‘I was so impressed with the quality of the education provided—the range of speakers—[that] I was hooked after that first [Annual Meeting].’ —Paul Adam, MSW
ARP Service
Mr. Adam has brought his research skills with him in service to ARP. As a member of numerous committees, including the Annual Meeting Planning Committee, the ARHP Executive Committee and, most recently, the Community Involvement Committee, he has used his skills to “dive into the literature and consider all facets of a problem, figuring out what we may need to do to tweak things for best practices for our organization.”
For example, as chair of the E-Learning Committee, he worked on a white paper to determine best practices for individualized learning.
“As a social worker, what I would need to know about rheumatoid arthritis is different from what a physical therapist might need, versus what a nurse might need,” he says. “Someone new to the field versus someone 30 years in probably has different needs … . How do you individualize the learning experience to guide learners to the educational content that is most relevant?”
At the moment, Mr. Adam is working with other task group members to optimize communities of practice to ensure members with similar needs can connect and engage with one another virtually, learning and sharing knowledge. He recently submitted a report on these efforts.
“For the same reasons I joined the AHRP and valued my involvement 30 years ago, a virtual community does that in a whole different way,” he says.
And he does believe he’s benefitted immen-sely from his participation in ARHP/ARP.
“Eighty percent of my job is doing the same thing, but a portion of my job can change based on the issues I am dealing with, and having access to the clinicians at the ARP has been really useful, whether it’s just for a presentation or to email people [to gain a better understanding of] the work they’ve done in this area,” Mr. Adam says. “It’s meant being exposed to a wide range of approaches to different problems depending on what people are researching.”
Hobbies & Activities
Outside his professional duties, Mr. Adam has enjoyed an active life—snowshoeing and playing squash and volleyball. But he has had to adapt his lifestyle as osteoarthritis has begun to affect him. Fortunately, he says, Vancouver is a “very walkable city,” and he continues to get his 10,000 steps every day of the year.
Mr. Adam is also passionate about photography, food and cooking. “Being in Vancouver, we have access to amazing seafood and lots of organic vegetables and greens. Turning that into healthy, yummy meals is what I love to do.”