During Safety and Health Week, May 5-10, 2025, SWITCH BC participated in three meaningful events hosted by our board partners, Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) and Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA).

We provided information and resources to workers at events at Vancouver General Hospital, Forensic Psychiatric Hospital, BC Children’s Hospital and BC Women’s Hospital and Health Centre. We engaged with health professionals regarding their top workplace health, safety, and wellbeing concerns, and shared our progress on SWITCH BC programs and projects.

Thank you to everyone who took a moment to speak with us or fill out our short engagement survey. The results are in: psychological health and safety was the top health and safety concern among workers who participated across all three events.

Vancouver Coast Health – Vancouver General Hospital

We attended VCH’s Safety Summit on May 6 at Vancouver General Hospital. SWITCH BC staff shared information with Joint Occupational Health and Safety (JOHS) committee members, leaders, and health workers who stopped by our booth to learn more about SWITCH BC and the new OHS Resource Centre, now rolling out at VCH.

Kelly Sommer and Gordon Lechner presented to hundreds of attendees, introducing the OHS Resource Centre and provided a demonstration of the digital meeting management system for JOHS committees.

Pictured above:

[Left to Right] Wayne Balshin, Vice President, People and Vivian Eliopoulos, President and CEO, both of VCH, join Kelly Sommer, SWITCH BC Director Operations and VCH’s Sally Breen, Executive Director, Talent Management & Strategy Deployment, People at the VCH Safety Summit.

Provincial Health Services Authority – Forensic Psychiatric Hospital

At the Forensic Psychiatric Hospital, also on May 6, we heard directly from frontline workers about the impacts of workplace violence.

We gained valuable insights into what ‘health and safety’ means for people working in varying roles across the health sector, and we’ll carry these perspectives forward as we continue to shape and strengthen our programs.

It was energizing to hear the excitement surrounding the refresh of the Provincial Violence Prevention Program (PVPC) from attendees and to meet some of the in-person facilitators helping lead this important work.

Pictured above:

Patrick Whalen, SWITCH BC Executive Director, Operations at the PHSA Safety and Health Week event at the Forensic Psychiatric Hospital, on May 6, 2025.

Provincial Health Services Authority – BC Children’s Hospital and BC Women’s Hospital and Health Centre

At BC Children’s Hospital and BC Women’s Hospital and Health Centre, on May 8, we connected with more than 500 health care workers—an incredible turnout that sparked important dialogue around the unique health, safety, and wellbeing challenges faced by diverse roles across the hospital.

Pictured above:

[Left to Right] SWITCH BC’s Ananya Panchmatia, Project Coordinator and Tonya Chang, Communications Coordinator, engage with health workers at the Safety and Health Week event at the BC Children’s Hospital and BC Women’s Hospital and Health Centre on May 8, 2025.

To everyone we met, thank you for taking the time out of your busy days to share your stories and insights with us! We’re listening. And we’re committed to partnering with the system to support safe, healthy, and respectful workplaces for all.