Haida Gwaii, Houston, Smithers and Terrace introduce the CHANGE Program into BC

In partnership with Metabolic Syndrome Canada, Family Physicians from four pacific Northwest communities: Haida Gwaii, Houston, Smithers and Terrace are leading the way in British Columbia as the very first sites to develop CHANGE BC, and excellent, innovative primary care lifestyle support program for patients. Meet our physician leaders

Dr. Jocelyn Black

Dr. Jocelyn Black is a newly graduated family medicine physician from a rural and remote focused training program in British Columbia. Dr. Black is passionate about primary care and prevention and also enjoys the other services she provide as a full-service family doctor. In her free time Dr. Black enjoys hiking, surfing, running and biking and also foraging for wild berries and mushrooms and other plant life. Dr. Black is excited to help bring CHANGE BC to the community of Masset and excited to see the changes it will bring!​

Dr. Brenda Huff

Dr. Huff has more than 15 years’ experience in rural Family Medicine, is a clinical instructor in the UBC Faculty of Medicine and is a Board Director with the Pacific Northwest Division of Family Practice. As a member of the Continuous Practice Development core group for the Rural Coordination Centre of BC, Dr. Huff has collaborated in developing and implementing continuing education opportunities for BC family physicians. Dr. Huff looks forward to supporting the implementation of the CHANGE program in the Pacific Northwest and sharing her knowledge and experience in rural medicine, continuing medical education, and health care system transformation.

Dr. Wouter Morkel

Dr. Morkel is a long standing rural Family Physician who practices in Smithers, British Columbia with a special interest in incorporating innovative primary care lifestyle supports into family practice. Dr. Morkel is an avid proponent and advocate for encouraging local patients to actively exercise through enjoying the stunning local Alpine environment, through activities such as walking, skiing, and other outdoor pursuits in the lovely Bulkley Valley that surrounds Smithers. When not seeing patients in his busy practice, he leads by example as a dedicated outdoor sports enthusiast. Dr. Morkel is a Founding Pacific Northwest Division of Family Practice Board Director, and also leads as Treasurer for the organization.Aside from his clinical Family Medicine interests, Dr. Morkel is a leader in BC’s Primary Care Initiative, and has graduated from the GPSC Leadership and Management Program through the Simon Fraser University Beedie School of Business. 

Dr. Matthew Menard

Dr. Menard practices family medicine in Massett, Haida Gwaii, British Columbia and is a Clinical Professor at UBC. Matthew grew up in Ontario and graduated from McMaster Medical school in 2010 before completing his residency training in Remote and Rural General Practice with the University of British Columbia. He has a strong interest in physical medicine and is fascinated by the power of the mind and body to influence one another. To compliment this he has completed enhanced skills training through McMasters Contemporary Medical Acupuncture Program and employs these skills have as an integral part of his daily practice.

Matthew is a staunch believer that regular physical exercise is essential to both our physical and mental wellbeing. Throughout his life he has enjoyed a variety of competitive sports and has witnessed the transformative power that exercise can have in a persons life. Currently a large part of his life on island revolves around his deep passion for surfing. When he is not at work in the hospital can often be found out in the water.

Dr. Onuora Odoh

Dr. Onuora Odoh is a family physician with a strong interest in preventive medical care, which he has incorporated as the bedrock of his roles and practice as a primary care provider. Fully convinced that lifestyle which includes appropriate exercise and diet regimens could prevent or at least significantly minimize evolution of several disease conditions, he strongly embraces and promotes the CHANGE program. Dr. Odoh enjoys providing medical care to the elderly population and is the on-site physician at Long Term/ Residential Care facility in Houston. He also works as an Emergency Room physician.

Dr. Odoh is a Board Director of Pacific Northwest Division of Family Physicians and actively serves as a representative in a number of patients and primary care-focused regional committees including Psychiatric Steering Committee, Information Technology Initiative for Primary care, Patient Medical Home and Innovation Grant Committee. At a provincial level, he serves through Society of General Practitioners of British Columbia in the Representative Assembly of Doctor of British Columbia. 

Dr. Greg Linton

Dr. Linton is an established and highly skilled Family Physician who has practiced in the beautiful community of Terrace, British Columbia for the past 24 years.  

In addition to operating a busy, full scope Family Practice, Dr. Linton is Site Director for the Rural Northwest Terrace Family Medicine Residency program. Dr. Linton is a founding Pacific Northwest Division of Family Practice Board Director, and also leads as Vice-Chair for the organization. 

An exemplary leader in BC’s Primary Care evolution, Dr. Linton has graduated from the GPSC Leadership and Management Program through the Simon Fraser University Beedie School of Business.

As a pragmatic patient advocate for healthy, active lifestyles, Dr. Linton is known as a primary care innovator and trailblazer who leads by example. Dr. Linton exemplifies an outdoor enthusiast lifestyle through skiing, hiking, biking. His other hobbies include the gastronomic fine art of smoking fish, turkeys, and cheeses, in addition to generating exceptional music as a band member of the popular west coast band, Dr. Fishy. 

Through the leadership of Dr. Black, Dr. Huff, Dr. Menard, Dr. Morkel, Dr. Odoh and Dr. Linton participating CHANGE Program, patients will receive year long personalized Dietitian and Kinesiologist supports, customized to each patient through in person, as well as technology enabled one on one e-visits, and group classes that are entirely patient focused. 

Each community will be receiving supports through Metabolic Syndrome Canada to develop a made in BC, Family Physician led approach to team based supports for patients that focus on community development, and the best evidence in lifestyle management supports by some of the top family physicians, Registered Detitians, Kinesiologists, and health care leaders in Canada, with strong academic links to local and Canada wide University partners.   

Find further information and published data on the success of CHANGE Program across Canada here.