CAPhO Virtual Conference Series, June 2020

An update by Philip Shaheen, BSc (Chem) BSc (Pharm), RPh, CAPhO President

Our annual CAPhO Conference is an important time for us. It’s an opportunity to be more engaged with our association and with each other as members and colleagues. It provides a much-needed moment away from work to learn and motivate, not only from an important social aspect, but from an educational standpoint also. With this year’s in-person event in Toronto being rescheduled to now take place in 2023, we have been working hard to provide an alternative. To that end, we are excited to announce the CAPhO Virtual Conference Series 2020 starting on June 6. The series is a collection of educational sessions to be offered LIVE and COMPLIMENTARY to all CAPhO members. 

The CAPhO Virtual Conference Series will also provide a venue for our Annual General Meeting (AGM), Awards and Poster Awards Presentations. We will be hosting this event virtually on June 6, 2020 at 12:30 EDT. Please mark that in your calendar and plan to attend as the AGM is our opportunity to report on the work being done both within and for the association. The Awards Presentation is our chance to celebrate and thank some key CAPhO members on their hard work and dedication to us and our profession. The Poster Award presentations are a great opportunity to learn from the best. 

In a recent blog post, Lynne Nakashima asks a thoughtful question titled Thoughts on Leading through the COVID-19 Pandemic: "So how, in all of this chaos, does one step up and provide strong leadership and support your team?". Lynne talks about how teamwork, hard work, collaboration, communication and self-care are key actions, as oncology pharmacists across Canada, grappling with COVID-19, stay focused on how best to provide care to patients, all the while looking after their team members, their families, and their communities. 

Asking questions, and attempting to answer them, provide reflective moments that allow us to stop and consider possibilities and options. Of course, CAPhO's Board of Directors, Committee Chairs and Conference Planning Committee have had to 'stop, question and respond' more than a few times since the pandemic started. I want to personally thank each of them for their dedication in working to make the Virtual Conference Series possible for all of us during this challenging time. It is this passion that keeps CAPhO strong and gives me great pride to be involved with such an extraordinary organization. 

On behalf of the Board members, we hope you are well and please stay safe. We look forward to being with you virtually this year and thank you for your continued engagement with CAPhO.

 

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