Dr Rashmi Chadha
Urgent and Primary Care: Connect 2025 Conference
About the presenter
MBChB MScCH CCFP (AM) FASAM (she/her)
Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Family Practice, University of British Columbia
Addiction Medicine Consultant, Vancouver General Hospital
Planetary Health Clinician Engagement Lead, Vancouver Coastal Health
Rashmi Chadha is a Clinical Associate Professor in Department of Family Practice at the University of British Columbia. She came to her current professional roles via a 25-year career that began as a rural family doctor in the United Kingdom. After moving to Canada with her family 16 years ago, she completed an MScCH in Family and Community Medicine at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health (University of Toronto) and a one-year fellowship in addiction medicine at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. On moving to Vancouver in 2010, Rashmi pivoted her clinical practice from family to addiction medicine. She has clinically worked for Vancouver Coastal Health in the inpatient and outpatient addiction medicine setting, and for the last 10 years has been a consulting physician with Vancouver General Hospital’s Complex Pain and Addiction Service, a specialized inpatient service which is one of the few in Canada that combines pain management, mental health support and addiction treatment in a coordinated manner. Rashmi worked for the College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC for 13 years in the quality assurance-based Drug Program Department.
Rashmi has always been passionate about human interconnection and interdependence with the planet. Inspired by the work of many in the planetary health space, she decided to put her professional voice and actions to use for environmental sustainability and cofounded Doctors for Planetary Health in 2020. Shortly after, when VCH made Planetary Health one of four foundational pillars (2022), she spearheaded a medical staff association Planetary Health Committee to support education and change within VCH community and acute settings. In July 2024, she took on the role of VCH Clinician Education Lead for Planetary Health. Rashmi co-chairs Health Quality BC’s Sustainable Clinical Services Committee with Dr. Andrea MacNeill and is involved with teaching on planetary health locally, provincially and nationally. Rashmi is inspired by the exponentially increasing dedication of health-care professionals who have taken up the gauntlet to fight for our planet for this and future generations.