A publication for Staff and Physicians of IH
Meet Dr. Jeremy Etherington, Vice-President of Medicine & Quality.
Preparing for the 2015 Employee Engagement Survey, we want to know what each Gallup Q12 question means to you.
How teamwork helped saved a Salmon Arm man’s life.
Nurse Practitioner Patrice Gordon will never forget her patients from Sierra Leone.
Learn about Ebola protocol at IH and throughout the province.
Interior Health has been recognized as a leading employer in B.C. for a third consecutive year.
New HR plan taps into valuable employee pool in growing Aboriginal population.
We get up close and personal with Charlene William, LPN at Mountain View Lodge in Lillooet.
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.
Patrice Gordon home with her dogs, Rico and Chica. Story 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 March 2015 @InteriorHealth magazine is February 11. Editors: Amanda Fisher, Breanna Pickett Designers: Breanna Pickett, Kara Visinski, Tracy Watson IH Communications Contributors: Lisa Braman, Lesley Coates, Susan Duncan, Patrick Gall, Karl Hardt, Megan Kavanagh, Breanna Pickett, Erin Toews, Tracy Watson
Every person matters
W
elcome to the inaugural VP guest column, a new feature within @IH. Throughout the year, members of the Senior Executive team will share highlights from their portfolio. So, let’s get started with my portfolio – Medicine and Quality. One of the outstanding aspects of this portfolio is that it provides endless opportunities to make positive change.
VP of Medicine & Quality, Dr. Jeremy Etherington.
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.
corporate and clinical risk and, when something untoward does happen, that we learn from our mistakes and share our learnings. We are continuously improving our systems approach to risk management to mitigate harm to patients, residents, and clients, and to the health authority itself.
A major area of focus right now in Infection Prevention and Control is on antibiotic-resistant organisms. New threats are emerging continuously and In Medical Affairs, our focus is on making we need to ensure IH has a strategy in sure that physician governance is as place to monitor these and minimize risk. effective as possible. This means bylaws One of the simplest strategies to combat are understood and enforceable, medical infection is basic hand hygiene, which staff rules are appropriate to our unique we monitor regularly. In addition, we circumstances and up to date, physicians have established a new Antimicrobial are engaged, and we have strong Stewardship Program that will address leadership on the Health Authority inappropriate antibiotic use, which can Medical Advisory Committee, which quickly lead to microbial resistance. governs IH physicians and advises the Board on clinical care. Another area with great potential is the development of research and academics. I’m so impressed with the diverse, Within IH, research has predominantly collaborative medical leadership that IH been led by nursing. However, with the has developed. I’m also convinced that opening of the Southern Medical Program the administrator/physician co-leadership (SMP), we took the opportunity to model we have developed is vital to engage physicians and medical trainees delivering the highest quality of care as well through the alignment of the possible. IH Research Strategy with the SMP research agenda. To truly become an Within Quality, Risk and Accreditation, academic health science enterprise, we I’m really excited about the new Quality need to start doing research in a more Awards. There are so many examples integrated and collaborative way, with of employees at all levels engaged in as many health professions as possible. improving the quality of care we We are in early days yet, but I see great provide. The monthly awards, and things happening in the near future. upcoming annual award, recognize these outstanding efforts. As VP of such a diverse portfolio, it’s vital that I don’t lose sight of our This team is also responsible for the strategic objectives. The thing that keeps development and delivery of a strategic me on track is to always bring it back to plan for quality across IH, and for one fundamental goal: aligning the work ensuring the Ministry’s strategic goals in our portfolio to make sure we support are reflected in the work we do. Of IH in providing the best possible care to course, we are also busy preparing for patients, residents, and clients. To make Accreditation 2015, which is coming this this happen we, as employees, must fall. bring more of ourselves to work every day, which is why engagement is such Risk management is another key area an important focus across IH. Every in my portfolio. This team is responsible person does matter and, as a leader, for making sure IH has a consistent it is important that my staff not only approach to addressing issues of understand this, but feel it as well.
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his June, Interior Health employees will be asked to complete an Employee Engagement Survey. In preparation, we want to know what each of the 12 questions means to you, and how it relates to your level of employee engagement.
The question for February:
Q10. I have a best friend at work.
Research indicates that workplaces in which employees report having a “best friend” are more efficient and productive than workplaces with fewer best friends. People would rather build bridges than walls around themselves. This element deals with optimizing group contributions by enhancing the quality of relationships between employees in the workplace, in turn nurturing trust and emotional loyalty. People look out for their friends. A friend reminds his buddy to put on his hard hat. In the few seconds before a fall might occur, a friend is more likely to spot the hazard and rush to steady the ladder. A friend guards his comrade’s safety as much as he does his own. Additionally, friends are more likely to invite and share candid information, suggestions, and opinions, and to accept them without feeling threatened. The good feelings friends share make them more likely to cheer each other on. Friends are more committed to the goals of the group and work harder, regardless of the type of task. Group members who identify most closely with the team are more likely to monitor its performance against the goal.
encouragement
trust loyalty camaraderie
With this description of a “best friend” in mind, share your thoughts with us. Do you have someone that looks out for you? Someone you identify with, share with, and cheer on? Please send your feedback to YourOpinionsCount and we’ll share excerpts in the next @IH. In last month’s @IH, we looked at two questions from the engagement survey: Q8. The mission or purpose of my organization makes me feel my job is important. Q9. My associates or fellow employees are committed to doing quality work. The complete list of responses is posted on the Engagement web page.
the of the matter
ayle Bowers knew something was off when her husband, Jack, said he was going to watch the news after lunch because he was tired. After all, this was a 64-year-old man who had completed four – yes, four! – Ironman triathlons. Inactivity and Jack Bowers are two things that do not go together.
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Jack’s reaction on a Friday afternoon last June was odd. And even odder when Gayle saw him turning colour and then making an unusual snoring-like sound. And then … she couldn’t wake him. Jack Bowers was in full cardiac arrest. “I would have been less surprised if I had been hit on my bike. There were no signs,” Jack says now. He doesn’t remember it, of course, but he was rushed to Shuswap Lake General Hospital, where the health-care team led by Dr. Geordie Pullin leapt to action. They did so while in the midst of their own shock – a prominent local businessman and owner of Bowers Funeral Service, Jack is a well-known fellow in Salmon Arm.
don’t think of, like the unit clerks,” he says. “It’s amazing the work they do and the things they help us with. We rely even more so on teamwork.” That teamwork saved Jack’s life. He spent two weeks at KGH and was then transferred to Victoria Jubilee Hospital, where he had a defibrillator installed in his heart. A week after that, he was home – and today, thanks in large part to his previous level of fitness, he looks fit as a fiddle. Jack is thankful and grateful for all of the health-care professionals who cared for him. As a former volunteer ambulance attendant, he knows a little about the medical system, and could see the dedication in his caregivers – a “vibrant staff,” he calls them. “People ask me if I was worried. I said, ‘Worried about what?’ ” he says. “Everything worked out right. Worry never entered into it.”
The real hero of the day, Jack adds, was his wife. With the support of the 9-1-1 operator, Gayle performed life-saving “When we saw it was Jack, we said, ‘Are you kidding me? CPR for 12 full minutes until paramedics could take over Mr. Triathlete? How can this be?’ Jack is one of the fittest and defibrillate Jack. Without that first response, the rest people on the planet,” says Jo Tighe, an Emergency Room would not have been possible. RN who was working that day. Jack’s experience also made something else possible. His “Every life is sacred. Every life has value. But to have lost story sparked the Shuswap Hospital Foundation to donate Jack would have been a crushing blow to us all,” says a Stryker Meditherm System. This equipment enables Dr. Pullin, who is fast friends with Jack’s son-in-law. medical staff to quickly and efficiently control hypothermia, when the body has lost too much heat, and hyperthermia, Dr. Pullin says Jack arrived unconscious but with a cardiac when it needs to be cooled. It offers the safest and most rhythm. He was able to establish an airway and regain effective way of controlling body temperature during circulation. Most patients don’t get that far, he admits. emergency situations. It allowed him to use the uncommon technique of packing ice around Jack to lower his body temperature. Fewer than two per cent of people survive the kind of cardiac event that Jack had. Jo says it’s “awesome” to It isn’t fancy, says Dr. Pullin, but the cooling protected see the difference she and her colleagues, including Dr. Jack’s brain and cardiac system by slowing his blood flow, Pullin, Dr. Scott McKee, and the nursing staff, made for and bought him some time before being airlifted to him. Kelowna General Hospital for further care. “That’s what keeps us coming back every day,” she says. “It was a blur,” says Jo, who has worked at SLGH for Do you know the signs of a heart attack? Warning signs 20 years. “But the amount of people involved was can vary from person to person and they may not always amazing. It was a real team effort. Everyone was running be sudden or severe. They include chest discomfort, to get bags of ice – from the ER, the kitchen, physio. sweating, nausea, shortness of breath, lightheadedness Everybody had a hand in it.” and discomfort in other areas of the upper body such as neck, jaw, shoulder, arms, and back. Some may Before coming to Salmon Arm 11 years ago, Dr. Pullin experience one of these symptoms, while others worked in Charleston, West Virginia, at the fourth-largest experience a combination. cardiac facility in the U.S. He says life is different at smaller facilities, where resources and equipment are fewer. Learn more about preventing, recognizing, and treating heart disease at www.heartandstroke.ca. “We rely a lot on our nursing staff and the people you Gayle and Jack Bowers, centre, are grateful for the care Jack received at Shuswap Lake General Hospital from the health-care team that included ER nurse Jo Tighe, left, and Dr. Geordie Pullin.
Extraordinary
During her four weeks caring for Ebola patients at the Kenema Treatment Centre, Family Nurse Practitioner Patrice Gordon shared her experience in the blog posts under the photo captions on our Facebook page.
N
o one could accuse Patrice Gordon of living an ordinary life, although she never set out to be altruistic or adventurous. In fact, she’s quite practical.
As a young girl, she planned to be a commercial pilot, but when a career counsellor pointed out that wasn’t the most realistic choice for a teenager with a baby, she became a registered nurse. She didn’t give up on her dream of flying; she just did it in a different way, training as an emergency flight transport nurse. Many of Patrice’s big decisions have been made by following her heart. It was that inner voice telling her she was needed that led her to Afghanistan in 2008 to work in a multinational medical unit. It’s what prompted her to travel to isolated regions of the Chilcotin in 2006 to provide primary health care in remote communities, which is where she works today as a family nurse practitioner. It ultimately led her to Sierra Leone, West Africa, in December where she directly cared for patients suffering from the highly contagious Ebola Virus Disease. And it may be what takes her back again if the deadly disease continues to ravage the population. “Since my return, every single patient has asked me, ‘How was West Africa?’ I struggle because there isn’t an easy answer. But I do say it was a very powerful, rewarding experience and I’m really glad I went. I met many people, patients and colleagues I will remember all my life. And I feel like I made a difference.” She said the profound impact of the experience hit her in mid-January as she was unpacking some final items and came across a small, red notebook, containing names and medical notes on all the patients she cared for at the treatment centre.
“I burst into tears at the sight of it and it hit home that I have a lot of work to do to find a good place within me to put all these memories.” She hasn’t opened the notebook because she is not yet ready to process all of the emotions that she knows will arise as she reflects on each of the individual people she cared for. “About half of those people died and so many of them were children. They came in droves and they all had stories of loss that were enough to slay you. Each one of them touched my life and I did my best to touch theirs.” As a humanitarian, Patrice became a member of the Red Cross Emergency Response Unit in 2010. As an animal lover, she travels regularly to Thailand to work at a Buddhist elephant rescue sanctuary and has ended up as part owner of a rescued elephant. At home, she is attached at the hip to her Pyrenean mastiff Rico and, as of January, his little sister Chica, a Great Pyrenees.
Kenema
Treatm ent
Centre
Those dogs are also favourites with her patients, especially the children, who sometimes get rewarded with a visit with the dogs after they have bravely accepted their medical treatment. Whether she intentionally set out to live an extraordinary life is not clear to her. “I think we all have different ideas of what will help us feel fulfilled. I want to help the people in this world, but I also want to help the trees, the oceans, animals of all shapes and sizes, so that we all have a place in a healthy environment.” Patrice, who is the mother of three grown sons, spends eight months of the year living in the Chilcotin without fear of loneliness. She has an affinity with isolated wilderness regions. She happily drives hours on rough roads to reach her patients in Toosey, Nemiah, Stone, Anaham, Red Stone, Alexis Creek Health Centre, and Anahim Lake. “I absolutely love my job,” she says. Patrice’s partner, Dr. Rob Coetzee, has led an equally extraordinary life having moved to the Chilcotin from Antarctica where he had been the physician at the South African National Antarctic Expedition base. Their companionship along with a shared love of dogs, snowy adventures, and medicine has made a wonderful life even more complete. “I wouldn’t change a single thing,” says Patrice.
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hen Family Nurse Practitioner Patrice Gordon returned from caring for Ebola patients in West Africa, she expected to hop in her vehicle and drive 10 hours to her home near Tatla Lake. Instead, she learned that new provincially mandated Ebola preparedness rules required her to stay within two hours of Kelowna General Hospital (KGH) for the required 21 days of self-monitoring. The requirement is part of a strict Ebola protocol adopted in B.C. The protocol includes the identification of the only hospitals in the province that will test for the Ebola virus or care for people with Ebola. A three-tier model of care for potential or confirmed Ebola cases provides specific roles for Type 1, Type 2, or Type 3 facilities. Read the full description in the CEO Memo, Nov 26, 2014.
She adds that she learned from them and they learned from her experience at the Kenema Treatment Centre in Sierra Leone. “I had never dealt with Ebola in an institutional setting so it was interesting to see them problem solve around various challenges. In return, I was able to share with them different ways of doing things that were more efficient or effective.” Dr. Vik Chaubey, Infectious Disease Specialist; Dr. Mike Ertel, KGH Chief of Staff; Dr. Susan Pollock, Medical Health Officer; Sabrina Schwanebeck, ICU RN; Sondra Bader, ED RN; and Missy Blackburn, Infection Control Practitioner, hold a special place in her heart for their above-and-beyond attention during her stay in Kelowna.
KGH was designated as a Type 2 facility and is the only Interior Health facility where testing can take place. Once confirmed positive, a patient would be transferred to a Type 3 facility, which is either Surrey Memorial or B.C. Children’s Hospital. Within about a week of her return, Patrice felt a cold coming on. Since Ebola starts out with a slight fever and achiness, she reported her symptoms as required to one of Interior Health’s Medical Health Officers. At that point, the Ebola protocol went in to place. Information about the mandatory process for any potential Ebola patients is available on the InsideNet, Ebola Preparedness web page. Patrice was asked to come to KGH where she spent three days isolated in a private room as she waited for the results of blood tests. Staff who entered the room wore personal protective equipment, similar to what she wore daily throughout December, but in a much hotter climate. “Everybody was incredibly nice,” she says. “It was a really good experience. They made what could have been a really difficult time, very easy. They were all fantastic at every level of care.”
Patrice cares for an ailing baby at the Kenema Treatment Centre where she spent four weeks treating hundreds of sick people, half of whom who did not survive the illness.
Interior Health has been named a top employer in B.C. for a third consecutive year. This designation recognizes leading employers in our province who offer the best places for people to work. The annual competition considers a variety of criteria such as recruitment and retention, workplace environment, benefits, vacation and time off, employee communications, performance management, learning opportunities, and community involvement. “I am very pleased to see Interior Health recognized for who we are and the work we do,” says David Bamford, Corporate Director, Human Resource Strategic Services. “I would like to acknowledge the work of the exceptional team responsible for this year’s application. Ken Hutchinson did a wonderful job of leading this work.” Ken credits the enthusiasm and hard work of the entire team for making this possible. Pictured above are (L-R): Liz Marsland, Kristina Nielsen, Ken Hutchinson, David Bamford, Randy Forsyth, Karen Bowen, Ginette Kruschel, Cherise Sharp, and (front) Lisa Braman. Not pictured: Galadriel Jolly, Crystal Miller, Cindy Lee, and Cathy Stashyn. The list of top employers in B.C. was announced Jan. 30. Have a look at B.C.’s Top 100 Employers 2015 and see why IH was chosen over hundreds of other organizations. “This award should be a source of pride for all of us at IH,” says David. “Our exceptional staff and physicians have always been something that sets this organization apart. It’s great to see IH recognized within the province and within Canada.”
Recruiting Aboriginal Employees to Interior Health
F
resh from the Culinary Arts program at the College of the Rockies in Cranbrook, Judy thought the difficult part of starting a new career was behind her.
With diploma in hand, she soon discovered it was the job search that intimidated her more. She wasn’t even sure where to apply outside of the obvious hospitality industry. That sense of uncertainty is not uncommon, says Tammy Tait, a regional career counsellor who works for the Métis Employment and Training in Cranbrook supporting job seekers.
That’s why Tammy was elated to learn about Interior Health’s Aboriginal Human Resources Plan. Launched in May 2013, the plan is committed to promoting IH as a potential employer to Aboriginal populations. IH Aboriginal Health Director Brad Anderson is a strong proponent of the strategy, saying the growing Aboriginal population provides a great pool of labour for IH and adds an important cultural component within the workforce. “A strong ratio of Aboriginal employees in the health-care industry will help create a culturally safe environment for patients, residents, staff, physicians, and volunteers,” he says.
“
A strong ratio of Aboriginal
employees in the health-care industry will help create a
“
Discouragement also sets in when resumes are submitted and there is no response from an employer, she notes.
culturally safe environment for patients, residents, staff,
physicians, and volunteers.
To ensure Aboriginal people have IH top of mind as a potential employer, Carrie Desjarlais, an external recruiter with Interior Health, is committed to building relationships around IH where there are 54 First Nations communities, 13 Métis chartered communities, and nine Aboriginal Urban organizations. Carrie will partner with the First Nations and Métis employment and training centres to promote jobs within Interior Health. She says she is receiving an enthusiastic response from skills and training agencies that represent First Nations and Métis applicants. They see it as critical information both for students entering careers with a medical focus and for those people who may not realize Interior Health also needs people trained in non-medical fields. Along with nurses, care aides, physicians, rehab professionals, and sonographers, the health authority can’t function without janitors, groundskeepers, power engineers, cooks, and administrative, business, and computer support staff, along with a host of other skills that aren’t always apparent to people outside the system.
Liz Marsland, Leader of Talent Acquisition & Marketing (L), works with Carrie Desjarlais on the recruitment and retention strategy for Aboriginal people within Interior Health.
“We have such diverse jobs in the health authority,” says Carrie.
portal dedicated to assisting Aboriginal job seekers in researching and finding opportunities to develop their careers. As well, all IH jobs are advertised on an As she takes that message out through a variety of means, Aboriginal Careers site for maximum exposure. including career fairs and social media, she is also able to help applicants navigate the application process, which is Continued success and growth of the Aboriginal Human so valuable from Tammy’s perspective. Resource Strategy has been identified as a priority in the upcoming proposed Aboriginal Health and Wellness “It’s important to break down as many barriers as you Strategy 2015-2019. can,” says the career counsellor. “Connecting with Carrie is going to be very important and students are already so Christina Robbins, a multicultural therapist for Mental pleased to learn there is help with possible placement and Health and Substance Use Services whose clientele direction.” includes people with an Aboriginal background, sees strong value in increasing the number of Aboriginal Interior Health’s decision to target HR resources to this people working within the health authority. audience is supported by B.C. statistics that places the Aboriginal population within the IH region at 7.7 per cent. As a Métis woman herself, Christina believes Aboriginal Our workforce representation of Aboriginals is 3.7 per cent, clients feel safer seeking health services when they have up from 2.06 per cent in 2012. a cultural connection with the provider. “We are on the right track,” says Carrie. Other strategies to recruit Aboriginal people include partnering with Aboriginal Link, a specialized employment
Carrie is confident the recruitment and retention strategies underway will help IH successfully tap into the estimated 600,000 Aboriginal people who will enter the workforce by 2026.
Charlene William, LPN @IH: How long have you been working at Interior Health? I have worked for Interior Health for almost 23 years. My first job was in 1992 with Lillooet Home Support. In 1995, I took the Resident Care Attendant Certificate program and moved into the position of Home Support Worker. I moved from working in the community into residential care when I was hired at Mountain View Lodge in 1998. I worked as a care aide until 2002 when I took a Practical Nursing Program. In early January 2003 I started working at Mountain View Lodge as an LPN.
@IH: Tell us about your role in IH. A day spent at MVL is very busy. We prioritize residents’ needs and we work together to get done what needs to be accomplished throughout the day. My day may include: medication passes for meal times or assessing residents that may not be feeling well; providing diabetic monitoring, glucose testing, Insulin injections, B12 injections, wound care, ostomy care, and maintaining IVs; working together with doctors and processing orders; and communicating with family members around their family member’s care and how we can best provide what is needed. We also care plan around palliative care when it is needed.
@IH: Why is your work important for residents at Mountain View Lodge? It is important for residents to have LPNs at MVL because our scope of practice enables us to provide care that allows residents to remain in their home at MVL from the time they join us to their end-of-life care. Residents recognize that they have a whole team that is there for them at all times.
@IH: What makes for a really great day at work? When staff work together and residents’ needs are met. Seeing residents happy and comfortable and enjoying their day.
Health care plays an important role in the William family – Charlene (R) is an LPN at Mountain View Lodge in Lillooet, while sister Debra is a care aide at Ashcroft Hospital.
aren’t going to be any problems in that department. I get teased about this.
@IH: What is great about working at Mountain View Lodge? We are a small town and everyone knows everyone. Our staff is a really dedicated team and very flexible, and make themselves available on short notice if needed. We have a Resident Care Coordinator that has made positive changes in the short time she has been with us.
@IH: Do you have a highlight or anything that stands @IH: Final thoughts, or words you live by? out for you? What really stands out for me as a highlight is how I make a difference. I am always advocating for safety. I make sure that all safety precautions are in place for the residents. Other staff seem to be aware when I am working and know there
I am very proud of our little facility and all of our staff. We have an amazing team as well as residents. I believe the level of care we provide is above and beyond what is needed. Each resident gets the best care that we can provide to them. As a team, that is our main goal.
Mountain View Lodge, Lillooet
22,377
Meals to residents
700
Hats crocheted by one resident
2
32
Resident cats, Dudley and Trouble
Volunteers
291 21 Days average length of stay
Gathered from 2013-2014 data â—?
Long-term care beds
1,040
Litres of fluid milk purchased
34
Years old
Kelowna Submitted by: Joelle Wall
Cranbrook Submitted by: Brandi Polier
Ashcroft Submitted by: Darcie Barbeau
Kimberley Submitted by: Sandra Bergman
Enderby Submitted by: Caitlin Chadwick
Where We Live & Work ... A Spotlight on Our Communities Covering over 215,000 square kilometres, Interior Health is diverse in nature and composed of vibrant urban centres and unique rural communities. Photos are submitted by employees and posted to the InsideNet. Select photos are featured in @IH.
Submit your photos of the beautiful places that make up IH: InsideNetWebmaster@interiorhealth.ca
snapshots from the region ... Together with local government representatives, Interior Health leaders give the pending $325-million expansion of Penticton Regional Hospital the thumbs-up. They include (L-R) Dr. Brad Raison, Regional Chief of Staff SOK; Lori Motluk, Acute Health Services Administrator SOK; Dan Ashton, MLA Penticton; and Judy Sentes and Michael Brydon, vice-chair and chair respectively for the Okanagan-Similkameen Regional Hospital District. To stay up to date on what’s happening with the project, visit www.buildingpatientcare.ca.
Home Health Knowledge Coordinator Sandra Hlina, Professional Practice Lead Karen Cooper, and Home Support Team Lead Bev Moody have prepared a detailed overview of Home Health services available in Kamloops. They presented the information to two local family physicians and six family physician residents at a lunch-and-learn session in January. The doctors noted the benefits of knowing what is available for patients to self-manage their illnesses in the community.
The Kamloops Blazers helped welcome baby Matteo to the world when they visited Royal Inland Hospital on Jan. 12. The WHL team makes an annual visit to RIH to hand out stuffies from its Teddy Bear Toss game to patients at the hospital. Their visit made an already remarkable day for Matteo's parents even more memorable.
Thor Bjarnason, Medical Physicist/Radiation Safety and Quality Control Lead from Diagnostic Imaging at Kelowna General Hospital, recently received an IH Quality Award certificate for his dedicated work and effort to reduce patient-dose radiation from CT scans. The outcome of his work has reduced head CT patient-dose radiation by 18 per cent and spine CT patient-dose radiation by seven per cent! Picture here (L-R): Zeno Cescon, Tim Rode, Thor Bjarnason, and James Chan. If you know someone who has done work that improved patient safety, appropriateness of care, efficiency, or accessibility to care, nominate them for an IH Quality Award today!
Members of the Health Protection team seized the spirit of Clean Sweep Week by wearing fun maid costumes. This was the first clean sweep held for sites moving into the new Kelowna Community Health & Services Centre (CHSC) in 2016, and it was a huge success. A clean sweep is an opportunity to purge your workspace of broken and unneeded supplies, equipment and furniture, and free yourself of outdated education material, manuals, books, magazines, and paper. “The uptake was more than anyone expected,” says Anne Winters, CIHS Manager, Administrative Services and the lead for the CHSC Admin Working Group. “We’re really glad people had fun!”
They’ve been bitten by the recycling bug at 100 Mile Hospital! Barbara Matfin (L) and Sally Neale, both of OMH Food Services, and care aide Cory Greaves are nearly dwarfed by the new recycling containers on the hospital campus, which includes Fischer Place and Millsite Lodge residential care facilities. Employees are dedicated to becoming the greenest hospital in Interior Health – and it looks like they are well on their way. Even the cafeteria’s used deep fryer oil is recycled into bio-diesel and bars of soap!