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Critical Care

Critical Care BC works to improve the equitable delivery and experience of critical care services across BC to optimize health outcomes.  By working on both clinical and performance improvement, we and our partners across the health system are moving towards achieving this goal.

All initiatives led by CCBC will align with the following goals of health improvement networks: 

  • Reduce unwarranted variation in health service across BC
  • Support interdisciplinary providers in the delivery of high quality services
  • Facilitate the use of and contribution to science
  • Support improved resource allocation
  • Increase province-wide capacity and value
  • Improve health outcomes and experience
Education & Development

Upcoming events

Critical Care BC Connect

*After registering, you will receive a calendar invite for future webinars. Please do not register again if you have previously.

Pediatric critical care learning sessions

  • Why - Supports shared learnings from provincial cases
  • When - 3rd Friday of every month at 1-2 PM
  • Where - Virtual (via Zoom)
  • Who - Provincial and interdisciplinary
  • What - To de-identified cases presented by providers from a range of communities across BC 
  • Please register for the PCCL series on Zoom
  • The PCCL team invites you to connect with them to share a case scenario you think would be helpful to review in one of the webinars. Please email them at ped.critical.care.project@phsa.ca
  • For more information, see the poster

BC Resuscitation Sciences Series - Organ Donation and Transplantation Symposium - May 12-13, 2025

This year, BC Transplant (BCT) and Critical Care BC (CCBC) are collaborating to host an event focused on organ donation and transplantation, which will be in place of BCT Education Days and the CCBC Symposium. The two-day symposium, taking place on May 12-13, 2025, at the Paetzold Theatre in Vancouver General Hospital, will deliver the latest insights on organ donation and transplantation, specifically designed for the critical care community.  

Due to high demand, in-person registration will be first-come, first-served. Register here

BC Resuscitation Sciences Symposium - May 2024

  • The symposium centred around "Evaluating, Managing & Assessing Post-Cardiac Arrest Brain Injury," brought together interdisciplinary experts and healthcare providers to exchange insights on the latest best practices and clinical evidence.  Learn more here

CEREBRI UBC research lectures

Clinical Practice Resources

This document aims to describe the levels of care required for critically ill patients according to their clinical needs, regardless of patient location. The ensuing descriptions align with other jurisdictions and literature. While acuity and complexity should be considered when analyzing patient care needs, those terms are combined for simplicity and are referred to as 'Levels of Adult Critical Care'.  


For any questions about this document or how the data is being collected and/or used, please reach out to Sybil Hoiss, CCBC Lead, Clinical Initiatives and Innovation at sybil.hoiss@phsa.ca.

ICU Liberation refers to key clinical elements aimed at reducing pain, oversedation, delirium, mechanical ventilation, immobility, isolation, sleep disturbances, and ICU acquired weakness. These experiences contribute to life altering post discharge residual effects, or Post Intensive Care Syndrome (PICS), and are modifiable.

ICU Liberation aims to improve patient and family involvement and encourage interdisciplinary team communication. ICU Liberation Bundle Elements are most effective when implemented by an interdisciplinary team and unit champions. 

A - Assess, Prevent and Treat Pain (resources coming soon)

B - Both Spontaneous Awakening Trials and Spontaneous Breathing Trial

          Data Tracking forms for use at paper based sites:

C- Choice of Analgesic and Sedation (resources coming shortly)

D- Delirium – Assess, Prevent and Manage (resources coming soon)

E – Early Mobility and Exercise (resources coming soon)

F – Family Engagement and Empowerment  (resources coming soon)‎

Critical Care BC (CCBC) would like to draw attention to key resources available to health care disciplines in BC. Learn more here.‎

Provincial Emergency Fleet is a provincially owned stockpile of medical devices intended to help hospitals manage unexpected increases in demand for critical care resources.  Regional Health Authorities can request these medical devices from the provincial stockpile for support during temporary periods when resources are insufficient or not available. 

Medical equipment include:

  • Mechanical ventilators

  • High-flow oxygen

  • Physiological monitor

  • Humidifier

  • Oxygen concentrators

Regional hospital authorities can submit requests for assistance from the Provincial Emergency Fleet.

These Post Sepsis Syndrome pamphlets and leaflets provide support for those recovering from sepsis. They should be reviewed with every sepsis survivor and their families upon discharge from critical care. They help patients, caregivers, and families know how to prevent re-infection and detect deterioration after recovery. Helpful links to valuable resources in BC and globally are included. Blank space has been left so sites can add in local support resources for follow-up care. These pamphlets and leaflets were created with the Patient Advisory Council of Action on Sepsis at UBC, in partnership with the BC Sepsis network.

Greater Vancouver


These guidelines were developed with the collaboration of the members of a multidisciplinary team including Burns and Plastic Surgery, Trauma Services BC, Emergency Care BC, Critical Care BC, British Columbia Emergency Health Services, Provincial Health Services Authority, and Transport Medicine.

Please see Society of Critical Care Medicine guidelines for Point of Care Ultrasound use.

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