Paramedicine expert steps outside his comfort zone
By the time Keith Tyler enrolled in the Equity in Healthcare Certificate program, he鈥檇 already seen many sides of emergency health services.
He spent more than a decade as an emergency care practitioner in London, England. Seeking 鈥渕ore space and less people,鈥� Keith moved with his family to B.C. in 2008. Among other roles, he served as a community paramedic for Bowen Island, trading the London Tube for a quiet commute by ferry.
Now, as senior leader of learning design at BC Emergency Health Services, Keith helps shape the curriculum for 5,000 active paramedics across the province.
鈥淚 got interested in the educational side of things quite early in my career. I started off teaching CPR to bystanders鈥攚ith a motivated self-interest of making my job easier,鈥� he jokes.
Throughout his career, Keith has seen both the profound impacts of healthcare and the persistent inequities. As a patient navigator in rural communities along the Sunshine Coast, he observed firsthand how access to healthcare can vary.
鈥淚n London, it鈥檚 spoilt for medical services, and geographically it鈥檚 very small,鈥� he says. 鈥淭hen I do my first shift up at Madeira Park on the Sunshine Coast, where it鈥檚 a 40-minute journey to Sechelt Hospital.鈥�
These experiences led Keith to enroll in the Equity in Healthcare Certificate program with 911吃瓜 Continuing Studies in 2025. He wanted to bring a more holistic perspective to his clinical knowledge.
鈥淚 wanted to get outside of my comfort zone,鈥� he says. 鈥淚鈥檇 realized that, in the grand scheme of things, I鈥檝e actually led quite a privileged life.鈥�
He couldn鈥檛 have enrolled without the StrongerBC future skills grant, which covered most of his tuition. 鈥淚 can find the time. I can find the motivation,鈥� he says. Financial support was the final piece of the puzzle.
The program quickly spotlighted inequities that had been normalized in his career. He found the Addressing Structural Inequities in Healthcare course most impactful: 鈥淚t鈥檚 helped me understand all those unseen hurdles.鈥�
The more Keith learned, the more he realized he didn鈥檛 know. The program expanded his perspective, making him question how he could foster a more inclusive environment for his team. In practice, this might mean changing the structure of a meeting.
鈥淲e鈥檝e started making space for discussions around unintended consequences,鈥� he says. 鈥淗ow could this information be misinterpreted or misunderstood? Are we looking at it from a patient perspective or a system perspective? How might somebody trip over this?鈥�
Keith graduated from the program in 2026. Part of the experience was learning to engage openly in discussions about equity, diversity and inclusion in the workplace. 鈥淏e prepared to be uncomfortable,鈥� he adds for anyone interested in the program. 鈥淪ome of that鈥檚 going to depend on your background, but definitely be open-minded.鈥�
His biggest takeaway is that addressing inequity can start small. 鈥淚've learned from this program that it doesn鈥檛 need to be big,鈥� he says. 鈥淓ven something as simple as using more inclusive language in meetings鈥攋ust little things.鈥�
In his role at BC Emergency Health Services, Keith is gradually implementing what he鈥檚 learned. For example, he noticed the mannequins they use in CPR demonstrations don鈥檛 always reflect the diversity of patients treated by paramedics. He made a note to request new ones.
鈥淗opefully, little by little, it'll be like a pebble rolling down the hill,鈥� Keith says. 鈥淚t will slowly build up some momentum.鈥�
By Colleen Bryon