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Less, but Better: Stewardship that Works
The Choosing Wisely Alberta Provincial Symposium is a one‑day, interactive event bringing together physicians, health system leaders, researchers, learners, and quality improvement partners from across Alberta to advance practical, evidence‑informed clinical resource stewardship.
Taking place on June 8, 2026, this symposium moves beyond traditional lecture‑based CME to offer an interactive, action‑oriented experience focused on real‑world challenges in everyday clinical practice. Participants will explore how to reduce low‑value care while maintaining patient‑centred, high‑quality outcomes—together.
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Date and Time
Location: Health Sciences Centre, Foothills Medical Campus
Schedule
| Time | Session |
|---|---|
| 7:30 AM |
Atrium
Registration & Coffee
|
| 8:00 AM |
Clara Christie Theatre
Welcome / Opening Remarks from CWA / CWC
|
| 8:30 AM |
Clara Christie Theatre
Don't Misuse My Blood
Moderator: Dr. Kelly Burak Speaker:
Blood is a precious resource. This session shares insights from the Don't Misuse My Blood initiative, supported by grants from CWA and PRIHS, which aims to reduce avoidable transfusions and unnecessary testing in critical care and high-risk surgical units to improve patient safety while supporting responsible blood utilization. |
| 9:00 AM |
Clara Christie Theatre
Short Snappers: Antibiotics Stewardship in Practice
Moderator: Mr. D'Arcy Duquette, CWC Patient Advocate Speakers:
These short presentations introduce key challenges in antimicrobial overuse and highlight practical stewardship strategies currently being used in Alberta. Speakers will explore principles of appropriate prescribing, the role of audit and feedback, and how data-informed approaches can support safer and more judicious antibiotic use. This session sets the stage for the optional facilitated audit and group feedback virtual workshop later in the day that will allow physicians to reflect on their own antibiotic prescribing patterns from their MD Snapshot reports and use this to embark upon a physician practice improvement project. |
| 9:30 AM |
Clara Christie Theatre
Keynote: How Can We Use Lab Wisely in the Outpatient Setting
Moderator: Dr. Katrina (Tina) Nicholson, PLP Medical Director Speaker:
Despite years of inpatient stewardship efforts, inappropriate outpatient laboratory testing continues to grow. This keynote will explore what drives unnecessary lab testing, where overuse occurs, including the environmental impact of this problem. |
| 10:00 AM |
Atrium
Nutrition Break
|
| Provincial Planning | |
| 10:30 AM |
Concurrent Session
Clara Christie Theatre
Think Tank: Using Lab Wisely in Outpatients
Moderators: Dr. Katrina (Tina) Nicholson & Dr. Oliver David, PLP Medical Directors Panelists (including):
This facilitated Think Tank brings together clinicians, system leaders, data experts, and quality improvement professionals to reflect on how inpatient successes can be translated into the outpatient setting. It will highlight how our existing data and infrastructure can support change beyond the hospital walls and aims to co-design potential provincial outpatient laboratory stewardship initiatives. Although our panelists will share their thoughts and expertise, there will not be formal presentations, so expect a highly interactive session focused on identifying barriers, enablers, and practical next steps. Ideal for participants who want to help shape what comes next. |
| 10:30 AM |
Concurrent Session
Atrium
Fishbowl Presentations: Share Your Work
Facilitators:
Fishbowl sessions provide an open, low-barrier forum for sharing ideas, early-stage projects, research-in-progress, or system challenges related to stewardship. No slides required. No polished abstracts expected. Just honest conversations, peer feedback, and networking. |
| 12:30 PM |
Atrium
Lunch (with poster viewing)
|
| Wise Prescribing for Patients and Planet | |
| 1:30 PM |
Clara Christie Theatre
Short Snappers: Planetary Health in Clinical Practice
Moderator: Dr. Sonia Butalia, PLP Medical Director Speakers:
Healthcare contributes significantly to environmental impact. These short snappers highlight practical strategies clinicians and teams can use to embed sustainability into everyday care. |
| 2:00 PM |
Clara Christie Theatre
Keynote Address: Sedating Medications in Elderly: Appropriate Use & Emerging Benchmarks
Moderator: Dr. Heidi Schmaltz Speaker:
Sedating medications pose significant risks for older adults. This session explores how to define appropriate use, meet new benchmarks, and apply deprescribing principles while maintaining patient centred care. |
| 2:30 PM |
Atrium
Coffee Break
|
| 3:00 PM |
Concurrent Session
Clara Christie Theatre
Think Tank: Sedating Medications in Elderly
Facilitators:
Building upon the CWA and PLP projects to address overprescribing of anti-psychotics and other sedating medications to long-term care residents in Alberta, this Think Tank will address this issue and plan interventions to meet new national benchmarks from CWC. Ideal for participants who want to help shape what comes next. |
| 3:00 PM |
Concurrent Session
Atrium
Fishbowl Presentations: Share Your Work
Facilitators:
Fishbowl sessions provide an open, low barrier forum for sharing ideas, early-stage projects, research-in-progress, or system challenges related to stewardship. No slides required. No polished abstracts expected. Just honest conversations, peer feedback, and networking. |
| 4:00 PM |
Clara Christie Theatre
Report Back & Reflections
Facilitator: Dr. Kelly Burak, Medical Lead CWA We will close the day by thanking speakers and asking moderators and facilitators from the interactive sessions to share their lessons learned and plans for next steps. Attendees will be encouraged to share their feedback and complete evaluations. |
| 4:30 PM |
Clara Christie Theatre
Adjourn
|
| 5:00 PM |
Virtual
Choosing Wisely to Improve Practice: Antibiotics Workshop
Optional
Moderators:
(Optional Virtual Add-On – Preparation Required) Join this complimentary, accredited virtual workshop at the end of the day. After viewing the vodcast from the CWIP: Antibiotics Course, participants will work with their own data from the MD Snapshot Prescribing Reports to engage in facilitated discussions and develop practical action plans to improve antibiotic use. This virtual facilitated audit and group feedback workshop builds directly on the earlier antibiotics sessions and offers a hands-on opportunity for completing a Physician Practice Improvement Project (PPIP), a requirement of the College of Physician and Surgeons of Alberta. Complementary access to the MyPI tool is offered so that physicians can track their progress and earn additional MainPRO+ (CFPC) or MOC Section 3 credits (RCPSC). Bring your data...leave with a plan! Complete your PPIP project...get your credits! |
Learning Objectives
By the end of the symposium you will be able to:
1 Identify opportunities to reduce unnecessary tests, treatments, and interventions in both inpatient and outpatient clinical settings
2 Apply Choosing Wisely and stewardship principles to improve appropriate use of laboratory testing, antimicrobials, and medications in everyday clinical practice
3 Evaluate quality improvement strategies (e.g. audit and feedback, clinical pathways, and implementation initiatives) that support sustainable reductions in low-value care
4 Integrate environmentally sustainable and patient-centered approaches into efforts aimed at improving healthcare resource stewardship
5 Assess strategies for implementing stewardship and deprescribing initiatives that align with emerging quality benchmarks and system-level priorities in healthcare
Key Themes
The symposium focuses on four priority areas central to clinical resource stewardship in Alberta:
- Antibiotic prescribing and stewardship
- Wise prescribing in seniors, with a focus on sedating medications
- Appropriate laboratory and blood utilization, particularly in outpatient care
- Planetary health and sustainability in healthcare decision‑making
Each theme is explored through a blend of evidence, data, lived experience, and facilitated discussion.
Who Should Attend
This symposium is designed for:
- Primary care and specialty physicians
- Health system and policy leaders
- Quality improvement and data experts
- Pharmacists, nurse practitioners, and interdisciplinary team members
- Residents, students, and early‑career clinicians
- Researchers and innovation leaders interested in stewardship
Whether you are implementing change in your own practice, leading system‑level initiatives, or exploring new ideas, this event offers something relevant and valuable.
Choosing Wisely in Practice: Antibiotics Audit & Feedback Workshop
(Free Virtual Add On – Preparation Required)
(Free Virtual Add On – Preparation Required)
Join this complimentary virtual workshop at the end of the day (starting 5 PM, June 8, 2026) t. Participants will work with their own prescribing data, engage in facilitated discussion, and develop practical action plans to improve antibiotic use.
This facilitated audit and feedback workshop builds directly on the earlier antibiotics sessions and offers a hands‑on opportunity for practice improvement. Participants will work with their own prescribing data to reflect on patterns, compare benchmarks, and develop actionable stewardship plans.
To participate fully, attendees are expected to:
- Complete the CWPI: Antibiotics course in advance; and
- Access their CPSA MD Snapshot Report, which will be used during the session for guided reflection and discussion.
This virtual add‑on session supports data‑driven self‑reflection, peer learning, and practical change planning, and may be used toward CPD and CPSA practice improvement requirements.
Bring your data. Leave with a plan.
Scientific Planning Committee
Dr. Kelly Burak MSc MD FRCPC. Co-Chair
Dr. Tina Nicholson MD, MBChB, CCFP, FCFP. Co-Chair
Lori Humphrey Clements –
Dr. Douglas Woodhouse – MD BScEng CCFP
Dr. Sonia Butalia – BSc, MD, FRCPC, MSc
Dr. Oliver David – MD MCFP
Dr. Heidi Schmaltz – MDCM FRCPC
Dr. Janet Reynolds – MD, LMCC, CCFP, FCFP
D’Arcy Duquette – Patient experience
Christina Lei – PLP assistant
Erika Johnson – MSc, CWA Regional Coordinator
Join the Conversation
The Choosing Wisely Alberta Provincial Symposium is an opportunity to be part of a growing community of practice committed to delivering care that is thoughtful, evidence‑based, and sustainable.
Less, but better—together.
