A publication for Staff and Physicians of IH
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Dr. Halpenny talks about our organization as he sees it from his day-to-day perspective.
Making engagement part of our every day, we pose a new question.
Penticton resident benefits from cancer screening.
Get an overview of B.C.’s new colon cancer screening program.
Learn more about the people and places that help protect our communities from the flu.
New doctors mean stable care in rural communities.
Rosanna McGregor’s Aboriginal background enriches IH Board.
Service to Interior Health became a second career for Board member David Gillespie.
Shining a spotlight on the many communities that make up where we live, work, and play.
Snapshots of our staff in action over the last month.
Public Health Nurses, Jane Luk-Tran and Roberto Barcelona, and Health Centre Aide Karolyn Kleinharr, are among the thousands of people behind the annual public influenza campaign (see p. 8).
The @InteriorHealth magazine 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: IHAcommunications@interiorhealth.ca Deadline for submissions to the December 2013 @InteriorHealth magazine is November 15. 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, Tracy Watson
F
all is in the air and, like many of you, I am missing those extra hours of daylight. I started to notice the change on my recent tour of the East Kootenays with Board Chair Norman Embree. At the beginning of October we visited sites in Cranbrook, Elkford, Sparwood, Fernie, Kimberley, Invermere, Golden, and Revelstoke. L-R: John Kettle, from the Regional Health District, joins Dr. Halpenny, Erica Phillips, Acute Health Service Administrator for East Kootenay, and Bill Bennett, MLA for Kootenay East, to look at the site for the new ICU at EKRH. (Photo Credit: The Cranbrook Daily Townsman)
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.
you updated on this as we move through the process. Next on the agenda was the bi-annual meeting with the regional hospital districts (RHDs) in IH’s region. These meetings give us an opportunity to provide updates on our key initiatives and also discuss possible solutions to the challenges we face in health care. The RHDs are important partners because they contribute 40 per cent of the total capital cost of hospital construction and new major equipment.
I appreciate these opportunities to see our sites; meet with staff, physicians, and leaders; connect with local elected officials and other community stakeholders; and thank our foundations, auxiliaries, and volunteers for their IH representatives provided updates contributions. on infection prevention and control, the cardiac program, and capital planning On this particular tour, we heard and priorities. We also shared IH’s common themes about the challenges 10-year Capital Strategy with the group. of providing health care in our rural This strategy will guide our investment areas – patient transport issues, decisions between 2013 and 2023 using recruitment and retention of staff and three key drivers: projected demand for physicians, and helipads were hot topics. services, need for innovation and change, and sustainability of infrastructure and I was back in Kelowna for the IH services. Board meeting on Oct. 8. It included a presentation on fraud risks, sponsored On Oct. 21, we held our monthly senior by our Internal Audit team, which executive meeting. A focal point of our highlighted key fraud concepts, potential discussion was the budget status and red flags, and recent examples of B.C. go-forward plans to balance for fiscal government fraud cases. It was timely year end. We are in the most difficult given that IH has been doing some work financial position we have seen since on our own Fraud Prevention Program the inception of IH, so each one of us and is now rolling out a new Safe needs to do our part to ensure resources Reporting Line for staff and the public. are being used in the most efficient and effective way possible, in every In addition, Karen Bloemink, Executive aspect of the work we do. Director Residential Care, provided an excellent presentation on residential I will close with a final plug for our care and the new beds we’ve opened employee and public flu immunization across IH over the last five years. It campaigns, which are well underway was great to see an overview of the (details on the InsideNet and our public investments that have been made to website). As employees, I encourage improve care for our seniors. you to make a thoughtful decision about protecting yourself and the patients, Following that, on Oct. 9, our Senior residents, and clients you care for – the Executive Team (SET) had a strategic options of receiving a flu shot or wearing planning session. It was a good day a mask during flu season are outlined with robust discussion. SET is working in our Influenza Control Program Policy. through a process to develop a Last year, I was pleased to see a vast framework that will clearly articulate improvement in immunization rates IH’s strategic direction with a focus on and hope to see more of the same this identifying fewer priorities. I will keep year!
your
opinions
count @
“I often talk about how engagement and teamwork are closely linked, and how I see them as essential to success. Engagement with any team comes through appreciating the abilities of the collective. In IH, that is our collective intelligence as leaders, employees, and physicians. We have an astounding wealth of knowledge and commitment across the organization that I believe we can leverage, as a team, to help us succeed over the long term. To ensure a sustainable health system, we must continue to find innovative ways to provide care and deliver services. Listening to our staff and involving you in finding solutions is foundational to how we transform the system.” – CEO Dr. Robert Halpenny
With Dr. Halpenny’s words in mind, and the knowledge that we face significant challenges in balancing our budget this year and beyond, we’d like to hear your ideas and innovative approaches for finding efficiencies and savings across IH. So here’s this month’s topic … and feel free to engage with your team and come up with ideas together!
What can we do to reduce costs and find savings while still providing quality care? Send your ideas to YourOpinionsCount@interiorhealth.ca and we’ll share excerpts in the next @IH, along with a new topic for discussion.
What we heard in response to October’s topic …
What did you expect to see with our employee engagement survey results, compared to 2011? “I thought the results would be worse than the previous survey’s. Because the work load has significantly increased &
with that the stress level has increased. High stress makes for little satisfaction in the job & unhappy employees.”
“I think there was a better response this time round.”
Visit the Engagement web page on the InsideNet to view all the questions and answers posted since Your Opinions Count started in January 2012.
Patient STORY
P
enticton resident Frank Griffiths has spent most of his life travelling and working in the film industry. But last year he became familiar with a different type of screen.
Looking back, Frank says he can’t recall exactly when he had his FIT (fecal immunochemical test). The last year has been a blur. Frank had displayed no symptoms but his doctor had recommended the simple colon cancer screening test because, Frank explains in a cheery brogue, “I’m bloody old.” “In retrospect, it was an awesome idea,” he says. The FIT was positive. Both his doctor and Colon Check Patient Coordinator Margot Heintz encouraged Frank to have a followup colonoscopy, but he had reservations. He immediately turned to the internet, including a YouTube video about the procedure. He then spent time with Margot reviewing information and weighing the pros and cons, before deciding to go forward with the procedure. “It’s not at all uncommon for people to worry about having a colonoscopy. Ensuring patients understand what is involved and addressing their concerns is an important aspect of our work within the colon screening program,” says Margot. “The patient coordinators initiate contact with the patient upon receiving the referral, and we remain Patient Coordinator Margot Heinz with Penticton Resident Frank Griffiths. After a positive FIT screening test, Frank had three polyps removed from his colon.
involved in their care throughout their screening process to ensure there is seamless communication and coordination with everyone on the team. Our patients are well prepared for their colonoscopy as we educate them about the bowel prep and what to expect during the colonoscopy. We also followup with everyone post-colonoscopy via telephone and review their colonoscopist’s recommendations for future surveillance.”
The provincial Colon Screening Program promotes early detection and prevention of colorectal cancer. As part of the program, family physicians refer Frank’s colonoscopy allowed clinicians to find three polyps men and women that were removed during the procedure. A polyp is a small without symptoms growth that sometimes forms on the inside lining of the between the ages of colon. Most colon cancers develop from a polyp that has 50 and 74 for FIT been present for several years. screening once every two years. Patients “I would definitely recommend that if you are within the with a significant age for recommended screening, 50 to 74, that you go out family history of and get the test,” says Frank. colorectal cancer Based on his personal experience, are referred for a Frank encourages those between Colon screening with the FIT has been available in the screening colonoscopy 50 and 74 years old to be screened Penticton area since 2009 as part of the Colon Check pilot without a FIT. for colon cancer. program. FIT has been publicly funded in B.C. since April 1, 2013, and now the new Colon Screening Program has For more information about colon cancer and the colon rolled out across the province. screening program, visit www.screeningbc.ca.
Colon cancer is the second deadliest cancer in the province – but it’s also one of the most preventable cancers. Removal of precancerous polyps reduces the chance of getting colon cancer by 90 per cent. That’s the biggest incentive for the Colon Screening Program working group, which has been moving full steam towards implementation of BC’s Colon Screening Program this fall. The Colon Screening Program promotes early detection and prevention of colorectal cancer for British Columbians. “This has been a tremendous undertaking, involving our GPs, colonoscopists, surgeons, pathologists, BC Cancer Agency, IH staff, and of course our patients,” says Denise Dunton, IH Surgical Services Clinical Leader. “We now have a facilitated pathway for patients with consistent quality standards and reporting systems; we’ve hired two dedicated regional patient coordinators with a third to come; and a centralized BC Cancer Agency colon screening registry is being developed for appropriate patient tracking.”
Nancy Serwo, North Okanagan Health Service Administrator; Denise Dunton, IH Surgical Services Clinical Leader; and Dr. Carla Nash, KGH Physician.
“Patients who are referred for a colonoscopy will now have access to coordination and preparation support to help make the experience easier and ensure colonoscopy resources are used most effectively,” says Nancy Serwo, Health Service Administrator, North Okanagan.
“The three new regional patient coordinators, who are registered nurses, will provide support to patients who are referred for colonoscopy. Patient coordinators will be able to assess and prepare patients going for colonoscopy and will help ensure access for priority cases and most efficient use of screening colonoscopy resources.” Since April 1 this year, the fecal immunochemical test (FIT) has been publicly-funded, and the new Colon Screening Program has now been rolled out across the province. The program builds on the experiences of the BC Cancer Agency’s pilot colon cancer screening program, which ran in a number of B.C. communities, including Penticton from 2009 to 2013.
Quick Facts
Age is the greatest risk factor for colon cancer – over 94% of new cases diagnosed each year in B.C. are in men and women age 50 or older. Removal of precancerous polyps reduces the chance of getting colon cancer by 90%. FIT screening is for average risk men and women between ages 50 and 74 without symptoms. Colon cancer screening decisions for those between 75 and 85 years of age should be individualized and based on overall health, life expectancy, and personal preferences. These individuals should discuss their situation with their primary care provider and willingness to undergo a colonoscopy if needed before being referred for a FIT. Regardless of age, if a patient is not medically fit to undergo colonoscopy, then a FIT is not appropriate. Those with symptoms should talk to their doctor about a referral to a specialist; FIT is not appropriate. Patients with a significant family history of colon cancer should be referred directly for a screening colonoscopy; FIT is not necessary.
BCSENI ORS’ F ALLPREVENTI ONAWARENESSWEEK
Rural Recruitment Success
E
lkford, Sparwood, and Princeton each have unique characteristics, but all three communities share a common health-care success story – new physicians supporting local residents.
Lots of new physicians. In the last six months, Interior Health and its physician and community partners have recruited a total of seven new physicians for these three communities – three in Princeton, two in Sparwood, and two in Elkford. “This great news is a testament to the work our Interior Health leaders and staff, local physicians and these communities have done in highlighting opportunities for physicians. It demonstrates the importance of working in close partnership at all levels to generate interest when we have physician positions to fill,” says Maja Karlsson, IH Leader, Physician Initiatives.
Dr. Eva Idanwekhai; Community Integrated Health Services Administrator Susan Brown; and Ed Staples, vice-president of Princeton’s Support Our Health Care, cut a cake celebrating three new physicians and stable services for the community.
Previous physician vacancies led to temporary service interruptions in Elkford and Sparwood and a temporary service change in Princeton. Thanks to the success in finding new physicians, services in all three communities are stable and patients once again have access to consistent primary and emergency care.
“We know we still have work to do in other areas of IH, but these successes are something we can build on. Rural living and rural medicine are worth celebrating and we need to continue spreading the word about the great opportunities in Interior Health,” says Dr. Curtis Bell, Community Medical Director.
Work in Princeton has also created a strong and ongoing bond between key stakeholders who will continue to focus on health-care services and the overall health of the community.
All rural and remote communities in B.C. have significant incentive programs through the provincial government, so it is important for Interior Health and its partners to highlight the unique aspects of each community. That is being done through the IH physician recruitment website, advertising, and by attending various physician conferences.
An “Action Framework” will serve as a blueprint for developing and sustaining an effective health-care model for people living in and around Princeton. Membership in the committee includes representation from Interior Health, the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen, the Town of Princeton, physicians, the South Okanagan Similkameen Division of Family Practice, various community agencies, and other community members.
“We have some great communities in our region. It is important to make sure that physicians looking for new opportunities know what our communities have to offer, both in terms of great quality of life and exciting and challenging clinical practices,” says Dr. Bell.
I
f any word defines Rosanna McGregor’s time on the Interior Health Board of Directors, it may be “perspective.”
She speaks of it often; the kind of perspective she brought when she was first appointed in 2006, and the kind she will take away when she retires in December. “How many things did I learn about? I was overwhelmed, at times,” says Rosanna, with a chuckle. “When you don’t work inside the system, you don’t understand how huge it is.” True, given that Interior Health spans a geographical footprint the size of the United Kingdom, with some 18,000 employees, the physicians they work alongside, and, most important, the patients they all serve. But what Rosanna did understand was her own background – an invaluable, unique perspective that made her examine health care in a different light than many of her Board counterparts. She was, after all, one of the few women on the Board –and a relatively young Aboriginal female, at that.
a barrier to finding help. She says she hopes she provided insight to her fellow directors. Because of her perspective, Rosanna was also keenly aware of and interested in the direction IH has taken with Aboriginal Health programming. She became chair of the Aboriginal Health and Wellness Advisory Committee when she joined the IH Board, and she is pleased to see that IH has signed Letters of Understanding with several First Nations in the region. It has been a real team effort, she says, among a dedicated group of employees who believe in the cause of Aboriginal health. But even more than that, Rosanna’s own perspective has expanded because of her experience as a director. Her travels have taken her across IH, and she has seen that rural health care is different depending on the circumstances of each community. What she has learned will go with her. She hopes she is leaving something of value behind and that her contributions, particularly as an Aboriginal woman, have made a difference.
Rosanna, a 47-year-old member of the Williams Lake Indian Band, is the lone Board representative from the Cariboo region. She is the Executive Director of the Cariboo Friendship Society, responsible for 26 urban Aboriginal service programs such as transition housing for women and children, pregnancy outreach, alcohol and drug programs, and a host of other social programs. “What I brought was diversity,” acknowledges Rosanna. “A healthy board of directors is a matrix of different skills and experiences. I always brought the perspective of being able to ask things like, ‘How do kids have access to mental health services in crisis situations?’ ” Rosanna’s experiences have allowed her to understand the world of those who need help accessing services and when their personal circumstances – language, culture, addictions or mental health – can become
Rosanna McGregor, representing Interior Health’s Board of Directors, joins with the chiefs of the Tsilhqot’in Nation to sign a health agreement during a ceremony outside of Williams Lake in August.
No Rest for the Retired
D
avid Gillespie is not content to sit on the sidelines and let the world unfold around him. Not when he is able to make a contribution that just might make his own life and the lives of those around him a little bit better. “When I retired from my law practice, I said to myself, now that I have lots of time, I wouldn’t mind making a further contribution to public life,” says David, a 74-yearold retired Kamloops lawyer. “That’s when I went on the Interior Health Board.” That was in March 2008. In December, David will retire once again, this time after serving two terms on the IH Board of Directors. Add those six years to the 15 he served on the B.C. Automobile Association Board, including a turn as Board Chair, and the eight he has sat on the B.C. Lottery Corporation (BCLB) Board – yes, David truly believes in giving back in his own backyard. When he can do so and, at the same time, find the service both intriguing and stimulating, that’s a winning combination, he says. It’s exactly what he found at Interior Health.
“
“
Everybody has a stake in
how health care is provided
“It is a very complex business. Right off the bat, I found that very interesting,” says David, who specialized in real estate development and business law. “Interior Health is the most important organization in the Interior dealing with people’s health. Everybody has a stake in how health care is provided.” David says he has found those who work at IH to be conscious of their role in that provision of quality health care, from staff right up to senior management. He gave extra kudos to Dr. Robert Halpenny, IH’s CEO and President, for his leadership, in particular for steering the ship through the complicated and sometimes challenging reorganization to “One IH.” “I have to laud him. He’s the main person who made that go,” says David.
David Gillespie and his wife, Donna, will spend more time with the neighbours, now that he’s retiring as an IH Board member. If you look closely, you can see a few of them in the background. Bighorn Sheep are regular visitors to their Sun Rivers home in Kamloops.
Retirement from the IH Board will not take David away from public service entirely. He plans to remain on the BCLC Board. The self-described history buff will also continue to devour new books and spend some time golfing. That is when he’s not travelling with his wife of 51 years, Donna, on their annual treks to Hawaii and Palm Springs, Calif., and to their cabin on Shuswap Lake, or spending time with their two children and their families, including four grandchildren. But David says he also plans to keep in touch with his fellow IH Board members, a diverse and co-operative group who have become his friends. He wants to see how the future of health care evolves, now that he knows a little more about it. He’s proud of what has been accomplished in the past six years. Having been born in Royal Inland Hospital and raised in Kamloops, he is eager to see completion of the new Clinical Services Building. “I feel really good about the fact that during the time I’ve been there, we’ve been able to see considerable improvements, first of all in our facilities,” says David. “A lot of money has been spent in improving (existing) facilities and building new ones. Hospitals, and also residential and assisted care, have seen major improvements and additions. It speaks volumes about what IH is doing.”
Lifestyle
Castlegar
Located in the Selkirk Mountain range, Castlegar has become known as one of the most desirable places to live in the region. A vibrant mix of commerce, recreation, and community makes Castlegar an easy choice for a comfortable and active way of life.
Recreation & Culture
At a glance
Population: Approx. 7,000
Health Services: Castlegar & District Community Health Centre, Laboratory, and Mental Health. There are also community and residential programs and services. Economy: Retail trade, forestry, manufacturing, educational services, and tourism.
Natural beauty and rugged adventure is at your doorstep in Castlegar with its biking and hiking trails and world-class skiing at nearby Red Mountain. Kayaking adventures are also very popular on the Slocan River. Castlegar is hub-central for exploring life’s tickle trunk of outdoor activity in the West Kootenays. Camp, hike, shop, golf, fish, mountain bike, pursue arts and culture, or wildlife watch.
In our own words...
“Castlegar is a great place to live and work. It is a friendly city with many opportunities to enjoy nature with rivers, nearby lakes, and camping. Many recreation opportunities are here such as Millennium Park, golf and nearby skiing, and there is a strong Doukhobor heritage. There are great restaurants and schools and it is a good place to raise kids, being not too big and not too small. Our city supports an earth-friendly model with initiatives such as our new energy conscious City Hall and LED street light program. I feel very fortunate and proud to still live in the area where I grew up and to be able to walk to work. Castlegar is a wonderful place to be!” – Shelley Lefurgey, RN BSN, Talarico Place Lodge Castlegar
Kamloops Lake Submitted by: Sean Adams Lower Hourglass Lake Submitted by: David Nikiforuk
Enderby Submitted by: Carole Pugle
Nelson Submitted by: Kathy Montgomery
Where We Live & Work ... A Spotlight on Our Communities 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 Kamloops, Kimberley, Enderby, and Nelson.
Submit your photos of the beautiful places that make up IH: InsideNetWebmaster@interiorhealth.ca
snapshots from the region ... Several payroll staff participated in this year’s CIBC Run for the Cure on Oct. 6 in Kelowna to raise money for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. Team “Bust a Move” consisted of the following staff: Lisa Jolley (Team Captain); Susan LeBlanc; Ashleigh Fry; Judy Newman; Susan Sebastianis; Crystal Tillotson; Rita Meade; Karen Dyson; Nadine Desson; Colleen Milne; Vicki Unrau; and Tracey Culling. Lisa, Susan, and Tracey’s daughters also joined. In total, the team raised $1,327 for the Foundation. Both Susan and Rita are breast cancer survivors, making the cause all the more important to the team.
Respiratory Therapist Lucy Lindros gets her flu shot at Royal Inland Hospital from infection control nurse Debbie Cosgrove-Swan. All health-care employees are encouraged to get immunized against influenza to help protect their most vulnerable clients and patients. Clinic information is posted on the InsideNet.
This fall the Recreation/Rehab team at Polson Place and Gateby invited residents to participate in a community art project with the Vernon Art Gallery. Recreation Therapist Allyson Thompson-Lambert picked up large canvases from the art gallery and residents from the two facilities created art projects which will be displayed on the side of the gallery. Pictured here are Polson Rehabilitation Assistant Trina Olsen and resident Norm working together on the painting.
Medical Device Reprocessing staff from around the region were recognized for their contributions to delivering high quality and safe patient care during MDR Week. Hip-hip-hooray!
Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops
Kelowna General Hospital
East Kootenay Regional Hospital in Cranbrook
Medicos en Accion (Doctors in Action) is a not-for-profit organization that began in Kamloops over a decade ago. They provide surgical care, education, and support to underprivileged countries. Most recently they have travelled to Gambia, Africa, where they run this surgical ward. This year’s mission departs on Nov. 29 for 2.5 weeks. Medicos en Accion are planning a second mission this spring and are looking for interested surgical team members who may want to join this most rewarding adventure. Visit www.medicos-en-accion.com for more information or contact President/RIH RN Anna Peron.