A publication for Staff and Physicians of IH
Dr. Halpenny talks about our organization as he sees it from his day-to-day perspective.
Making engagement part of our every day, we ask for more great ideas.
The group effort of a Kelowna rehab team proved to be a vital part of a young athlete’s healing journey.
Enthusiasm builds as stakeholders come together to improve mental health care for children, youth, and their families.
You saw Jim with his hand in the cookie jar. Now what do you do?
Telehealth celebrates a decade of keeping patients closer to home for their care.
Here are some simple things you can do today, which will help save us health-care dollars tomorrow!
The Long Term Service Award celebrations recognize those who achieve 25, 30, 35, 40, and even 45 years of service with IH.
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.
When we make the call to report wrongdoing, Givonna DeBruin and Rob Desjardins are the people on the other end of the line. Story p. 11.
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 January 2014 @InteriorHealth magazine is December 16. Editors: Amanda Fisher, Breanna Pickett Designers: Breanna Pickett, Kara Visinski, Tracy Watson IH Communications Contributors: Lisa Braman, Lesley Coates, Susan Duncan, Karl Hardt, Erin Toews, Tracy Watson
G CEO Dr. Halpenny and Board Chair Norman Embree spend some time with a group of Grade 9 students participating in Take Our Kids to Work Day at Royal Inland Hospital.
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.
reen is my new favourite colour – Rider green, that is. Born and raised in Saskatchewan, I was thrilled to see the Roughriders win the 2013 Grey Cup, but even more excited for Rider Nation – a team of fans that cheer like none other, through thick and thin (and some pretty nasty weather)! It seems no matter where you might move in the country or world, you never really let that feeling go – Rider Pride runs deep.
and wellness of the Aboriginal population.
That kind of pride got me thinking about the great examples of teamwork I’ve seen across IH in the last while. From the Take Our Kids to Work event at RIH, to progress in our partnerships with First Nations, to a successful Trauma Accreditation pilot. I see over and over how good things happen when we all work together. And that’s inspiring – it’s the reason I come to work every day.
The theme of teamwork was front and centre again during a report-out session with Accreditation Canada on Nov. 20. Interior Health’s Emergency and Trauma Services Network was given the opportunity to be one of three trauma systems in Canada to participate in an Accreditation pilot that will set the foundation for Accreditation Canada’s Trauma Distinction Designation program.
On Nov. 6, our Board Chair Norman Embree and I were on a walkabout in Royal Inland Hospital when we were invited to meet the Grade 9 students participating in Take Our Kids to Work Day. Several teams at RIH pitched in to tour the students through Emergency, X-ray, Medical Device Reprocessing, and Laundry to show how every department plays a crucial role in a patient’s journey through the hospital. The highlight of the day was a chance to try out different surgical procedures in one of the ORs, with instruction provided by physicians and medical students. This took me back to my own medical school days. I loved suturing! These kids are our future, our innovators – it was exciting to see their enthusiasm. Kudos to the team of staff, managers, and physicians who helped make this happen.
The pilot was a terrific opportunity to showcase the passion, dedication, and engagement we see at all levels to improve care for the critically injured patients within IH and, as a rural health authority, providing excellent trauma services is a priority. Thanks to everyone involved for doing an excellent job!
While in Kamloops, we also met with representatives of the seven First Nations in our region to discuss the terms of reference for our Interior Partnership Accord Leadership Team. November marked the one-year anniversary of the signing of this Accord – a document that solidifies the importance of relationship building, partnership, and meaningful participation between First Nations and Interior Health, and formalizes our commitment to continue working together to advance the health
Teamwork is all around us in IH – in departments, in sites, and across the entire organization. Some of us are on the ground, doing the frontline work, others are providing support behind the scenes, but everyone is pushing in the right direction to reach the same goal – high quality patient care. Thank you for your contributions throughout 2013.
On a related note, we visited Merritt for a Letter of Understanding (LOU) signing ceremony with the Nlaka’pamux Nation. This is the sixth LOU signed by Interior Health with Aboriginal partners, and it outlines a co-operative approach to improving the health status of individuals, families, and communities through health services that recognize cultural and spiritual practices.
In other good news, we are starting to see a positive shift in our financial picture. This speaks to the actions we have taken across the organization to reduce spending – our focused efforts are paying off. However, we also know that we must remain vigilant in managing expenses in order to end the fiscal year in a balanced position. I appreciate your commitment to this and encourage you to continue sending in your ideas for cost savings.
Happy Holidays … wishing you joy and peace throughout the season and beyond.
your
opinions
count @
What can we do to reduce costs and find savings while still providing quality care?
Here are a few excerpts from what we heard to date for November’s topic:
“There are all too often supplies brought to, or left at patient bedside that are not necessary. If those supplies have any contact with the patient area, they become unusable elsewhere due to infection control issues, and thus become waste …”
“One thing that can be done is to have many of the documents that are printed out every night, i.e. flow sheets, medication sheets etc. printed double sided …”
“...The rural sites do not get a very large budget, however, they are able to make it work with what they have. The larger sites are unable to.”
“…Come to work happy and stay happy. Happy workplaces, happy workers, happier patients, more productivity, less time and money spent on absenteeism and union grievances …”
Thanks to all who took the time to share suggestions for reducing costs and finding savings across IH. The response has been impressive and many great ideas have been submitted. In the New Year, a complete list of responses will be sent to the Senior Executive Team. Each suggestion will be reviewed and discussed to determine feasibility and potential for implementation. And, we’ll be sure to circle back and let you know about the ones that move forward and make a difference. Due to the popularity of this topic, we will continue with the same question for December. Please keep the ideas coming! Send your feedback to YourOpinionsCount@interiorhealth.ca and we’ll share more excerpts in the next @IH, along with a new topic for discussion. Visit the Engagement web page on the InsideNet to view the complete list of responses.
Patient STORY
P
atients and staff alike are quick to greet Judah Campbell when he walks onto the KGH Rehabilitation Unit.
“I almost didn’t recognize you with that haircut,” someone says. “You got rid of your beard,” another comments. Everyone seems happy to see him – and really, the simple fact that he is even walking is enough to make you smile.
Despite successful surgery to fixate and fuse the vertebrae, the future remained unknown in those first few days. Judah, who had recently run a half-marathon and was accustomed to playing rugby two to three times a week, wondered if he would walk again.
“
“
Just a few weeks ago Judah was admitted to the tertiary rehab unit with an acute spinal cord injury. The 24-year old Kelowna rugby player was faced with the possibility of not walking again after an Oct. 5 injury on the field left him with a dislocated C4/5 vertebrae and subsequent compression of his spinal cord.
Doing the simplest thing is
challenging … and even though
its frustrating, you just have to keep doing what they tell you.
“When the injury first happened, that’s the first thing that ran through my head. You wonder, what’s going to happen down the road?” he says. “You look to the future, but there was enough going on in the present to focus on.”
With tireless support from his four siblings and parents, their church community, the international rugby community, his girlfriend, and the multidisciplinary team in the rehab unit, Judah began the difficult road to recovery. Physiotherapy would help him get moving again, while occupational therapy would assist him in relearning skills needed for day-to-day
activity. Nursing staff helped Judah with basic self-care and helped him to relearn things that were once automatic, such as changing positions in bed to manage his skin integrity. “Rehabilitation is a team effort and everyone is involved,” says Unit Manager Erika O’Reilly. The team includes not only PT and OT, but nursing, speech therapy, social work, physiatry, and more. “Nobody works in isolation.” Support came from fellow patients as well. “You meet the other patients and see their progress day-to-day, and you have people cheering you on,” says Judah.
“He left the Rehab Unit talking about goals like getting back to driving, whereas at the start it was about getting back to feeding himself. He made huge improvements in a remarkably short time, which is fabulous for him and it’s nice for the rehab team to see someone do so well.” Both PT and OT focus on setting and achieving goals. “You have a list to tick through – how can I be on my own for transfers? How can I get up? Then, how can I become independent with my walking? And then, how can I get rid of walkers? How can I get rid of canes?” says Rob.
“Specific goals may be simple or complex,” says Jackie. “It could be as simple as getting in/out of bed or as “Spinal cord injuries are not a huge part of our population,” complex as being able to drive independently in the says Erika, who estimates that strokes comprise about 85 community. It’s about overcoming obstacles and having per cent of cases on KGH’s 38-bed tertiary inpatient unit. the tools to be on your own.” “However, with Judah’s case, we were able to manage his level and move forward and the team embraced these At home now since Nov. 1, Judah is hoping to hear efforts.” soon about next steps in his medical school application. He remains focused on his recovery, balancing social visits “We did the first assessment and saw Judah had lots of with plenty of rest and his home physio program. He still issues, but he had some leg strength so we saw potential. gets fatigued and will continue as an outpatient at KGH. We wanted to get him standing. We love to do that right away because it’s such a psychological boost. It goes from “I’m doing a lot better. Every week, every day, is a little bit ‘can this happen?’ to ‘okay this is happening!’ ” explains better,” says Judah. “How far I’ve come – I’m so fortunate Physiotherapist Rob Baker. compared to a lot of people. I know I’m really lucky.” “There is a lot you take for granted until illness or injury,” says Occupational Therapist Jackie Bull, who has been working at KGH for about a year. “For Judah to be so active and then to be sitting at a table unable to open a jar, it’s very humbling.” Judah admits OT in particular was tough. “There were definitely times that were frustrating,” he says, “especially when you first come to rehab and there are all these things you have been able to do your whole life and you have to relearn them. Doing the simplest thing is challenging. You try to pick something up and your hands are fumbling and you can’t do it. It definitely takes time and you have to remember that everyone is here to help you, and even though it’s frustrating, you just have to keep doing what they tell you.” Originally, Jackie says, there was uncertainty of how much function Judah would be able to regain. The fear of permanent disability was there. But he started improving quickly. Left: Judah, pictured here during the annual fundraising match of the Ensign Cup, has received messages of support from professional players as far away as New Zealand. Right: Judah’s father, Wesley Campbell, cheers him on through one of many tough physiotherapy sessions. Photos courtesy of: Judah Campbell
A
light looms in the darkness for desperate families of children with mental health or substance use issues. That beacon has a name and many determined people are carrying it. An initiative underway in the Interior Health region is offering new hope for children and families experiencing mental health and/or substance use issues. It’s called the Child and Youth Mental Health and Substance Use (CYMHSU) Collaborative and it is bringing together families, youth, psychiatrists, pediatricians, ER and family physicians, mental health clinicians, social workers, school counsellors, First Nations groups, RCMP, and administrators from community agencies, three government ministries, and Interior Health.
Tracey Kirkman is one of three Action Team Leaders for Shuswap-Salmon Arm. Behind her is one of the posters outlining the mental health and substance use services and supports in their region for children, youth, and families.
first learning session last June. This large-scale initiative has a seemingly simple purpose – to increase the number of children, youth, and their Speaker after speaker echoed his comments throughout families receiving timely access to integrated mental health the day. and substance use services and supports. “We are so pleased to be in this room with you,” said Keli But as the parents of any troubled child or youth will Anderson, the founder of F.O.R.C.E., which represents the say, it’s far from simple. Services are often found to be family voice. “We have been waiting for three decades for fragmented and confusing. Families can be frustrated by this. Thank you for supporting a better journey for children, long wait lists or health professionals disconnected from youth, and families.” each other, as well as an acute care system not always equipped to deal with the complicated needs of their Andrew Neuner, Interior Health’s Executive Sponsor of children. Mental Health, spoke about the desire by all stakeholders to make change. Parents and youth are not the only people who have felt helpless in this uncoordinated system of care. The growing "We have the right people in the room to do something participation in the CYMHSU Collaborative demonstrates that has never been done before," he said. Val Tregillus, the enthusiasm by everyone to find a better way. a Collaborative Leader with Dave Harrhy, and Mark Armitage of the Ministry of Child and Family Development, “The momentum is quite staggering,” Shared Care Project acknowledged that the task ahead might seem Director Dave Harrhy told a packed room at the second overwhelming. learning session of the Collaborative on Nov. 6. in Kelowna Membership has grown substantially since the “But if every person, and there are 157 of us in this room,
identified one thing we could do differently by next Tuesday, we could shift the system. It’s the personal action that will make a difference.” The Collaborative participants also heard heartbreaking stories from parents unsupported as they struggled to find help for their children. "My daughter was cutting and wanting to die,” said one mom. “After a visit to the ER, her feelings of worthlessness were confirmed after waiting 14 hours with nothing more than the advice to keep the ropes and pills away from her." And while it is the stories that will emphasize the importance of the Collaborative, Keli had a word of warning. "These are not just stories, this is our life. We live this every day!" Eight action teams, with diverse representation, have been created within the Collaborative to work together in eight areas within the Interior on projects addressing the gaps in service. At the November learning session, Kelowna’s Action Team reported on its work, which includes compiling a list of community resources connected to child and youth mental health. Family physician Dr. Marianne Morgan said she was already able to use the contact information to offer support to a parent of a youth in crisis. The Collaborative will hold its third learning session in early 2014.
Above: Mark Armitage of the Ministry of Children and Family Development, and Val Tregillus of the Inter-Divisional Strategy Council, are leading the Collaborative along with Dave Harrhy of the Shared Care Committee. Right: Shared Care Committee Co-Chair Kelly McQuillen (L) chats with April Lawrence, a conference observer, during a break at the Collaborative’s second learning session.
The Child and Youth Mental Health and Substance Use (CYMHSU) Collaborative is led by the Inter-divisional Strategic Council ─ a partnership of Interior Health and seven divisions of family practice representing more than 700 family physicians in the region ─ the BC Medical Association, and the BC Government (Ministries of Health, Children and Family Development, and Education). The Shared Care Committee supports the CYMHSU Collaborative, with additional support for specialist participation from the Specialist Services Committee. Both committees are partnerships between the Ministry of Health and the BC Medical Association.
I
nterior Health recently introduced a safe reporting hotline for anyone to use (including the public) to confidentially report known or suspected cases of wrongdoing in Interior Health without fear of punishment or retaliation.
Givonna DeBruin is the Corporate Director of Internal Audit and is responsible for the safe reporting program. Internal Audit is an independent authority within IH which reports directly to CEO Dr. Robert Halpenny and the Board of Directors. “Safe reporting is for issues that do not already have an established reporting process,” says Givonna. “Whenever possible your concerns should first be brought forward to management or Human Resources, or for personal care issues, the Patient Care Quality Office. We are here to help when traditional reporting lines do not work or exist.” The hotline is for reporting specific types of concerns and allegations including: unethical or unprofessional conduct; criminal acts; misuse of funds; or non-compliance with IH policies, including conflict of interest. It is Givonna or Rob Desjardins, Senior Internal Auditor, who will answer the phone when you call the hotline. “When you call, we are there first to listen to your concerns. Then we ask questions to determine if safe reporting is the appropriate avenue and explain how the process works,” says Givonna. “We also ask if you have evidence or documentation – for example meeting notes, reports, items of that nature which can be helpful – and what your expectations are as an outcome.”
43% of workplace fraud is reported through safe reporting lines.
IH HotLine: 1-855-432-7233
The safe reporting hotline does not have caller ID. When you call, Givonna and Rob will ask whether you wish to share your name or remain anonymous. “When you share your name, you can be assured that we will protect your identity,” says Rob. “By sharing who you are, we can ask for more information if necessary and report back to you on what is happening. It’s okay if you prefer to remain anonymous, but in those cases, we will ask you to call us back from time to time.” Another available option is reporting by email or regular mail. While these reporting methods are just as confidential as calling the hotline, email does makes it more difficult to remain anonymous if that is your choice. “We understand that the decision to report can be difficult. That’s why Rob and I are focused on being approachable and helpful to anyone who calls, writes, or emails,” adds Givonna. For more information, read Interior Health’s Safe Reporting Policy. We all have a duty to report wrongdoing. When we make the call, Givonna DeBruin and Rob Desjardins are the people on the other end of the line.
I
t takes eight minutes for Norma Ellis to drive to Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital in Trail where she will learn whether she has pulmonary hypertension.
That’s a mere fraction of the 10 hours it would have taken her to drive to Vancouver to see Dr. John Swiston, a specialist at Vancouver General Hospital. In Trail, Norma’s appointment with Dr. Swiston takes place via the magic of telehealth videoconferencing, which gives patients access to high-quality health care without having to travel hundreds of kilometres. "I think it's really great to have this,” says Norma of her first experience with telehealth. “I got everything done and it went really well." So well, in fact, that Norma was able to learn – in a matter of minutes – that she does not have pulmonary hypertension. Interior Health is a telehealth leader and was an early adopter of the technology, which has helped increase timely access to high-quality services for patients across our health authority. Ten years ago this month, the first telehealth consultation in IH took place. Kelowna-based thoracic surgeons, from the BC Thoracic Surgery Program, linked with Cranbrook patients to conduct initial surgical assessments and post-operative follow ups.
Trail patient Norma Ellis uses telehealth videoconferencing to consult with Dr. John Swiston, a pulmonary hypertension specialist at Vancouver General Hospital. An eight-minute drive to Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital was all the time it took Norma to reach her physician – instead of a 10-hour drive to Vancouver.
Since then, more than 10,000 thoracic patients have been seen at 43 different hospitals and health-care sites in IH, saving patients more than 7,300,000 kilometres in travel in what is largely a rural health authority. Today, 30 per cent of all thoracic practice in Interior Health is performed via telehealth – and that earned this service a 2009 HEABC Top Innovator Gold Apple Award. But telehealth has become so much more in the last decade. It now includes more than 20 different services with nearly 55,000 patient uses
per year, from surgical consults, to wound treatment, to after-hours virtual patient registry.
is the best place to recover from illness and injury and manage chronic conditions.
“Telehealth is a true patient-centric service,” says Loretta Zilm, who manages telehealth for IH. “It reduces the patients’ burden of travel and helps to equalize their access to specialty and other health-care services.”
Patients from rural communities are able to take advantage of these services, saving them significant travel time to appointments in Kelowna and Kamloops. But IH patients are also able to link with physicians in Vancouver. For instance, patients with high-risk pregnancies are able to consult with physicians at BC Children’s and Women’s Hospital via tele-ultrasounds.
IH offers telehealth in three different ways. Most commonly known is the synchronous service, which is real-time videoconferencing. However, telehealth also includes an asynchronous service, which is the uploading of wound pictures to a system that is accessible by physicians and staff from one end of IH to the other. Telehealth also includes Home Health Monitoring, where patients check in from their homes, keeping with IH’s philosophy that the home, with appropriate supports,
Administrative Events After Hours Centralized Registration Cardiac Diabetes Educational Events Endocrinology Forensic Psychiatry Gastroenterology Gynecology Hereditary Genetics High Risk Pregnancy Ultrasound Home Health Monitoring Infectious Disease Mental Health Methadone Neurology Oncology Operational Stress Injury
“Health professionals benefit, too,” Loretta says, adding that there is live streaming for teaching opportunities with the UBC Clinical Academic Campus Lecture Theatre. “Telehealth improves access to continuing medical education and to a second opinion when one is needed. This helps reduce the isolation of health-care professionals working in rural and remote communities.”
Pacer Pain Clinic Pathology Pediatric Pediatric Epilepsy Pharmacy Physician Rounds Pulmonary Rehabilitation Renal Sexual Medicine Speech Language Stroke (Hot Stroke) Surgical Thoracic Urology Wound
Colon Screening Program Now Available Provincewide
The full Colon Screening Program is now available in all health authorities across British Columbia, including Interior Health! Colon cancer screening saves lives in two important ways: • Preventing colon cancer by finding and removing polyps before they turn into cancer. • Finding cancers early when there are more treatment options and better outcomes. There are two screening tests for colon cancer – the fecal immunochemical test (FIT) for average risk individuals and colonoscopy for individuals at a higher than average risk of colon cancer. Primary care providers will help patients determine which test is right for them. The centralized BC Cancer Agency colon screening registry will facilitate patient referrals to health authorities for colonoscopies. Over 20 regional health authority patient coordinators are in place across the province to support patients with pre-colonoscopy assessments and preparation. The registry will also help recall patients at the appropriate interval and monitor performance to support quality patient care.
For more information about colon cancer and the Colon Screening Program, visit www.screeningbc.ca/colon
7
In order to protect dollars for patient care, and also achieve a balanced budget, we all need to do our part to find efficiencies and reduce costs. Here are some things you can do today, which will help save us health-care dollars tomorrow!
Save your sick time for when you need it! Learn more about our Attendance Promotion Program. ANNUAL COST: $29.8M 2012/13
Or, set up your security questions so if you do forget, you can easily reset by answering your self-made questions! Save a call to the Service Desk ($12.46 + taxes per call). ANNUAL COST: $320K 2012/13
First and foremost, make use of our meeting technologies to reduce travel. If you must meet face-to-face, use IH’s fleet vehicles and stay in preferred hotels. ANNUAL COST: $8.8M 2012/13
Our Workplace Conservation Awareness Program encourages us to turn off lights and computer monitors at the end of the day. ANNUAL COST: $15.8M 2012/13
Prevent work-place injuries by implementing safer work practices, reducing unnecessary occupational injuries, and promoting safe and healthy workplaces. ANNUAL COST: $4.2M 2012/13
Recycle and use supplies wisely! This includes medical, office, and even laundry. ANNUAL COST: $55.6M 2012/13
Don’t fall victim. Managing privacy and security breaches is costly to our reputation and our bottom line. Forward all suspicious emails to SPAM and then delete! ANNUAL COST: $422K estimation
So, keep sending in great ideas! Every day look for ways to do things more efficiently, and pass it on!
This fall, there were four Long Term Service Award celebrations held across our region to recognize staff members and physicians who have achieved 25, 30, 35, 40, and even 45 years of service with Interior Health.
! Each year, IH staff and physicians working in the Okanagan, East Kootenay, Kootenay Boundary, and Thompson Cariboo Shuswap are acknowledged for their long term service. Pictured here are some of those recipients. A heartfelt thank you to all the volunteers who helped to co-ordinate these special events. Visit the Recognition web page on the InsideNet for a full listing of all 2013 recipients and to see more photos from the events.
Lifestyle
Golden
Gorgeous scenery, crisp mountain air, and the most majestic scenery in the world are at your doorstep. Located in the Rockies of B.C., Golden lives up to its reputation as the ultimate destination for an incredible array of outdoor activities.
Recreation & Culture
At a glance Population: Approx. 7,000 Health Services: Golden & District General Hospital and Golden Health Care Centre. There are also community and residential programs and services. Economy: Tourism, forestry, and the Canadian Pacific Railway.
Eco-tourism and outdoor adventures are available for every skill level and every interest. Residents and visitors enjoy spectacular hiking, mountain biking, ice-climbing, river rafting, and the six national and provincial parks in the region. Kicking Horse Mountain is also rated as the #1 powder skiing resort in North America by Skiing Magazine. Throughout the year, residents enjoy the town’s Art Gallery, as well as the film festivals, plays, and touring musicians hosted by the Golden District Arts Council.
In our own words...
“Every season in Golden offers something spectacular – from hiking, hang-gliding, camping, fishing, a walking trail system, and mountain biking in the summer months, to all kinds of skiing and sledding, skating indoors or out, tobogganing, and watching our Golden Rockets hockey team in the winter. A lively arts community offers great music and drama, and the beautiful mountain views are breath-taking. Great food and warm-hearted people at every corner make this a great place to call home.” – Rhoda Taggart, Medical Device Reprocessing Technologist
Robbins Range Road Submitted by: Don Johnson
Marron Valley Submitted by: Jackie Jones
Lac Le Jeune Submitted by: Kecia Turunen
Penticton Submitted by: Steph Broccolo
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, Logan Lake, Penticton, and South Okanagan.
Submit your photos of the beautiful places that make up IH: InsideNetWebmaster@interiorhealth.ca
snapshots from the region ... Interior Health’s first Lean certification cohort recently received ‘Daruma’ Dolls, a symbol of good luck and perseverance, after completing the theoretical learning stage of their training. Surgical Services is our Lean focus this year and, pictured here (L-R), Lori Motluk, Dr. Mike Ertel, Sharon Cook, Nicky Deakin, Shelley Smillie, Pat Breakey, Bev Sieker, and Sherri Lampman are well on their way to becoming Lean Implementation Specialists. Congratulations to such a dedicated team!! (Missing from photo Susan Brown, VP Acute Services).
Kelowna resident Charlene Bredahl works out under Physiotherapist Simone Manfredi’s supervision during a new adapted exercise class for people with COPD. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder makes it hard to breathe, but being active is proven to have many benefits. Four new exercise classes are running in the Kelowna area as part of IH's BreatheWell program.
IH Administrative Services Assistant Pam Jeffries has had a busy fall, packaging up vaccines in preparation for flu clinics in the Kamloops region. She gets the vaccines from the refrigeration room at the Kamloops Health Unit, records the necessary information, and puts them in the portable coolers in preparation for the public health nurses who transport the vaccines to the various clinic locations. Public flu clinics run into January in some locations. For more information, visit the Flu Clinics page on IH’s public website.
RIH celebrated national Take Our Kids To Work Day on Nov. 6 by hosting 32 Grade 9 students, all of whom are children of staff who work at the Kamloops hospital. The students toured areas such as Emergency, X-Ray, Medical Device Reprocessing and Laundry, to see how every department can play a crucial role in a patient’s journey through the hospital. The highlight of the day was a chance to try out different surgical procedures in one of RIH’s ORs, with instruction provided by physicians and medical students. Watch out folks – there may be a few future doctors and nurses in this bunch!
When First Nations clients walk into one of Interior Health’s Community Mental Health and Substance Use sites, Aboriginal artwork will be part of their surroundings. Several paintings were commissioned through federal funding as part of a project called Welcoming Spaces and proposed by Kamloops CIHS Manager Rae Samson and Addictions Project Lead Kat Hinter. Shadow boxes containing Aboriginal artifacts, as well as a fishing weir, will also go on display at the facilities. Tk’emlups artist Lyle Paul, Rae, Tk’emlups Chief Shane Gottfriedson, IH Aboriginal Health Director Brad Anderson and Kat attend a celebration welcoming the art to IH sites.
There was no shortage of donations for the Joint Effort campaign at RIH’s Orthopedic Clinic, led by campaign organizers Christie Bert (left) and Lindsay Gardner, pictured here with less than one week’s collection. For the second straight year, the Joint Effort campaign gathered new or gently used men’s, women’s and children’s clothing, as well as winter wear, blankets, sleeping bags, and unused toiletries, and turned them over to Emerald Centre and New Life Mission in Kamloops, for distribution to those in need.