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A publication for Staff and Physicians of IH
A publication for Staff and Physicians of IH
Areyouprepared
Floods, wildfires, other disasters, and community evacuations can happen at the mostunexpected moments. Ensure you have a family emergency plan! Visit www.getprepared.ca.
Wondering what to do while at work? Site emergency response plans, and other health emergency information, are located on the InsideNet > About IH > Emergency Response & Planning.
Snapshots of our staff in action over the last month.
The @InteriorHealth newsletter is a monthly publication created by the Communications Department of Interior Health. Past issues of @InteriorHealth can be found on our website under About Us/Media Centre/Publications & Newsletters. If you have story ideas for future issues, please e-mail: [email protected] Deadline for submissions to the September 2013 @InteriorHealth newsletter is August 16. Editors: Amanda Fisher, Breanna Pickett Designers: Breanna Pickett, Kara Visinski, Tracy Watson IH Communications Contributors: Lisa Braman, Lesley Coates, Susan Duncan, Karl Hardt, Megan Kavanagh, Erin Toews
Highlighting the Patient Transport Office and the vital role it plays in
patient care throughout – and even beyond – Interior Health.
Dr. Halpenny talks about our organization as he sees it from his
day-to-day perspective.
With the province-wide expansion of the STOP HIV/AIDS program,
HIV tests will become a regular part of routine medical screening.
The standardization of large volume infusion pumps across Interior
Health is a major milestone.
Shining a spotlight on the many communities that make up where we
live, work, and play.
Community Health Worker Carol McConnell has provided care to Home
Health patients for over 10 years.
Home Health Nurse Tracey Third gets the Gold Apple as IH‟s Health
Care Hero at the 7th annual Excellence in BC Health Care Awards.
IH‟s Contract Pharmacy Integration Team receives an Award of Merit at
the 7th annual Excellence in BC Health Care Awards.
Denise, Jennifer, and Dr. Corneil aim to STOP HIV/AIDS. Story p. 13.
The 48/6 provincial initiative is designed to minimize patients‟ decline
while in hospital and help them return home sooner.
At Interior Health, we want to set
new standards of excellence in the delivery of health services in B.C.
and to also promote healthy lifestyles and provide needed health
services in a timely, caring, and
efficient manner.
To achieve this, we are guided by the following strategic goals:
Goal 1 Improve Health and
Wellness
Goal 2 Deliver High Quality Care Goal 3 Ensure Sustainable
Health Care by Improving Innovation, Productivity,
and Efficiency
Goal 4 Cultivate an Engaged Workforce and Healthy
Workplace
The articles featured in the @IH newsletter are great examples of
how we‟re achieving our goals …
and realizing our vision and mission.
Dr. Halpenny (left) celebrating Canada Day with Cathy Renkas, VP Communications & Public Affairs, and Martin McMahon, VP Allied Health Planning & Strategic Services.
T he power of Mother Nature hit
close to home this summer.
The images of Calgary and High
River will stay with us for a long time,
and the physical and psychological
impacts for those affected is immense.
The flooding also touched parts of
our own region. I want to recognize all
those in the Elk Valley area who dealt with
the resulting disruptions, as well as the
environmental health officers from IH
who are assisting with the flood recovery
phase in Alberta.
This situation demonstrates the need
to be prepared for any type of natural
disaster that might come our way,
particularly within our area where we are
more susceptible to forest fires and floods.
As you know, we now have a new Minister
of Health. Terry Lake, former Mayor and
MLA from Kamloops, took up this post last
month. Looking at the new cabinet as a
whole, it is interesting to note a shift from
urban centres of the Lower Mainland to
more rural areas of the Fraser Valley,
Interior, and Northern B.C.
On July 10, our Board Chair Mr. Embree
and I met with the Interior Health MLAs
as well as Minister Lake in Victoria to
tell our story about where we have been
and where we are going. The goal is
engagement and understanding, and we
also talked about the challenges we face
in achieving a balanced budget.
I also recently had the opportunity to meet
with new Deputy Health Minister Stephen
Brown. An important part of this discussion
focused on budget challenges in health
care, a theme that we heard again in
meeting with John Dyble, Deputy Minister
to the Premier and Cabinet Secretary.
The message is clear – we must continue
to challenge traditional practice and find
innovative ways to meet increasing
demands, while implementing stronger
fiscal management. Our senior executive
team is currently considering a number of
cost containment strategies and we‟ll share
more information as soon as decisions are
made.
One of my favorite topics, and one of our
core values, is quality. Did you know that
30 per cent of seniors admitted to a
Canadian hospital are discharged with
significantly reduced functional ability?
And that most never recover their previous
level of independence?
That‟s why we are introducing 48/6 – an
evidence-based practice approach to help
all of our patients return home sooner, and
in better health. Implementation teams are
gearing up at nine of our acute sites as part
of the first phase. To learn more, I invite
you to read the 48/6 story in this issue.
I had the pleasure of attending the
Excellence in BC Health Care Awards
ceremony in June. It was great to meet
our local winners – Tracey Third and
Dr. Piera Calissi & Team – and see their
commitment to health care in their
communities.
I also recently had a chance to meet four
young pharmacy graduates – Morgan
Gerry, Jessica Granberg, Melissa
McQuat, and Sarah Murray – who, I‟m
pleased to say, have chosen to practice
within IH. I was really impressed by the
enthusiasm of these young professionals.
We need to capture that energy and share
it with each other and those in our care.
Finally I‟d like to thank everyone who
participated in this year‟s employee
engagement survey. The survey recently
closed, with a final participation rate of
65 per cent. I look forward to sharing the
results with you later this fall, and to using
your feedback to help guide us in making
improvements to our workplace culture.
I hope everyone enjoys the rest of the
summer and finds some time to relax
with friends and family.
Be safe and take care.
ACUTE CARE TEAMSITELooking for medication resources?
An IH online resource for clinical practicestandards, procedures, protocols, guidelines,
and organizational policy.
InsideNet | Clinical Resources | Acute Care TeamSite
Collaboration Gets
Recognition
T he 7th annual Excellence in BC Health Care Awards were held last month to recognize outstanding health care. Congratulations to IH‟s Contract Pharmacy Integration Team on receiving an Award of Merit for their work to improve the care of patients in the Chronic Kidney Disease Clinic at the Penticton Integrated Health Clinic.
“It is an incredible honour for our team to receive this award,” says Piera Calissi, Clinical Pharmacy Specialist and member of the Contract Pharmacy Integration Team. “Our primary goal was to improve patient care and that‟s what matters the most to us. “This project required a great degree of collaboration and every member of the team contributed something vital. Receiving an Award of Merit is a wonderful acknowledgement of our work and we couldn‟t be happier about it.” Patients living with chronic kidney disease typically take multiple medications, many of which require frequent monitoring and dosage adjustments increasing their risk for medication discrepancies and drug-related problems. As part of their pilot project, the team integrated contracted pharmacists into the multi-disciplinary team of nurses, nephrologists, and a dietitian that cares for renal patients at the Penticton Integrated Health Clinic. In addition to the other services these patients receive, as part of this new collaboration, they now have access to a pharmacist who provides medication reviews and reconciliations and identifies medication discrepancies and drug-related problems. The majority of patients seen by the pharmacist had either a discrepancy or drug-related problems with their medications. Paula James, Regional Director of Renal Services, is excited by the success of this program. “This partnership has built strong patient relationships and improved the quality of care our renal patients receive, while promoting the value of community pharmacists. I look forward to building on this model of care in all renal programs across IH.” Due to its success, this program has been made a permanent feature of the renal clinic at the Penticton Integrated Health Clinic and has expanded to other renal programs in Kamloops and Trail. Congratulations to the Contract Pharmacy Integration Team – Lia Briceno, Piera Calissi, Dr. Brian Forzley, Dr. Gerry Karr, Lois Neufeld, Greg Wheeler, and Susi Wilkinson – on a great accomplishment!
Piera Calissi and Greg Wheeler were on hand at the 7th annual Excellence in BC Health Care Awards to receive an Award of Merit for their team's work. Photo Credit: HEABC.
W hen Tracey Third
graduated as a
registered nurse in
1977 she thought
she would work in the field for a
decade and then try something
else.
“After 10 years, I couldn‟t imagine
doing anything else,” confesses
the Home Health nurse from the
North Thompson Valley.
That natural aptitude for nursing
and caring earned Tracey the title
of Health Care Hero for Interior
Health at the 7th annual
Excellence in BC Health Care
Awards, sponsored by the Healthcare
Employers Association of BC.
She was presented with a Gold Apple
at the awards ceremony in Vancouver
on June 24 as family members proudly
watched. See the full press release and
video of Tracey at BCHealthCareAwards.
Before moving to Barriere, Tracey held
a variety of nursing positions, including
a stint in the far north at the Inuvik
Regional Hospital and in residential
care at Ponderosa Lodge in Kamloops.
“Every area that I‟ve worked in, I‟ve
always grown to love it. There are so
many different things you can do.
I am never bored in a day.”
She has worked out of the Barriere
Health Care Centre for almost 10
years and is thrilled to work as a
Home Health nurse.
“We have the best clients,” she says.
“Just seeing them, it‟s like meeting
friends. They seem to appreciate what
we do.”
She also enjoys working in a small health
centre because everyone helps out,
even if a code is called in the Emergency
Department. If she is working in the
nurse clinic, she still responds to assist
where she can. “This is a small
community. These are people I may
know.”
She says her colleagues always have
her back as well. “Everyone cares about
each other and also wants the best for
their clients.”
Nursing Services and Care Lead Lorelei
Rogers nominated Tracey for Health
Care Hero, but she says she was
encouraged to do so by many different
staff members.
“She has such a calm and gentle
approach and her caring and kindness
have been limitless throughout her
nursing career,” says Lorelei.
Tracy‟s empathy is immediate and
steeped in life experience. “Maybe it
is because I lost my mom when I was
a teenager and that was quite a
devastating thing in my life. It was very
difficult and I understand what people
go through. We do a lot of palliative
care in our roles here and I have a lot
of feeling for the family.”
Lorelei says Tracey is representative
of the best kind of community nurse
working in a rural area. She and her
colleagues travel through all
weather conditions, drive or
walk up rugged driveways,
and sometimes go into rustic
homes to take care of people
with needs from post-operative surgery,
chemotherapy, and wound care to end
of life.
“Tracey cares deeply and profoundly
about her clients‟ welfare … she is
unwavering in her commitment to even
the most challenging of health-care
clients,” says Lorelei. That includes
consistently checking on one elderly
woman who isn‟t adverse to swinging
a cane on occasion to emphasize her
resistance to care.
Tracey isn‟t thinking about retiring yet,
although she loves her home life. She
and her husband Jim have been married
for 31 years. Their daughter lives in
Barriere with her husband and child and
they all value family.
“I spend a lot of time with my beautiful
granddaughter Lena. She‟s two. I also
enjoying gardening and going for walks.
We are very rural and it‟s just relaxing
to be home.”
But if the phone rings for a nurse
because no one else is available, Tracey
rarely hesitates.
That automatic response to someone
in need is what makes her a Health Care
Hero.
Health Care Hero
Health Care Hero Tracey Third (centre) accompanied by her daughter Jamie Third and son-in-law Dustin Doherty. Photo Credit: HEABC.
T wo months shy of 93, Elma Segal
notices things aren‟t working quite as well as she would like. She‟s
a little hard of hearing and her eyesight is almost completely gone.
But there are two things that have not
diminished – her mind and her sense of humour, which is good because there is
nothing her IH Community Health Worker
(CHW) Carol McConnell enjoys more than a chuckle.
Well, karaoke or winning a darts
tournament probably run a close second, but whatever she is doing, Carol makes
sure her clients share in the entertainment, even if it‟s just a story about it later. “I tell
them about the dumb things I do,” she
says. “We have fun.”
“Oh, she‟s quite jolly,” smiles Elma, who lives in the assisted living section of
RiverBend Seniors Community in Kamloops. She arrived about two years ago, but she‟s
known Carol for 10.
Carol started helping her when Elma
needed assistance after she broke a hip while she was still living independently.
That established relationship allows them
an easy back and forth.
“You should hear her sing, „Elvira,‟ ” says Elma, prompting Carol to describe how she dressed up as the Mistress of the Dark, complete with a long black wig and shimmering eyelashes, for a RiverBend Halloween party, where she performed the
Oakridge Boys‟ hit for residents.
“She‟s really good. Her voice is deep.”
“Oom poppa, oom poppa, mow mow,” sings out Carol. And sure enough, she is good.
Elma raised four children and then at age 50 went to work at Sears in the catalogue department. She also took up curling. “I had more fun in my 50s and 60s.”
She lived on her own until the physical challenges became too much. She moved into the seniors‟ facility when her eyesight
worsened, which was not an easy adjustment at first.
Patient STORY
Interior Health CHW Carol McConnell has provided care to Home Health client Elma Segal for 10 years. They have a lot of laughs together but, even more importantly, Elma says she can always count on Carol to know what she needs to feel better.
“I didn‟t know what to expect and then all these people, like Carol, who had
helped me before, were saying, „Hi, Elma‟ and I felt so much more at home. It really helped me.”
Carol, who has been a CHW since 1991, and also raised four children, has
an innate understanding of her senior clients. She does what is needed to be done for each one.
“I don‟t sing much to Elma, but I have another lady who is losing her
memory and she likes to hear the old country songs. She sings along with
me.”
She‟s ahead of the experts who are finding that music therapy helps calm patients with dementia, particularly at bath time, which can be a stressful
time.
Speaking of bathing, Carol says she needs to rush off because she has a resident waiting for a shower.
“And you have me tomorrow,” Elma reminds her.
When Elma originally needed assistance with a bath, she thought she would feel uncomfortable, but Carol and her two other long-time health workers,
Joyce and Edith, put her right at ease.
It‟s understandable for people at any age to feel a little shy with a stranger, Carol agrees. “Sometimes a resident will say, „Oh, I‟m all lumpy and bumpy,‟
and I say, „Well, look at me.‟ ”
“I‟m glad that you look after me, Carol,” Elma tells her.
“She knows how to handle me. I know her little ways and she knows mine, eh Carol?”
Then Carol is off to her next appointment, but not before promising to return in an hour to put in Elma‟s eye drops.
Reassured, Elma sits back in her cozy easy chair and closes her eyes. It‟s time for a short morning nap.
Community Health Worker Carol McConnell puts drops in Elma Segal’s eyes.
I n Kamloops, members of Interior Health‟s High
Acuity Response Team prepare to transfer a critically ill RIH patient who requires an angioplasty to the
Regional Cardiac Catheterization Lab in Kelowna.
On a frosty morning in Enderby, a mother and daughter
board a Health Connections bus to make the trip to a semi-annual clinic appointment in Kelowna.
In Trail, a traveller awaits a transfer to a hospital in his
home town several hundred kilometres away, where he will finally reunite with his family.
These are just a few examples of patient transportation. Such cases occur each day across the health authority
and in each case, the Patient Transport Office (PTO) staff are working in the background making the necessary
arrangements that allow frontline staff to focus on
frontline care.
“We are much more than a booking office,” explains PTO Team Leader Kim Petryshyn. “We ensure patients are
transferred to the right facility, at the right time, by the most clinically appropriate and cost–effective resource.
This includes moving all levels of patients from one
facility to another for scheduled admission, diagnostics, procedures, repatriation, and discharge to residential care.”
“Our relationships with the facilities allows us to problem
solve when challenges arise. We treat each case individually and provide options that are patient focused,
while making the best use of resources.”
As this busy team of 14 nears its 50,000th patient transfer,
the PTO is coming out of the background to highlight the vital role it plays in patient care throughout – and even
beyond – Interior Health.
“This is a great milestone and we want to take this opportunity to highlight and celebrate accomplishments
since the PTO – which is unique in the province – was
established in 2009,” explains Brent Hobbs, Network Director, Patient Transport.
“We would like to thank everyone at IMIT for their
development efforts and facility staff who contributed to
the process of launching the Online Transportation Information System in 2010. This system was 100 per cent
designed internally within IH and has proven invaluable,” adds Project Leader Rebecca Kaus.
The Patient Transport Office is available at 1-866-929-4423
or online at http://patienttransport.
Congrats, PTO!
Left: Seyvonne Crawford, Patient Transport Assistant. Right: RN Michael Sandler, member of the RIH High Acuity Response Team.
A $9 million undertaking to improve patient safety
reached a milestone in May when the last of 36 IH sites successfully converted to the Baxter
Spectrum large volume infusion pump.
Today 1,900 pumps, 530 IV poles, and accompanying
accessories are in use by more than 4,300 nurses across Interior Health.
Large volume infusion pumps are used to deliver
intravenous (IV) therapy to patients. IV therapy is the administration of therapeutic agents (fluids,
electrolytes, blood products, medications) directly into
a patient‟s bloodstream.
Previously, a variety of infusion pumps were used
across IH. It is an
Accreditation Canada requirement to have
standardized infusion devices and a corresponding
education program.
“Studies indicate that smart
pump technology leads to an 80 to 95 per cent reduction in
infusion-related medication errors,” says Paul
Filiatrault, Regional
Manager, Medication Safety. “By standardizing these
pumps to the user-friendly Baxter Spectrum we‟ve reduced the potential for patient harm.”
An IH-wide strategy was developed and implemented in alignment with CEO Dr. Halpenny‟s vision of One IH.
“The successful implementation of this project is thanks
to the hard work and dedication of a number people,” says Garth Vatkin, Clinical Information Specialist,
Medication Safety, who leads the initiative.
Ayesha Hassan, Pharmacist, built the standardized
drug library and Gord McGreevy, Regional Coordinator, Parenteral Services, continues to ensure the regional
medication manual (for parenteral drugs) used by nurses,
pharmacists, and physicians aligns with more than 400 protocols available in the new pump.
Before anyone could use the new pumps, they had to be
purchased and delivered. Purchasing was coordinated by
Randy Piluk and Janice Dziadyk, and Alfred Fendelet coordinated all logistics out of the central IH warehouse.
Melissa Delorme and Greg Brett provided regional
support for local biomed technicians who were
involved in ensuring all
1,900 pumps were ready for use prior to
implementation. Many of the biomed staff also
helped switch out pumps
on „go live‟ dates.
At each site, a nursing project lead was in place
to oversee education and pump implementation.
The leads at the first
two sites to go live were Shirley Fisher at Royal Inland Hospital (350 pumps), and Demetri
Karogiannis at Kelowna General Hospital (500 pumps).
“It was the cooperation and support of the physicians and nurses who took the time to review the drug
library protocols, the nurses who attended the education sessions, and the support received from pharmacy, in
particular Kevin Peters, Regional Director of Pharmacy,
that assured the success of this project,” adds Garth.
The initiative is a major accomplishment. Other health authorities, including the Mobile Medical Unit (PHSA),
have asked IH to share its drug library with them and requested site visits to see exactly how the great people
at Interior Health accomplished this huge task.
The next milestone is enabling the wireless capability of
the pumps scheduled for fall 2013. More on that in a future article.
Left: Garth Vatkin, Clinical Information Specialist, Medication Safety, led the successful implementation of 1,900 Baxter Spectrum large volume infusion pumps across IH. Right: This large volume infusion pump delivers IV therapy to patients by administering therapeutic agents (fluids, blood products, medications, etc.) directly into a patient’s bloodstream.
W hen was the last time you were tested for
HIV?
How would you feel if you were asked that very question the next time you saw a doctor or visited
a hospital for treatment?
With the province-wide expansion of the STOP HIV/AIDS
program, that question is about to be asked routinely in health-care sites across our region.
STOP HIV/AIDS is a successful
program that has been shown to
reduce HIV transmission through expanded awareness, testing,
prevention, and treatment. One of the most exciting parts of this
program is that it aims to change
the average person‟s mindset towards HIV.
In the past, the only people who
were routinely screened for HIV were pregnant women and those
who told their health-care provider
they were engaging in certain high-risk behaviours.
“With the old model, there was
potential to miss an early diagnosis
because patients may not have known they were at risk or their
health-care provider may not have asked about it,” says Jennifer
May-Hadford, an epidemiologist
with the Public Health Agency of Canada and Interior Health. “The
STOP HIV/AIDS program aims to change that.”
Under the new program, HIV tests will become a regular part of routine medical screening.
"The new standard of care in B.C. is to offer an HIV test
to any adult who has not had one within the past year,"
says Dr. Trevor Corneil, IH Medical Health Officer and Community Medical Director.
“This will allow us to identify an infection early and manage
it as a chronic disease. HIV treatment has come a long
way; early treatment can prevent the virus from attacking the body and it can also prevent it from spreading to
others. Early diagnosis and treatment also allows those who are HIV positive to live a near-normal life.”
Routine testing could also mean
the beginning of the end of HIV.
”An estimated 26 per cent of
people who are infected with HIV are not aware of their
infection,” says Denise McKay,
IH STOP-HIV/AIDS Project Lead. “And we also know the majority
of people who are newly infected with HIV are getting it from
individuals who didn‟t know they had HIV to begin with. If more
people know their HIV status and
receive early treatment, the spread of the disease in our
communities can be halted.”
“This is really exciting,” adds
Denise. “Just imagine … we have potential to change the course
of the HIV epidemic in B.C. and be part of a movement that has
the potential to end HIV. Our
province is a leader in the STOP HIV/AIDS movement and the
world is watching!”
We can all make a difference. Join the movement, get tested, and tell others that together we have the power
to STOP HIV. For more information, check out
It‟s Different Now.
Denise McKay, Jennifer May-Hadford, and Dr. Trevor Corneil lead the Interior Health movement to STOP HIV/AIDS.
STOP HIV/AIDS will begin rolling out this summer in three initial implementation sites: Vernon, Merritt, and Trail, and
then expand over the next four to 24 months to all IH communities. The implementation sites were selected based on the need to have representation from rural and urban communities as well as the community‟s current capacity and
readiness to provide HIV prevention, testing, and treatment. Work in the implementation sites will be closely evaluated to help identify any changes that may be needed before the program expands across IH.
More information on the STOP HIV/AIDS program is available in the Ministry of Health document From Hope to Health: Towards an AIDS Free Generation. To view a copy of the Public Health Rounds presentation on STOP HIV,
visit the Stop HIV/AIDS web page on the InsideNet.
E lla, 84, lives near Mabel Lake in Enderby. For
most of her life, Ella‟s passion has been making intricately designed hook rugs. Now she struggles
just to breathe after double-bypass heart surgery.
Her road to recovery has been a long one resulting in
several cardiac-related admissions into hospital. Ella lives day by day not knowing what her heart will do. Each time
she visits the hospital she loses a little of her strength.
Patricia is 82 years old, and lives in Salmon Arm.
She loves horses, ballroom dancing, and her
little Pomeranian/Pappion puppy Peneé.
Patricia is an insulin-dependent diabetic who‟s often in hospital managing her diabetes and a chronic heart valve
infection. Currently at Bastion Place, she‟s eager to return
home.
What do these two women have in common? Frequent trips to the hospital, for one thing. And, the fact they both
want to be living in their own homes, but fear that won‟t
be an option.
That‟s where 48/6 comes in. This provincial initiative is designed to minimize a patient‟s decline while in hospital
and help them return home sooner.
Within the first 48 hours of admission, health-care teams
will develop personalized plans of care that focus on
maintaining a patient‟s functional abilities in six key clinical areas: bowel and bladder, cognition, functional mobility,
medication management, nutrition and hydration, and pain.
“In the past we focused mainly on the patient‟s acute
medical needs,” says Robert LaBelle, a med-surg RN at
Shuswap Lake General Hospital. “While we collected data on admission, we didn‟t fully appreciate and identify
patients‟ needs that would enable them to get back into their home, and this led to them spending more time in
the hospital.”
Rob is part of Shuswap Lake General Hospital‟s 48/6 Implementation Team and he‟s excited to be in one of
the nine acute care Phase One introductory sites.
Each site has its own implementation team designed to
review practices, from admission to discharge, and
To Go Home Better
Patricia in the resident garden at Bastion Place, Salmon Arm.
Ella’s many medications keep her heart and lungs stable.
determine the best way to
implement this model of care. Once their input has been
incorporated, 48/6 will be introduced to all 22 acute sites
by the end of March 2014.
“I understand there may be
some hesitancy because frontline staff may be
concerned about increased workload, but this process will
give us better continuity on
admission and create a better plan for discharge,” assures
Rob. “It will actually increase and improve co-ordinated care
and, in the long run, reduce
redundancies in duplicated paperwork.”
In Canada, 30 per cent of
seniors admitted to acute care will be discharged at a
significantly reduced level of
functional ability, and most will never recover to their previous
level of independence (BCPSQC
2013).
“Anything we can do to
decrease length of stay and stop admission from recurring
is a good thing,” explains Mark Pugh, Acute Health Care
Services Manager at SLGH.
The success of 48/6 is
important to people like Ella and Patricia. As Ella waits at
home for her next hospital visit, Patricia remains hopeful of a
speedy recovery and the ability
to return home.
“I‟m happy with the kind and gentle care I‟ve received here,
but I‟d still rather be in my own
home with my dog,” says Patricia. “She‟s bad to the bone,
but I love her dearly.”
For more information, visit the 48/6 InsideNet webpage.
Mark Pugh (left) and Robert LaBelle are part of the 48/6 Implementation Team at SLGH.
A few members of the Royal Inland Hospital 48/6 implementation team (L-R): Anne Fox, Lisa Kuharski, Val Kristianson, and Karl Koziura.
Population: Approx. 5,000
Health Services: Elk Valley
Hospital. Fernie is also host to many community and residential
programs and services.
Economy: Coal mining and
tourism.
At a glance
Fernie Similkameen River - Keremeos
Submitted by: Monica Chursinoff
A B.C. Healthy Community Fernie makes the health of its citizens a priority by championing a community garden and a vast trail network. A vibrant community social scene promotes
wellness with free weekly street socials and family activities for the whole summer.
The City of Fernie has a partnership agreement with Interior Health to create supportive environments for health. For example, Fernie‟s new Official Community
Plan will have a policy section that deals with food security.
BC Healthy Communities is a non-profit organization that is mainly funded by the Ministry of Health. To learn more, visit Healthy Families BC.
Lifestyle Located in the heart of the Elk Valley, Fernie‟s spectacular Rocky Mountain
setting offers unique opportunities for visitors and residents alike. Fernie's warm hospitality, colourful history, and world-class ski mountain make it an attractive
destination for people from around the world.
In our own words... “Fernie represents a place where you can run away and embrace all that nature
has to offer; we are surrounded by spectacular mountain ranges filled with cultural history and story-telling. Fernie is encapsulated by heartfelt hospitality and local generosity. It truly is a recreational Mecca in all four seasons. We have world-class
restaurants, one-of-a-kind shops, and cafes. The ability to work in a profession I love in a community that inspires emotional tranquility is priceless and I truly feel
blessed every day to call Fernie my home.” – RN Jo-Ann Hnatiuk, Clinical Practice Educator, Elk Valley Hospital
Submit your photos of the beautiful places that make up IH: [email protected]
Our employees regularly share photos of the spectacular scenery that surrounds them wherever they are in the IH
region. Majestic mountain ranges, pristine pine-fringed lakes, blossom-filled orchards, abundant vineyards, and thick forests alive with wildlife are just some of the beautiful things that make up these places we call home.
Covering over 215,000 square kilometres, Interior Health is diverse in nature and composed of vibrant urban centres
and unique rural communities. This @IH feature shines a spotlight on many of these places … and perhaps will entice
you to add them to your travel wish list.
This month we feature photos near Kelowna, Keremeos, Clearwater, and Ashcroft.
Where We Live & Work ... A Spotlight on Our Communities
Kelowna Submitted by: Paul Lesko
Ashcroft Submitted by: Colin Couves
Tuloon Lake — Thompson-Nicola Submitted by: Tammy Thielman
Similkameen River - Keremeos Submitted by: Monica Chursinoff
The children who attend The Clubhouse Childcare Centre located on site at Cottonwoods (residential care) often attend events alongside the residents, including this year’s Canada Day celebrations. The children and adults alike enjoyed maple leaf cookies, drumming by Westbank First Nation members, and a visit from a Mountie wearing his Red Serge. Operating on site for more than two years now, the daycare is a great success with the children adding something special to the residents’ lives.
snapshots from the region ... A free car seat clinic was put on in Castlegar by the B.C. Automobile Association with support from the local firehall and IH public health nurses. Child Passenger Safety Educator Anne Johnson (left), mom Cassandra Miller, with baby Malia, and Public Health Nurse Tasha Kanigan (right) demonstrate a safely buckled-in baby. BCAA sent thanks to Fire Chief Rempel and Deputy Fire Chief Monsen for use of the firehall and to Interior Health for their support of this event.
Rain couldn’t deter celebrations of National Aboriginal Day in Vernon. The event, originally scheduled for June 21, was simply postponed to July 5. Jean Elliott (left) Admin Support at the Downtown Primary Care Centre and Mollie
Bono, Program Director for the Vernon First Nations Friendship Centre, set up an information booth in Polson Park in recognition of this important
population. Nurse Practitioner Danielle Linton, not shown, also attended to share information about health-care services at the centre.
Traditional hand drummers were part of the opening ceremony and speeches at the Nicola Valley Hospital & Health
Centre on July 11th. The event offered community members a chance to learn
more about their hospital while celebrating the change to the
hospital name.
July 16 was a beautiful day in Lumby. The sun was shining down on community
members, residents, families, representatives and staff from Interior
Health, inSite Housing and Monashee Mews, and local dignitaries as they celebrated
the grand opening of Monashee Mews.
Monashee Mews is a new 46-bed residential facility located in the heart of Lumby.
IH Board member Virginia Goodings joined resident Aggie Von Vegesack, inSite Board member Robin Oldring, and Lumby Mayor
Kevin Acton in planting a tree to commemorate the opening.
Judy Vigue (left) and Sharon Soules remain friends after graduating the same year and working together at QVH. They were part of the 100th anniversary celebration at the hospital in Revelstoke on June 18.
