Donor-funded Concurrent Disorders & Complex Pain Nursing Fellowship aims to improve care for ‘vulnerable and marginalized population’
When it comes to patient care, nurses are often the constant.
They are there at every hour. At the bedside. Building trust. Managing complexity. Supporting patients through some of their toughest moments.
But when it comes to caring for people struggling with mental illness and addictions, many nurses haven’t had the opportunity for specialized training.
Until now.
This National Nursing Week, we’re pleased to highlight the new Concurrent Disorders & Complex Pain Nursing Fellowship at VGH. Part of the donor-funded Innovations in Mental Health, Pain, and Prevention Program (IMAPP) led by Dr. Pouya Azar, the first-in-Canada fellowship was funded by the Brenner Foundation’s generous donation to VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation.
Closing a critical gap in care
The Innovations in Mental Health, Pain, and Prevention Program (IMAPP) at VGH
The fully-funded fellowship gives two nurses per year advanced training and mentorship in mental health, substance use, and complex pain care – areas that are often overlooked, yet deeply connected.
“Nurses often don’t have exposure to this area of care. And the knowledge or confidence to take care of this vulnerable and marginalized population,” says Jessica Machado, the fellowship’s director and a Complex Pain and Addiction Service (CPAS) nurse at VGH. “This fellowship will empower nurses to provide better care at the bedside when dealing with this patient population that can have really challenging times when they come to hospitals or health care settings.”
The need is urgent.
BC is now in the 10th year of a toxic drug crisis. Since then, more than 18,000 people across the province have died from toxic drugs, including more than 5,000 in the Vancouver Coastal Health region.
“These are the patients we’re providing care for,” Machado says. “Our aim is to build a ready and prepared workforce that helps improve their outcomes in the health care system.”
Fuelling system-level change
Fellows Sarah Haddleton and Keegan Epp alongside fellowship director Jessica Machado
The program officially launched at VGH in January, welcoming its first two fellows: Sarah Haddleton of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and Keegan Epp of the Emergency Department. And Machado says they’ve already supported the groundbreaking research coming out of IMAPP.
This includes a pilot protocol to support early recognition, monitoring, and management of suspected medetomidine withdrawal. In BC, medetomidine has been detected in over 30% of unregulated opioid samples as of December 2025, per the BC Centre for Disease Control.
“This type of knowledge supports not only the nurse who gains it, but the patient that receives the care, the team that the nurse is a part of, and the whole health care system,” Machado says.
And it was all made possible by the power of philanthropy. The Brenner Foundation’s generous gift will fund the fellowship for five years, helping to build long-term capacity.
“Without donor funding, this nursing fellowship would not have been possible,” Machado says.
“Full stop.”
Looking ahead, Machado hopes the fellowship will one day be connected to a nursing school with a steady pipeline of nurses coming through, giving them more opportunities to learn, grow, and lead.
But her ultimate goal is a more informed, compassionate health care system – where no patient is overlooked, and more lives are saved.
Applications for the 2027 fellowship open June 1. For more information, visit: https://www.azarlab.com/nursing-fellowship.
VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation partners with donors to fuel groundbreaking research, world-class health care teams, and life-saving treatments benefitting everyone in BC. To donate, visit vghfoundation.ca/ways-to-give.
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