BC ECHO for
Chronic Pain

Based on the University of New Mexico model, the BC ECHO for Chronic Pain is a free, virtual community of practice for BC health care providers that leverages specialist knowledge to support community providers in delivering appropriate care to people living with chronic pain. Through our ECHO, health care providers can gain the knowledge, resources, and interprofessional support needed to provide immediate care to patients with chronic pain in their home communities.

Our ECHO sessions consist of monthly one-hour sessions over four months. Each session will include a 15-minute instructive presentation from specialists on participant-identified topics, followed by a real, anonymized case presentation brought forward by a participating health care provider. Each session will wrap up with resources and recommendations. The instructive presentations will be recorded and made available to all registered health care providers via our learning centre.

Why should I sign up?

Our ECHO is fully funded by the Shared Care Committee (SCC), one of the Joint Collaborative Committees (JCC) of Doctors of BC and the BC Government.

All you need is a computer and a webcam or a smartphone.

Connect with a growing community of primary and allied health care providers (including physicians, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, psychologists and more) across the province to build a community of practice where everyone learns together with a shared purpose.

This one-credit-per-hour Group Learning program has been certified by the College of Family Physicians of Canada and the British Columbia Chapter for up to 4 MainPro+® Credits.

Our ECHO provides a significant opportunity for practitioners to improve their competence in chronic pain care by gaining help with complex cases, receiving support and mentorship, and helping to reduce disparities in the quality of care for rural and underserved areas.

Four online-only Zoom meetings scheduled once a month over four months.
Session materials including slide presentations, recordings and case recommendations are shared via the Basecamp platform. In the future, we will be hosting materials here in our learning centre.
A pre and post-program survey are required as well as a case study submission for eligibility.

Applications are now OPEN for Cycle 13.
Deadline to apply is September 6, 2026.

To participate in our ECHO program, you must work in British Columbia. When filling out the application form, we require you to submit a case about a person living with pain whom you are supporting. If you are not currently helping anyone living with pain, you can submit a hypothetical case or a case from the past. If your case is selected to be discussed in one of our sessions, you will receive an invitation via email. The hub team will present your case, but you need to be available during the discussion period to answer questions about the case and to learn from this community of practice. ECHO sessions are a safe space for everyone to ask questions.

This program is only available for health care providers practicing in BC.

September 16, 2026: Assessment and Diagnosis of Common Neck Pain Conditions
October 21, 2026: Post-Traumatic Neck Pain and Psychological Contributors & Treatments
November 18, 2026: Rehabilitation and Pharmacological Therapies for Chronic Neck Pain
December 9, 2026: Procedural Treatments for Chronic Neck Pain

The ECHO Hub Team leads the design of ECHO, facilitates sessions, presents instructive lessons and provides personalized recommendations to case presenters. The ECHO Hub Team includes:

Dr. Najam Mian, Physiatrist and Pain Specialist

Dr. Judy Dercksen, General Practitioner

Dr. Michael Butterfield, Addictions Medicine Specialist, Psychiatrist

Dr. Karen Ng, Pharmacist
Roland Fletcher, Physiotherapist
Susan Reid-Schellinck, Occupational Therapist

Julie Carlson, Registered Clinical Social Worker

Natasha Edney, Psychotherapist

Jennifer Lorca, BSN, RN, Person with lived experience with pain

Muskan supports the coordination and delivery of Pain BC’s education programs and initiatives. She works across programs to coordinate educational events, support learners and faculty, and improve the processes and systems that help keep programs running smoothly. With a background in Social Services and experience in program coordination and client support, Muskan enjoys finding practical ways to make learning experiences more organized, accessible, and engaging. She is proud to contribute to Pain BC’s work to improve the lives of people living with pain through education and connection.

Outside of work, Muskan enjoys exploring new places, photography, and finding any excuse to add a little more colour and creativity to her day.

BC ECHO for
Chronic Pain

The ECHO Program

Why should I sign up?

Frequently asked questions

What is the format? What is the timeline?

How do I apply? Am I eligible?

Do I get certified / accredited?

When are the live sessions? What are the topics?

ECHO Hub Team and funding

Pain BC Team

BC ECHO forChronic Pain

The ECHO Program

Why should I sign up?

Frequently asked questions

What is the format? What is the timeline?

How do I apply? Am I eligible?

Do I get certified / accredited?

When are the live sessions? What are the topics?

ECHO Hub Team and funding

Pain BC Team

BC ECHO for
Chronic Pain