CAEP National Grand Rounds (NGR)

Canada’s Emergency Physicians gather here to stay connected, informed, and inspired. Born out of the need for collaboration during the COVID-19 pandemic, National Grand Rounds has evolved into a vital platform for sharing cutting-edge evidence, tackling difficult issues in emergency medicine, and fostering a nationwide community of practice. From rural clinics to urban trauma centres, this accredited webinar series brings together diverse voices to explore clinical innovations, health equity, and the future of emergency care in Canada. Join us as we learn, lead, and advocate—together.

Wednesday, November 12th

1400 ET / 1100 PT

Leading Edge Sepsis Care: Acting Quickly With Constrained Resources. Can We Meet the Expectations of Both the Public and Scientific Guidelines? 

Learning Objectives

At the end of the session, participants will be able to:

  1. Discuss public perception, including how members of the public come to suspect sepsis, and what they expect of healthcare professionals when they raise sepsis as a concern (Advocate, Communicator)
  2. Evaluate the latest prehospital care practices being used to detect, treat and alert EDs when paramedics encounter sepsis (Collaborator)
  3. Compare evidence-based strategies to overcome barriers to timely sepsis care in the ED (Leader, Scholar)
  4. Describe patient and system level differences for paediatric sepsis populations (Scholar)

Faculty

Blair Bigham MD, MSc, DTMH, FRCPC, DRCPSC

Moderator

Dr. Blair Bigham is an award-winning journalist, scientist and physician who trained in emergency and critical care medicine at McMaster and Stanford Universities. He was a Global Journalism Fellow at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Associate Scientist at St Michael’s Hospital. His work has appeared in newspapers, magazines, newscasts, podcasts and medical journals. He is currently an assistant professor at the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health, where he studies public trust and science communications.

Sameer Sharif MD, FRCPC

Moderator

Dr. Sameer Sharif is an Emergency Physician and Intensivist at Hamilton Health Sciences. He is an Assistant Professor, Clinician Educator, and Researcher at McMaster University with a focus on resuscitation and sedation research in the Emergency Department and ICU. He is also the Chair of the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians Critical Care Committee and is a Methodologist on numerous Critical Care & Emergency Medicine Clinical Practice Guidelines.

Alix Carter MD, MPH, FRCPC

Speaker

Dr. Alix Carter is an emergency physician and researcher, with a focus on health system design and the intersection of paramedicine and the emergency department.  She graduated from Western University medical school in 2001, and completed her emergency medicine residency in Manitoba in 2006, followed by an MPH and EMS Fellowship at Yale.  Since then she has been medical director of research with EHS Nova Scotia, with a recent move to London Health Sciences Centre. The best things in life are her two daughters and getting out in the woods or on the water with family.

Kirsten Fiest PhD

Speaker

Dr. Kirsten Fiest is the Scientific Director of the O’Brien Institute for Public Health and a Professor in the Departments of Critical Care Medicine, Community Health Sciences, and Psychiatry at the University of Calgary. She earned her PhD in Epidemiology from the University of Calgary and completed postdoctoral training in neuro- and psychiatric epidemiology at the University of Manitoba. Her research program is dedicated to advancing the science of patient- and family-centered critical care. Her current work explores how family members can help prevent, detect, and manage delirium in critically ill patients.

Jennifer Greene MSc(c) ACP

Speaker

Jennifer is an Advanced Care Paramedic and Master’s of Epidemiology candidate. She works in the field as well as at Dalhousie University as a Knowledge Translation specialist.

Melissa Parker MD, MSc, FRCPC

Speaker

Dr. Parker is a Professor of Pediatrics, and Associate Member of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact at McMaster University. She is Board Certified in Pediatrics, Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, and Pediatric Emergency Medicine and holds a Master’s of Science in Health Research Methodology. Her clinical and research interests focus on pediatric acute care including resuscitation interventions and algorithms, resuscitation quality improvement, and the ethical conduct of resuscitation research.  Dr. Parker has been supported by career awards from Canadian Blood Services, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Canadian Child Health Clinician Scientist Program, and Hamilton Health Sciences. She recently completed a CIHR funded multicentre randomized controlled trial evaluating two resuscitation treatment strategies in early septic shock management, including translational and qualitative research collaborations. She is an active member of the Canadian Critical Care Trials Group (CCCTG) and Pediatric Emergency Research Canada (PERC).  In 2022 she was appointed Division Head of the Division of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine at McMaster University.

Register Here

Join us on Wednesdays 2:00 – 3:00 PM ET / 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM PT

September 17, 2025 – Bleeding Edge: Optimizing Trauma Care with MHPs, Adjunctive Therapies, and Viscoelastic Testing

October 8, 2025 – Brag and Steal: Sharing Quality Improvement Projects for your Emergency Department

October 29, 2025 – Giving Feedback that Sticks and Receiving it With Purpose – An Approach to ED Specific Feedback Conversations

November 12, 2025 – Leading Edge Sepsis Care: Acting Quickly with Constrained Resources. Can We Meet the Expectations of Both the Public and Scientific Guidelines?

December 10, 2025 – The Agitated Older Adult in the ED: Caring Better

January 21, 2026 – Paving the Way Toward Career Longevity – A Panel

February 11, 2026 – After the Tube: Evidence-Based Ventilation and Sedation in the ED

March 4, 2026 – Management of Bleeding and Tourniquet Use in the Rural ED

April 15, 2026 – H’s and TTE’s: POCUS in Cardiac Arrest

May 6, 2026 – High-Risk, Hard to See: Managing Hidden Trauma Threats in the ED

CAEP Members: To register for the full 2025/26 season, please email Danielle De Castro (ddecastro@caep.ca).

​Overall National Grand Rounds Learning Objectives:

  1. Propose strategies to ensure career longevity. (Scholar, Professional)

  2. Apply up-to-date evidence to inform clinical decisions. (Medical Expert, Scholar)

  3. Support the advancement of Emergency Medicine in Canada by participating in forward-thinking discussions and initiative (Leader, Health Advocate, Professional)

  4. Demonstrate appreciation for CAEP and professional colleagues by actively engaging and contributing within a virtual platform (Collaborator, Health Advocate, Professional)

This event is an Accredited Group Learning Activity (Section 1) as defined by the Maintenance of Certification Program of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and approved by the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians. You may claim a maximum of 11 hours. Earn up to one (1) MOC Section 1 hour per webinar (credits are automatically calculated).

​This activity meets the certification criteria of the College of Family Physicians of Canada and the Quebec College of Family Physicians, a continuing professional development accrediting organization recognized by the Collège des médecins du Québec and has been approved for up to 11 Mainpro+® Certified Activity credits.

Recordings from September 23, 2021 onward, along with all other member-exclusive content, are available through the Learning Management System. Please log in here to access the full library.

Not a member? Join here.

Questions?

Please contact our CPD and Accreditation Coordinator, Danielle De Castro, at ddecastro@caep.ca.

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