This September, Choosing Wisely Canada and the Centre for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety (CQuIPS) welcomed the newest cohort of Healthcare Improvement Fellows. Now entering its fourth year of offering a Choosing Wisely Canada stream, the Healthcare Improvement Fellowship provides in-depth training to fellows with a strong academic interest in resource stewardship.

Over the course of the year-long program, fellows will deepen their knowledge of quality improvement and de-implementation research, receiving mentorship from leading experts in the field. Fellows will take on national priority areas for Choosing Wisely Canada, with findings and learnings to be shared through publications and presentations.

Meet the 2025-2026 Choosing Wisely Canada Fellows:

• Dr. Samuel Boudreault is a family physician based in Quebec. He is currently an associate professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Emergency Medicine at Laval. He also serves on the steering committee for Choosing Wisely Quebec. As a fellow, Dr. Boudreault will focus on embedding Choosing Wisely and resource stewardship principles into family medicine residency programs.
• Romson Dela Cruz is a clinical pharmacist and program manager in Calgary. His career spans community, hospital and primary care settings in both rural and urban areas of Manitoba and Alberta. With a strong interest in primary care and innovation, Romson will work on advancing pharmacy leadership and engagement in Choosing Wisely Canada.

“With fellows representing family medicine and pharmacy, this year’s cohort has the opportunity to advance interdisciplinary collaboration and strengthen improvement efforts in primary and community care,” says Dr. Andrea Patey, Co-Director of the Healthcare Improvement Fellowship.

“These connections are especially important now, as quality improvement and de-implementation initiatives offer practical ways to ease pressures on the health system and support better care.”

The Healthcare Improvement Fellowship has provided professional opportunities for clinicians interested in quality improvement and resource stewardship. Past fellows from the program have taken on more senior roles in academia and health system improvement organizations, where they continue to apply learnings from the fellowship.

Are you interested in becoming a Choosing Wisely Canada fellow? Visit the CQuIPs website for more information on the next round of applications.