Northern Node

The Northern Node

There are many important rural health research questions to explore, but rural physicians often face significant barriers to engaging in research. These barriers include the demands of clinical work, challenges accessing resources to support practice-based projects, lack of research skills and knowledge, and unfamiliarity in knowledge translation. The Rural Coordination Centre of BC (RCCbc) created the Northern Node in partnership with Northern Health and the University of Northern British Columbia’s (UNBC) Health Research Institute to develop a rurally-distributed presence in the North of British Columbia (BC), and to support rural physicians’ research activities. RCCbc helps Northern rural physicians develop research proposals, coordinates support to carry out the proposed research, and aids in the dissemination of the project findings through presentation and publication. This work not only contributes to the collective understanding of how to improve care for rural people; it aids in the recruitment and retention of rural physicians.

Achievements & Impact

Built relationships with family physicians in BC’s North

 

Hosted two key administrative and research staff positions under UNBC’s Health Research Institute

 

 

Supported numerous research projects awarded to family physicians in the North

 

 

 

 

Looking ahead

Northern Node Overview

RCCbc continued strengthening connections with physicians in the North, and strategically aligned and leveraged education, research and innovation in collaboration with its partners, Northern Health and UNBC, in 2020–2021.

To do this work, RCCbc hosted two key staff positions under UNBC’s Health Research Institute. One administrative assistant and one research associate provided extensive support to a number of key RCCbc committees and initiatives, including the: UBC Dean’s Advisory Council of Rural and Remote Health; Rural Education Action Plan and RCCbc Evaluation Sub-committee; Climate Change Working Group; Rural Community Fund Program; Rural Site Visits Program; BC Rural Health Conference; Advanced Skills Assessment Pathway; and support for a series of manuscripts for publications guided by the Partnership Pentagram Plus. These staff members also provided vital website and social media support to RCCbc throughout the year.

Research associates in the Northern Node also supported a number of research projects being implemented by family physician researchers based in the North. In addition to assisting the researchers in the development of their research questions and methodologies, the research associates provided guidance in data analysis and journal publication.

Dr. Onuora Odoh, a family physician and rural health researcher based in Houston, made tremendous strides in advancing awareness of his research, which received a Rural Physician Research Support Project grant from RCCbc. His study on the burden of dental disease in school-aged children living in three rural communities in northern BC earned Dr. Odoh a Pacific Northwest Spirit Award for Excellence in Research from the Pacific Northwest Division of Family Practice, along with media awareness.

Towards the end of the fiscal year, the Northern Node experienced staffing changes. In the coming year, RCCbc will work to replace some of these positions while continuing to enhance relationships with family physicians and their research projects.

How have we shown or built resilience in BC during a challenging year?

“Throughout the year, the RCCbc Northern Node team successfully set up and worked from home at the onset of the pandemic. Despite significant changes to the way in which they conducted their work, the team, along with the UNBC Health Research Institute, continued providing research leadership and support to RCCbc programs and initiatives during a most challenging year.”

Elisa Chow
Specified Project Manager, RCCbc

Team Members: Heather Gummow, Erika Belanger, Kirsten Quinlan, Danielle Richey, Jayleen Emery, Dave Harris, Bree Loeffler

Some Related Areas

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