Poplar, Our First Year in Review
Happy First Birthday, Poplar!!!
This year, on October 10th 2024, Poplar Pulmonary Wellness celebrated its first birthday. Without much fanfare, Poplar slid onto the scene and began providing virtual respiratory care for those living with chronic lung conditions. Today, we are happy to say that Poplar is going strong, and remains committed to providing services that allow direct and affordable access to expert respiratory professionals such as Registered Respiratory Therapists and Certified Respiratory Educators. We are proud of what we have achieved in the last year and are very thankful for those who have supported us along the way. We couldn’t have done it without you!
At Poplar, you’ll often hear us say “now get out there and live your best lung life!” It is a rally cry, a reminder to all of us: those living with chronic lung conditions, caregivers, family members, friends, as well as those of us working in respiratory professions to remember that lives are not over once we are diagnosed with a health condition - lives change. Humans have been adapting and changing their whole existence! We can do the same when living with a chronic lung condition. The key is support at every stage of the lung journey!
Poplar is a safe space where participants learn, move, connect and share their experiences with each other. Our services promote opportunities for respiratory health professionals, those living with lung conditions, as well as their support people, to intertwine. It is at these intersections that we see innovation, support and camaraderie flourish. At Poplar, we figure out the “how”. How do I maintain my strength and fitness to continue to canoe in the summer? How do I organize my supplemental oxygen so that I can go tubing on my family vacation? (These are actual examples from some of our Fitness Club members!) We figure out the unique ways to continue doing the activities that you like to do!
Poplar works alongside existing healthcare services, and tries to fill the gaps in respiratory care with our programs. Pulmonary Rehabilitation, Maintenance Pulmonary Rehabilitation, and access to Respiratory Therapists and Certified Respiratory Educators for self-management have proven time and again to improve the exercise capacity, reduce breathing symptoms like breathlessness, and improve the quality of life of its participants. We know these programs also reduce emergency room visits, hospitalizations and the costs associated with this, yet many areas do not have access to these programs. We know affordability is on everyone’s mind, including ours. We’ve worked with our members through consultation, surveys, and small group discussions to make our programs as affordable and accessible as possible. We believe in equitable access to these services and will continue to do the work with collaborators, allies, and government to get these programs funded for everyone who needs it. It is a long road, but we’ve packed our bags, and have started on this journey. We’ll keep you updated along the way!
So happy birthday to our amazing multi-disciplinary team, our collaborators, respiratory healthcare professionals, BC Lung Foundation, and of course our members and participants! Poplar is Poplar because of you, and we look forward to the year ahead! We hope to see you in our live, supervised classes like Pulmonary Rehab. Fitness Club or Couch to Cardio; Our small group discussions like the Better Breathers Club of BC, Chat and Chews, and Inhaler Technique Workshops; Or perhaps a more personal session with our multidisciplinary team in the Poplar Clinic. Whichever service it is, we'll help you to get out there, and live your best lung life!
Tina and Jenna