) and scoring tool (BAWS) they can apply directly on shift.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Describe the pathophysiology of alcohol use disorder (AUD) and alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS), and compare available pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment options for AUD.
- Differentiate phenobarbital from benzodiazepines for managing AWS, using their pharmacokinetics, mechanisms of action, and current evidence (including GRACE-4 guidelines) to justify the comparison.
- Apply the Phenobarbital/BZD Pathway order set and Brief Alcohol Withdrawal Scale (BAWS) to guide treatment decisions for a patient presenting with AWS in the ED.
Steroids, Scalpels, or Medevac? Triaging Acute Rashes in the ED
Presented by:
Charles Wang MD CCFO
Format:
Didactic
Description:
When an acute, severe rash presents to a rural emergency department, clinicians must rapidly separate routine presentations from high-morbidity emergencies without immediate specialist backup. This fast-paced, high-yield session cuts through dermatology jargon to deliver a clear, actionable triage algorithm. We will review the critical “must-not-miss” skin presentations—including severe cutaneous adverse reactions (SCARs), surgical necrotizing infections, and acute infectious mimics—equipping you with practical diagnostic clues, immediate stabilization pearls, and clear thresholds for when to treat locally or call for transfer.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Differentiate life-threatening dermatologic emergencies (such as SJS/TEN, necrotizing soft tissue infections, and DRESS) from common, benign mimics encountered in rural acute care.
- Initiate an evidence-based first-line diagnostic and therapeutic management plan for acute inflammatory and infectious skin conditions prior to specialist escalation.
- Determine clear risk-stratification criteria to confidently decide whether a patient can be discharged, admitted locally, or requires urgent tertiary transfer.
Looking Beyond STEMI: ECG Recognition of OMI vs NOMI in Rural Emergency Practice
Presented by:
Clare Puzey BScN MN RN
Format:
Didactic
Description:
Acute coronary occlusion remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality, yet traditional STEMI criteria fail to identify a substantial proportion of patients with acute coronary occlusion myocardial infarction (OMI). Many patients present instead with non-occlusive myocardial infarction (NOMI) patterns that still carry significant risk if not rapidly recognized.
The objective of this presentation is to enhance rural practitioners’ confidence and competence in recognizing ECG features suggestive of OMI versus NOMI, understanding the limitations of STEMI criteria, and applying evidence informed decision making to timely reperfusion pathways.
Learning Objectives:
- Recognize ECG patterns suggestive of occlusion myocardial infarction (OMI) beyond traditional STEMI criteria, including hyperacute T waves, de Winter pattern, posterior MI, and subtle ischemic changes.
- Apply OMI-focused clinical reasoning by integrating ECG findings, symptoms, and serial ECG changes to identify patients requiring urgent escalation and reperfusion assessment.
- Advocate for timely referral and treatment by effectively communicating concerning ECG findings in rural and remote settings when STEMI criteria are not met but acute coronary occlusion remains likely.
Welcome to the PITT: Think Fast. Act Faster. Escape.
Presented by:
Dawn Peta BN ENC(C) FAEN
Jennifer Drover
Natalie Palmer
Format:
Hands-on
Description:
Step into the PITT and put your emergency knowledge, clinical reasoning, and teamwork to the test. In this interactive escape-room experience, participants will work together to solve a series of clinical challenges, uncover clues, and make time-critical decisions before the clock runs out.
Designed to simulate the pressure and uncertainty of real emergency situations, the session will challenge participants to recognize deterioration, prioritize interventions, communicate effectively, and work as a coordinated team.
What to expect:
🚨 Time-critical clinical scenarios
🧩 Puzzles and clues requiring clinical knowledge and critical thinking
🤝 Team-based problem solving and communication
⏱️ A race against the clock
💬 Facilitated debrief connecting the experience to real-world emergency practice
Mission: Work together. Think critically. Communicate clearly. Escape the PITT!
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Crack the clues: Apply clinical knowledge to solve time-critical problems.
- Think under pressure: Prioritize assessment and interventions when every second counts.
- Work as a team: Demonstrate effective communication, delegation, and role clarity.
- Spot the danger: Recognize subtle signs of patient deterioration and impending emergencies.
- Beat the clock: Integrate clinical skills and problem-solving to achieve a safe outcome.
- Debrief the mission: Identify lessons that can be transferred to real-world emergency practice.
Optimizing Care for Patients with an urgent Infectious Disease Condition - HPTP/OPAT and other resources
Presented by:
Joanne Salmon FRCPC MPH
Format:
Hands-on
Description:
We will discuss what types of patients would benefit most from referral to various infectious diseases clinics and focus on the top 5 most common bacterial infections requiring outpatient IV antibiotics. Most detailed discussion will be within Calgary Zone/Corridor but principles will be applicable province wide.
Learning Objectives:
After this session, participants will be able to:
- Efficiently direct patients to specific outpatient infectious disease clinics
- Demonstrate basic approach to top 5 bacterial infections requiring outpatient IV antibiotics
The Pregnant Patient in Distress: Obstetrical Surprises in the ED
Presented by:
Carli Clemis MD CCFP
Format:
Hands-on
Description:
Come chat about the thing that we all hope to avoid seeing in the ED – the unstable pregnant patient. We’ll take a bird’s-eye view on must-know presentations, a deeper dive with a simulated case and sprinkle in some high yield clinical pearls to help you feel confident in providing high quality care for both patients on your next shift.
Learning Objectives:
At the end of this session, participants will:
- Understand important physiological changes of pregnancy that impact prognosis and treatment
- Review diagnostic approach and treatment of major obstetrical emergencies
- Simulate multidisciplinary management of a common obstetrical emergency
- Gain confidence and competency in managing these often-terrifying clinical presentations
Supporting patients through their Emergency Department Journey: the Patient Centred Communications Strategy and the Emergency Department Discharge Pathway
Presented by:
Terry Smith MSc RN
Format:
Didactic
Description:
Participants will learn about the creation and implementation of both the Patient Centred Communications Strategy and the Emergency Department Discharge Pathway. Participants will be able to take these learnings and apply them to their emergency departments.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of the session, learners will:
- Be able to apply patient-centred communication strategies, including the NOD-ED principles and patient journey tools, to improve patient understanding, engagement, and confidence throughout the emergency department visit and discharge process.
- Be able to begin Identifying key barriers to safe discharge in rural emergency departments and gain an understanding of strategies to support implementation of the Discharge Pathway at their ED
New Ventilation Guidelines
Presented by:
Melissa Brons
Format:
Didactic
Description:
Learning Objectives:
At the conclusion of this activity, participants will be able to:
Describe the key changes in the new ventilation protocols and their implications for the management of acutely ill patients in a rural emergency department.
Apply the new ventilation protocols to common rural ED clinical scenarios, including selecting appropriate ventilation strategies and identifying when escalation or consultation is required.
Evaluate their current approach to ventilation against the new protocols and identify opportunities to improve the safety, consistency, and effectiveness of ventilation practices in their rural ED.
Common toxicology presentations.
Presented by:
Scott Lucyk
Format:
Description:
Learning Objectives:
At the conclusion of this activity, participants will be able to:
Recognize common toxicological presentations encountered in the rural emergency department and identify clinical features that indicate potential toxicity or clinical deterioration.
Apply an evidence-informed approach to the initial assessment and stabilization of patients presenting with common toxicological emergencies, including appropriate investigations and supportive management.
Determine when toxicology consultation, poison centre guidance, transfer to a higher level of care, or other escalation of management is indicated in the rural ED setting.
Hope or Hype: the impact of AI in Urgent Care
Presented by:
Michael Weldon
Format:
Didactic
Description:
Learning Objectives:
At the end of this session, participants will be able to:
Differentiate artificial intelligence from other digital technologies and describe its current capabilities and limitations in healthcare.
Identify practical applications of AI in clinical practice, including AI scribes and clinical decision support.
Recognize emerging roles of AI in healthcare innovation, including research, clinical trials, and drug discovery