News Archive

The Department of Emergency Medicine is proud to announce the promotion of twenty-two clinical faculty members. Join us in celebrating this significant milestone and congratulating these remarkable individuals.

For additional information on promotions for clinical faculty, please visit our Clinical Faculty webpage.

Dr. Simon Pulfrey, Clinical Professor

Dr. Pulfrey has worked in emergency medicine since 2003 and is now a clinical professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine. Over his career, he has participated in various medical education programs, including serving as the CFPC-EM program director at UBC, acting as an examiner for the CFPC, and tutoring medical students using case-based learning. He has also dedicated several years to medical education work in Rwanda and Nepal, which he found particularly rewarding. In 2023, Dr. Pulfrey became a professional certified coach through the International Coaching Federation (ICF) after completing training at UBC. His coaching work is mostly with physicians in the arena of burnout, growth, performance, and regeneration.   He volunteers as an advanced medical practitioner with North Shore Rescue and lives with his family in North Vancouver.

Dr. David Migneault, Clinical Associate Professor

Dr. Migneault is an Emergency Medicine Specialist at Vancouver General Hospital, BC Children’s Hospital, and UBC Hospital. He holds a Master of Science in Bioethics from Clarkson University at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. As the Head of the Vancouver Acute Emergency Physicians Association and Physician Support Ethicist for Vancouver Coastal Health, he focuses on decision-support and navigating complex medical challenges. Since joining the emergency departments in 2016, he has been recognized for his expertise in managing complex cases. A dedicated educator, he developed the UBC emergency medicine residency program’s curriculum in Ethics, Health Law, Communication, and Professionalism, and is actively involved in teaching.

Dr. Jan Trojanowski, Clinical Associate Professor

Dr. Trojanowski is an expert in emergency medicine, critical care, and prehospital and transport medicine, with significant roles at Vancouver General Hospital and Kelowna General Hospital. He also currently serves as Medical Director of EPOS and the Clinical Hub at BC Emergency Health Services. He educates residents, medical students, and Paramedics, focusing on airway management and resuscitation, and is an AIME instructor. His research on out-of-hospital blood therapy and pre-hospital care has resulted in numerous publications.

Dr. Donna Lee, Clinical Associate Professor

Dr. Lee is a distinguished emergency physician and educator at Vancouver General Hospital, known for her expertise in acute care management and outstanding teaching evaluations. She educates medical students and residents on clinical skills, mentors residents, teaches UBC’s Basic Procedures course and has led Emergency Ultrasound courses both locally and nationally. Additionally, she engages in community outreach for high school students pursuing healthcare careers and holds leadership roles as the CME Director for the Vancouver Acute Emergency Physician Association and previously as the Emergency Physician Association Ultrasound Director.

Dr. Eliza Chan, Clinical Associate Professor

Dr. Chan is a distinguished physician and educator in emergency medicine at Richmond Hospital since 2018. She has received the UBC Teacher of the Year Award and held leadership positions, including Co-Department Head during the COVID-19 pandemic. She is currently an Executive Director of the Richmond Hospital Physician Society. She is a wellness lead and has led many activities in the hospital to promote wellness, connection and collaboration. As EDI lead at Richmond Hospital and Co-Chair of the Vancouver Coastal Health EDI Committee, she actively promotes equity, diversity, and inclusion. She is also a teacher, mentor, peer supporter, and peer coach. She has earned  multiple awards, such as the MSA Peer Award and International Women’s Day award, and was a nominee for the VCH One Award.

Dr. Jason Wale, Clinical Associate Professor

Dr. Wale is an experienced physician and has been an Assistant Clinical Professor since 2017, specializing in emergency medicine. He has over 15 years of experience as a Clinical Instructor and has taught for more than 22 years at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Comox, as well as at Victoria General and Royal Jubilee Hospitals. More recently, he has been involved with Saanich Peninsula Hospital. Dr. Wale completed his CCFP-EM at the University of Ottawa in 2002 and has concentrated on quality improvement, medical education, and the treatment of opioid use disorders. He is a member of the LOUD quality improvement initiative and notably created a protocol for initiating Suboxone in the emergency room. Dr. Wale has held several leadership roles, including Department Head in Comox, and served as the Medical Director for Emergency Services for Island Health. He has also been a Board Member of the College of Physicians and Surgeons. Currently, Dr. Wale serves as a Senior Medical Consultant for the BC Ministry of Health.

Dr. Matthew Bouchard, Clinical Associate Professor

Dr. Bouchard is an esteemed emergency physician and clinical educator at Island Health’s Royal Jubilee and Victoria General Hospitals, serving as Ultrasound Director. He has developed a residency curriculum to enhance education and professional practice, contributes over 50 hours of academic instruction annually, and created a highly praised POCUS rotation curriculum for the Island Medical Program. Additionally, he is active nationally as a board member of the Royal College Emergency Medicine Examination Committee, completing UBC’s teacher certification course, and holding leadership roles in the Residency Training Committee, hiring committee, and the Victoria Emergency Physicians Association.

Dr. Matthew White, Clinical Assistant Professor

Dr. White has been a Critical Care physician and a Clinical Instructor at Kelowna General Hospital since 2020. He introduced point-of-care ultrasound to medical students and developed a critical care ultrasound rotation for senior residents. Dr. White is committed to enhancing ultrasound skills among residents. In addition to his role as a part-time emergency physician and Trauma Team Leader, he has received excellent teaching evaluations and won a teaching award in 2022, which highlights his significant impact on the careers of his mentees.

Dr. Emily Stewart, Clinical Assistant Professor

Dr. Stewart is dedicated to patient safety through her focus on improving discharge information in Emergency Medicine by standardizing Patient Discharge Sheets with evidence-based strategies developed in collaboration with the BC Emergency Medicine Network, while also contributing to education through bedside teaching, didactic sessions, and professional development in teaching methodologies, all of which is complemented by her strong evaluations and active involvement in leadership roles within her local department and national professional organizations to enhance the healthcare system.

Dr. Mark McKinney, Clinical Assistant Professor

Dr. McKinney is a dedicated educator who teaches medical students and residents using various methods, including simulation and oral exams. He has experience mentoring in the residency clinical coaching program, assesses resident advancement on the Clinical Competency Committee, and conducts interdisciplinary workshops. Additionally, he serves on key committees such as the Code Orange Working Group and previously held the role of interim Associate Head for the Vancouver Acute Emergency Physicians’ Association. He is also involved in quality assurance initiatives with the Vancouver Acute Resuscitation Committee and has received recognition for his teaching excellence, including the UBC PGME Faculty Teaching Award in July 2023.

Dr. Kelly Ogilvie, Clinical Assistant Professor

Dr. Ogilvie is an experienced emergency physician in Vancouver, recognized for her exceptional teaching with the Resident Research Award in 2009 and the Resident Seminar Teacher of the Year Award in 2015. She has mentored many residents, reviewed residency applications, and dedicated over 3,500 hours to clinical teaching and leadership, including serving as the Discipline Specific Site Lead for clerks at VGH. Additionally, she is committed to global medicine through volunteer work in Honduras and participates in the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians Mentorship Program to guide medical students and residents.

Dr. Ava Butler, Clinical Assistant Professor

Dr. Butler is actively involved in medical education, emphasizing professional and interdisciplinary development. Notable achievements include creating a safe intubation protocol during the COVID-19 pandemic, earning recognition from the BC College of Family Physicians, and serving as CME coordinator for events like the Cowichan ER physician education retreat. She has received teaching awards from the University of Calgary and advocates for anti-racism and cultural safety by collaborating with Indigenous communities and introducing an Indigenous Specific Anti-Racism Training course in Duncan, strengthening community relationships through her scholarly work.

Dr. Danny Liang, Clinical Assistant Professor

Dr. Liang is an emergency physician at Peace Arch Hospital and Richmond Hospital. He has contributed significantly through teaching medical students and residents both clinically and didactic sessions, QI projects, and emergency medicine research in resuscitation and global health. Coming from an engineering background, he is very interested in developing and implementing new technologies to improve emergency medicine and emergency care in low-resource settings.

Dr. David Smith, Clinical Assistant Professor

Dr. Smith, with seven years of experience at UBC and extensive clinical exposure across health authorities, including Vancouver Coastal and Fraser Health, is dedicated to education in emergency ultrasound, critical care, and trauma resuscitation. He mentors at Vancouver General Hospital, holds a fellowship in Emergency Medicine Ultrasound, and is skilled in advanced resuscitative procedures. Additionally, he co-founded the “Green ED Initiative” to enhance environmental sustainability in emergency operations, supports the Planetary Health Committee, contributes to quality improvement projects, and serves on the Emergency Physician Association recruitment committee.

Dr. Trevor Skutezky, Clinical Assistant Professor

Dr. Skutezky has significantly advanced clinical teaching and curriculum development in Quality Improvement at Vancouver General Hospital, notably with the PGY-5 Transition-To-Practice QI Curriculum in 2022. His leadership roles as Assistant Department Head and Department Head and Medical Director have improved educational experiences for residents and staff through innovative programs and advanced simulation equipment. He has also contributed to research on Patient Safety Events, with publications in the Canadian Journal of Emergency Medicine.

Dr. David Linton, Clinical Assistant Professor

Dr. Linton is an emergency medicine educator dedicated to bedside teaching, simulation, and rural outreach at Kootenay Boundary Hospital. He holds a Pharmacology degree from UBC and a medical degree from the University of Western Ontario, completing his Family Medicine residency with UBC followed by an emergency medicine year of added competency at the University of Saskatchewan. He has demonstrated a commitment to rural education as an outreach simulation facilitator, and recently co-lead a Basics in Simulation Education (BaSE) course for 13 healthcare professionals. Dr. Linton has received high teaching evaluations, contributed over 300 hours of clinical teaching, facilitated educational simulations throughout rural sites and presented Grand Rounds for the Kootenay Boundary region.

Dr. Michelle Tousignant, Clinical Assistant Professor

Dr. Tousignant is an experienced educator and leader in clinical practice, known for her innovative teaching, especially in simulation-based education that fosters interdisciplinary collaboration. She played a vital role as the South Island Emergency Medicine COVID Information Coordinator during the pandemic and is an advocate for health initiatives on social media. Her contributions include leading Cardiac Crash CPR training with the Heart and Stroke Foundation and holding a position on the Executive Board of the Canadian SADS Foundation. Currently, she serves as a Master Teacher at UBC’s Island Medical Program, focusing on improving CPR and AED accessibility in schools.

Dr. Kaitlin Stockton, Clinical Assistant Professor

Dr. Stockton, an emergency medicine physician and Clinical Instructor since 2017, has greatly impacted medical education and patient safety at Royal Columbian Hospital as the CME lead and founder of the CME Committee. She has developed numerous educational programs, including morbidity and mortality rounds and the annual “Amazing and Awesome Rounds.” Additionally, she has created evidence-based discharge packages for renal colic patients, collaborated on ECMO protocols, taught advanced courses, and actively mentored residents and medical students, earning exceptional teaching evaluations.

Dr. Kenneth Van Dewark, Clinical Assistant Professor

Dr. Van Dewark, a Clinical Instructor in Emergency Medicine at Vancouver General Hospital since 2019, has made notable contributions through over 50 hours of teaching, problem-based learning and ACLS instruction, cognitive load research, and the “Learn the Face” facial ultrasound course. His efforts are supported by a Master’s in Education and an MBA, alongside active participation in departmental committees.

Dr. Dayna Briemon, Clinical Assistant Professor

Dr. Briemon is a doctor from the Yukon and is part of the Indigenous community. She has a degree in Microbiology from the University of Victoria and completed her medical training at UBC, where she specialized in Emergency Medicine. With over eight years of teaching experience at UBC, she uses creative methods to keep her students engaged. She teaches more than 50 hours each year and plays key roles, including leading hiring for the Victoria Emergency Physicians Association. Dr. Briemon mentors Indigenous students, serves on various committees, contributes to the BC Emergency Network, and speaks at events for the Island Medical Program. She currently works at Royal Jubilee Hospital and Victoria General Hospital, exclusively in Victoria. In her personal life, she has a wonderful husband and two lovely children who are everything to her.

Dr. James Simmonds, Clinical Assistant Professor

Dr. Simmonds, a CCFP-designated physician with diverse clinical experience in Saskatchewan and locum services, has excelled as the Quality Improvement Lead at Richmond Hospital’s Emergency Department. He has actively contributed to QI initiatives and the COVID-19 Response Committee while demonstrating a strong commitment to medical education, earning recognition as “Teacher of the Year” for over 50 hours of teaching. These accomplishments position him as a strong candidate for promotion to Assistant Clinical Professor.

Dr. David Kim, Clinical Assistant Professor

Dr. Kim is an emergency medicine physician at Nanaimo Regional Hospital and BC Children’s Hospital and a Flight Surgeon with the European Space Agency. He enhances medical education through clinical teaching and engaging lectures while researching aerospace medicine topics with multiple published peer-reviewed articles, co-supervises MSc and PhD students at SFU in the Aerospace Physiology department, and supports human spaceflight activities as a practicing Flight Surgeon. He serves as a representative for Central/North Vancouver Island for Doctors of BC, also as a board member of the Canadian Society of Aerospace Medicine, and as the co-founder of a biomedical startup company called Difinity Solutions.