A publication for Staff and Physicians of IH
Wonderful
VP Martin McMahon invites you to keep an open mind.
Preparing for the 2015 Employee Engagement Survey.
Thank you to all our volunteers at IH.
An innovative way to celebrate new life sparks cultural change.
Innovative strategy keeps staff skills at a high level.
How H2H helps improve access and flow across IH.
Better together – group medical visits in IH.
Featuring Tamara Danchella and the Salmo Wellness Centre.
Pictures of the places that make up the IH region.
Snapshots of our staff in action and trending videos.
Find out why Grace Pater isn’t your typical volunteer. Story p. 6.
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 May 2015 @InteriorHealth magazine is April 13. 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
A
uthor Terry Pratchet said, “The trouble with having an open mind is, of course, that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it.” His humorous quote captures the essence of my portfolio:
people, knowledge, and open to new ideas and possibilities.
Martin McMahon, Vice President, Allied Health and Planning & Strategic Services, joins @IH this month as the Senior Executive guest columnist, sharing highlights from his portfolio.
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 Goal 2 Goal 3
Goal 4
The articles featured in the @IH newsletter are great examples of how we’re achieving our goals … and realizing our vision and mission.
restaurant the food is prepared in a safe and hygienic manner. Perhaps we take it for granted because we know that our Health Protection employees inspect and support clean water and safe food production. Last summer, they played a lead role in supporting the tailings pond failure at Mount Polley Mine – just one event which demonstrated the complex and skilled work of this team.
We love our beautiful climate in the Interior, but it comes with risk. Our In Allied Health and Planning Health Emergency Management team & Strategic Services, we plans our emergency preparedness and cover a range of corporate and direct delivers front-line support for floods, front-line services. There is real fires, and other disasters. Over the enjoyment in contributing to the overall past several months, they have been strategic direction of our health system supporting personal protection training while also impacting the personal as part of our Ebola preparedness work. experience of those who use our services. As someone trained in clinical practice, I enjoy having responsibility for a In Strategic Planning, we are currently service that touches patients. Allied working with the Ministry of Health to Health services are invaluable to translate its strategic goals into working supporting the health, well-being, and plans so that IH is fully aligned with its independence of patients, from children direction. The Strategic Planning team is to seniors. Allied Health employees are also working with Strategic Information currently working to support patients to to examine our population health needs return home earlier from hospital and and identify areas where we can shift live at home longer, and educate and care from acute to community. Through treat patients to better live with their Performance Monitoring, we are illness. The scope and breadth of their currently developing a scorecard to work crosses every care sector in IH. report on our performance targets against key government targets. Once we are done planning, implementing, and monitoring, it is Trust me, Policy and Freedom of important to evaluate. The Evaluation Information (FOI) can be exciting! team is highly qualified in supporting Where else do you get to formulate programs and teams to look critically at policy that guides the very spirit of the how their services are performing, and work we do and the manner in which to identify best practice and areas that we do it? We believe strongly that as a may need improvement. The Evaluation public body we have a responsibility to team’s work is important in ensuring be open and transparent. Our FOI office that we spend our resources in areas is at the forefront of transparency of this that are effective and support our goal public accountability and on a daily basis of delivering quality care. deals with information requests from the media, public, and other interested As VP of this portfolio, I am always parties. looking to keep an open mind to explore the evidence, to look at new ways of At times, we can take for granted that working, and to better serve our when we turn on a tap, our water is patients. Hopefully, I have put some clean and safe, or when we go to a new information into your mind.
L
ater this year, we’ll all be asked to complete an Employee Engagement Survey. In preparation, we want to know what each of the 12 survey questions means to you, and how it relates to your level of employee engagement. The question to discuss throughout April is:
Q12: This last year, I have had opportunities to learn and grow. The need to learn and grow is a natural human instinct. This principle also applies in the workplace, and the degree to which an employee feels he or she is given opportunities to learn and grow is connected with their level of engagement. One way employees can learn and grow is to find more efficient ways to do their jobs. They are never quite satisfied with current ways of doing things. They always strive to find better, more effective ways to work – and where there is growth, there is innovation. The best managers know an organization’s growth depends on employees’ capacity to learn and grow. When employees feel they are learning and growing, they work harder, more efficiently, and are more engaged. With this explanation in mind, share your thoughts … does your manager encourage opportunities to learn and grow? Do you feel motivated to do things better? Please send your feedback to YourOpinionsCount.
challengegrowth efficiency
innovation
In last month’s @IH, we discussed the following question: Q11. In the last six months, someone has talked to me about my progress. The complete list of responses is posted on the Engagement web page.
National Volunteer Week, April 12–18, is Canada’s largest celebration of volunteers, volunteerism, and civic participation. Across Canada, 12.7 million volunteers contribute two billion total hours of service every year. At Interior Health, we are supported by an estimated 4,800 volunteers working throughout the region. Our volunteers are welcomed, respected, and valued members of the health-care team. It is an important time to recognize and thank volunteers for the work they do to enhance health-care delivery throughout the region. “Volunteers are an important part of our organization,” says Erwin Malzer, Interior Health Board Chair. “I want to let them all know what an outstanding job they do and how grateful we are for their support.” Volunteer recognition events are being held at many local hospitals and residential care facilities this month. In other areas, gifts or cards are offered as thanks. Know a special volunteer? Send them an e-card thank you note. Maurene Adams has found the secret to staying young at heart. It’s a simple trick, really, and requires no magic pill. It’s interaction with people, both young and old, through volunteerism that has kept Maurene a busy, happy 81 years young. Maurene has volunteered in the 100 Mile House region for 48 years, including nearly 15 years with Interior Health’s Mill Site Lodge and Fischer Place residential care facilities. “This is what keeps me going. It occupies your mind, rather than sitting in front of the TV all the time,” she says, adding that she had a great role model. “It’s in my genes. My mother was a great volunteer in the legion and with the women’s institute. It’s in our nature, I guess.”
Volunteer Maurene Adams delivers fresh flowers to tables in the dining room at Fischer Place, brightening the day of resident Ernie Pope.
Maurene’s early forays into volunteerism reflected the activities of her five children. She was a Parent Teacher Association member, and spent more than 30 years with Girl Guides and Scouts Canada. These days, Maurene volunteers at the Red Cross and helps with the SPCA hotline.
But the bulk of her time is dedicated to the residents at Mill Site Lodge and Fischer Place, a practice that began in 2002 when her husband, Robert, entered care. Although he passed on in 2007, Maurene’s commitment did not waver. She is still an active auxiliary member (she’s on her second go-round as secretary, having also served as president and treasurer), and also helps at recreational activities such as the residents’ regular Monday coffee outing, trips to the casino, picnics, or for shopping. Once per month, Maurene shops for residents’ personal items such as toothpaste and shampoo. “She goes out of her way meet the residents’ needs. She knows the residents’ likes and brands they prefer,” says Wendy Reilly, Recreation Therapist at Mill Site Lodge/Fischer Place. “We can always count on her to help out with special events.” Maurene plans to be counted on for some time to come. “Until I can no longer do it,” she declares.
Don’t even think about offering Nakusp’s Bea Anton anything for her volunteer support of local health-care services. “I wouldn’t do it if they insisted on paying. Everyone knows – no money or gifts or I can’t do it,” says Bea. “It is a great love that you can give to others. You get so much back from a smile or a touch on the hand – it fills your soul.” The youngest of nine children, Bea spent many years working at the old and newer Arrow Lakes hospitals in Nakusp, as a licensed practical nurse and X-ray technologist. Her health-care career started when she was 18 and lasted 52 years, until she retired at 70. Bea started volunteering about the same time she started working. She used to live above the old hospital and often came down after her shifts, even in her pajamas, to support patients.
Nakusp volunteer Bea Anton's love for volunteering spans almost 60 years and is going strong.
Now 87 with children and grandchildren of her own, Bea’s commitment to health care has not changed. She proudly wears her Arrow Lakes volunteer button when she’s at the hospital or the attached Minto House residential care site. Bea’s three to four days a week of volunteering also includes the local hospice society and Halcyon House, an assisted living facility. Bea has no plans to stop volunteering any time soon and strongly recommends that others take the opportunity to share in the joy she gets from helping out. “It’s a wonderful thing. Come and volunteer and you’ll know what life is really about.” Grace Pater isn’t your typical volunteer. She’s been volunteering every Saturday at Kelowna General Hospital (KGH) for the past year. She also works two jobs and attends Okanagan College as a student. “I like to be busy,” she laughs. “I think that when you’re young and you have energy you should take advantage of that and do as much as you can.” Grace believes in giving back — something she does regularly at KGH where she’s volunteered in almost every area of the hospital. She tells a story about a man with a nail through his thumb that came into the ED on her first day and asked her, “Wanna see it?” “He pulled the bandage off and showed me and I thought, ‘This is a cool place!’ ” Grace has aspirations to work in health care. She’s currently looking into the Diagnostic Medical Sonography program at BCIT and, after some recommendations from KGH staff members, she’s also considering the Respiratory Therapy program at Thompson Rivers University. For now, she plans to stay in Kelowna and continue her volunteer work. Recently, she’s been volunteering in the visiting program on 4 East, a transition unit. “There are patients up there who have no friends or family; they get lonely,” she says. “I just spend time talking with them. Sometimes I take them down to the lake to sit and enjoy the view.” On top of her time spent on 4 East, Grace is also in charge of weekend training and orientations for Volunteer Services. “She’s absolutely amazing,” says Kevin Andrews, Volunteer Services Coordinator. “She’s responsible and a great asset.”
Volunteer Grace Pater on 4 East with patients Sue Weismiller, Janet Campbell, and Dell Emerson.
T
he sound is soft. So soft that you might even question whether you heard it at all. It’s a tinkling, melodic wind chime that plays over the paging system at Royal Inland Hospital (RIH), and then is gone. But every time it plays, the response is the same – smiles light faces, work pauses, and someone invariably sighs, “Aw. That’s awesome,” or, “I love that.” When the chime is heard twice in a row, people really get excited. That’s because it means there are brand new twins in the Kamloops hospital today. These are birth chimes introduced in RIH’s Labour and Delivery department as a way to welcome new life into this world. More than that, the chimes have united and engaged an entire hospital in a way that has gained momentum with every chime. Which was actually the point all along, says Dara Johnson, a Labour and Delivery RN, and one of the driving forces behind the birth chimes’ installation at RIH.
Michaela Swan and Dara Johnson celebrate the launch of birth chimes at RIH with new parents Amy and Corey Kamp and daughter Talia. Talia was the first baby whose arrival was marked by the chimes on Feb. 20.
“We hear so many reminders of trauma and urgency – calls for the trauma team to Emergency, or a Code Blue for a patient in cardiac arrest. These birth chimes are a reminder that while the hospital is a place of extreme emotion, stress, and heartache, it’s also a place where beautiful beginnings happen, each and every day,” says Dara. “Sometimes, we need to be reminded of that.”
The chimes project was initiated and developed by Dara and her sister Michaela Swan, a communications officer in IH West . They first heard about the idea during classes they are both taking as part of the master’s program at Gonzaga University; birth chimes were used at Providence Sacred Heart Hospital in Spokane. Dara and Michaela were inspired and wondered if they could do something similar at RIH. They approached RIH Spiritual Health lead Viktor Gundel and, with his support, brought the idea to Nancy Serwo, interim Health Services Administrator at the time. They then approached a number of people, including physicians, nurses, Protection Services, and Plant Services, to work through the details – right down to how and where to
install the chimes button, and what sound it would make (Mike Davis from RIH Plant Services played a significant role in making the magic happen). Now, when a baby is born, the family and care team may, through a point-ofcare decision, ring the chime button to prompt a soft wind chime to play throughout RIH using the overhead paging system. “One of our biggest challenges in this project was the need to understand the grieving process to ensure that if we choose to celebrate birth publicly, this was not inflicting harm on staff or patients that may be struggling with infertility or a miscarriage,” says Viktor. “Through experience, consultation, and research we know this is a common misconception. Birth is celebrated across all cultures, regardless of race, ethnicity, and can be a significant support to lifting people through their grief.” Finally, on Feb. 20, the chimes rang for the first time – to celebrate the arrival of baby Talia, born to Amy and Corey Kamp of Kamloops.
The response has been overwhelming, says Michaela. “Before you know it, media were calling because they had heard about the birth chimes. And there were so many posts on Facebook from patients and employees who had heard them in hospital, or heard about them,” she says. “We’ve had several calls and emails since then from hospitals inquiring about adopting the idea as well, both within Interior Health and around the province. I am just amazed at how far the news has travelled.” Sandy Semograd, Program Leader for the RIH Intensive Care Unit, says the birth chimes have impacted her employees in a way that is especially poignant, given that the ICU can be one of the most traumatic, even sad, places in the hospital. “Everyone in the ICU notices when the chimes begin to ring. The employees really love it, and they all smile and comment when they hear them,” Sandy says. “The chimes are such a great idea. It’s so good to hear something celebratory amidst all of the chaos and drama of the hospital every day.”
Top: RN Tanis Hubberstey pushes the birth chimes button for the first time on Feb. 20, for the arrival of little Talia Kamp. Right: The birth chime is located at the nursing station in RIH’s Labour and Delivery unit.
Here is a sampling of some of the comments that have been sent in or posted on Facebook by Interior Health employees, as well as from patients and visitors to RIH:
“It is wonderful to hear the chimes at work. Brings a smile to my face every time I hear them. A celebration!” “I’ve seen families losing someone exclaim in wonder at souls passing when they hear the chimes. It’s extraordinary. So simple – thanks to Dara and Michaela!” “It’s so nice to hear in the middle of work, especially during a busy or stressful day! Everyone literally stops and says, ‘Aw, that’s so great.’ ” “I had an anxious and irritable patient in the ER yesterday. The chimes went and I interrupted her to explain what it was. She was so touched she couldn’t continue complaining anymore.” “How absolutely delightful! Thanks for helping us to share in a few seconds of joy with the news of a new life entering the world.” “This is one of the nicest ideas I have heard and I think it would be a wonderful idea to put in every hospital and let the public know what the chimes symbolize. Interior Health celebrates birth because every person matters no matter how young or old.”
The Diabetes Day Planning Committee, (L-R) Carol Stathers, Janet Dick, Amanda McDougall, Cathy Wilson, Andrea Archibald, Carol Fawcett, and Eve Urban, put in long hours to ensure a successful first IH Diabetes Skill Development and Training Day. Missing from photo: Melanie Beatty, Nancy Ricard, and Crissy Stavrakov.
A
s growing numbers of people are diagnosed with diabetes, Interior Health is continuing its emphasis on finding best ways to provide care, whether it’s self-management at home, in a community setting, or in an acute or residential facility.
To address this growing impact on the health system, IH launched the IH Diabetes Strategy in 2011 to streamline diabetes treatment across the care continuum and explore innovative best practices. One priority of the strategy is to increase staff skills for diabetes management, which resulted in the 2015 IH Diabetes Day on March 9 and 10. More than 150 nurses, dietitians, physicians, pharmacists, educators, and patients attended a day-and-a-half skill development and training session in Kelowna. IH is among only a few regions in Canada that has set the course for diabetes care through a comprehensive strategy. Amanda McDougall, Practice Lead for Chronic Disease Management, and Dr. Maureen Clement, Physician Lead for diabetes in IH, noted that the success of the initiative has drawn attention from other provinces’ officials who are turning to IH to inform the work in their own regions. While the initiative, which included a three-year plan, wraps up this year, many priorities identified will move forward over the coming year and involve the skills of health-care professionals who work in diabetes education centres, as well as acute, residential, and community services. This work includes care pathways for all diabetes populations to clearly describe the role of primary health-care teams, education centres, and specialty care as they work together to deliver quality care improving the lives of patients across the region. Regional diabetes leads will also be looking at the regional model of service delivery for diabetes care. “Diabetes is so complex and touches many parts of the health system so it is important to work across the organization
and spectrum of care to address many ways to improve care for this population,” says Amanda.
provide care for us or to us. Please do it with us,” she appealed.
“In organizing this education day, our planning committee was able to highlight the expertise we have within Interior Health and help share the knowledge, both with people starting out in this area of care and those with more experience.”
A second patient on the panel, Anni Rychtera, emphasized the importance of helping patients understand their diabetes and the challenges, but not in a way that is overwhelming with too much information at once.
During Diabetes Day, depending on their level of knowledge, participants had the choice of attending either basic or advanced educational sessions. Topics included: insulin pump basics and advanced; carbohydrate counting basics and advanced; diabetes basics, pharmacology; health literacy; and exercise and diabetes. Guest speakers also covered depression and chronic disease, and counselling patients. As well, diabetes education centre hub and satellite staff members gathered in small groups to talk about how they can best link together and work effectively. A primary discussion point was identifying key supports needed to successfully transition higher-risk patients from satellite sites to a hub site. The event wrapped up with a panel discussion including physicians, patients, diabetes educators, and pharmacists. The panel responded to several patient scenarios, discussing the best practices they would employ in each separate case, including a pregnant woman with gestational diabetes and a teenager transitioning to adult care with Type 1 diabetes and dealing with depression. Patient participant Lynn Kelsey addressed a primary concern for patients in their interaction with health-care providers. “We want you to offer support. We don’t want you to
“Help the patient understand the situation and give her the tools so she can help herself,” says Anni. “Enable us to take control of our own health and own life. A health-care team should guide but not take over.” Their comments were supported by Allan Clarke, Mental Health and Substance Use Regional Knowledge Coordinator, in his talk, Counselling the Difficult Patient. “Always remember this is about a partnership and collaboration. You are the expert in diabetes care and the patient is the expert in him or herself. You are two equal partners sitting down at the table. To listen and be empathetic is important to be successful in our work,” says Allan. Amanda was pleased to see all of the participants from a wide variety of backgrounds and located across the IH region attend the first IH Diabetes Day. “We hear so frequently how important staff education is, particularly in the field of diabetes with rapidly changing medications and technologies. This day was such a great way to provide that skill development and training with staff, as well as engage with others across the health authority who are all working to improve care for our patients with diabetes.” For more information about the IH strategy, visit IH Diabetes Strategy on the InsideNet.
Left: Diabetes Day panellist Anni Rychtera has the attention of fellow panellists as she offers the patient perspective. Right: Allan Clarke, MHSU Regional Knowledge Coordinator, shares tips with participants at Diabetes Day on Counselling the Difficult Patient.
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I
f you haven’t heard of H2H yet, let us be the first to introduce you to a short acronym with a lofty goal. Hospital to Home committees have been created at acute-care sites across IH to help get long-stay patients who no longer need a hospital bed to a more appropriate environment, ideally home. If you ask John Cabral, Health Service Director at Kelowna General Hospital and chair of KGH’s H2H committee, he’ll tell you their group “uses the collective minds of several managers to find a creative solution for discharge.” The key is having the right people at the table – a group that can identify the barriers to discharge and has the expertise to find innovative ways to overcome them. There are 17 H2H committees currently operating within IH. Membership varies at different sites but may include department managers from medicine, surgery, rehab, home and community care, mental health, residential care, social work, therapy services, and a flow coordinator. KGH’s committee meets weekly to review a list of patients that have been in hospital for more than 14 days, and to discuss what is preventing timely discharge – housing, mental health or substance use issues, and/or medical complications. The goal of each meeting is to improve flow and remove barriers by identifying a discharge plan for as many patients as possible. It’s no easy task and often requires out-of-the-box thinking, like the case of a patient who suffered a stroke and had already been in hospital for 56 days. The individual had no money, nowhere to live, and some personality challenges resulting from the stroke. After completing rehabilitation, the H2H committee got to work on finding supportive housing for this patient and connecting in with appropriate community and mental health supports. Once everything was in place, the patient was able to leave the hospital and move into a new home.
Health Service Director Andrew Hughes leads an access and flow meeting with a team of KGH managers. It isn’t always long-stay cases that the H2H committee reviews. Sometimes it’s when a barrier to discharge has been identified early on or for patients who regularly find themselves in hospital, known as “familiar faces.” Such was the case for a young, severe psychiatric patient who had been a victim of several assaults and had been to KGH’s ED 18 times in the past nine months. According to John, the H2H Committee first had to “find safe housing for the patient and then make a connection with a mental health worker in the community. We also put together a personalized care plan in case of a return to the ED with key information on suggested medications and the patient’s preference to be cared for by female nurses.” Creative H2H solutions will continue to help patients go home with proper supports.
I
n a nondescript meeting room at the Castlegar and District Community Health Centre, seven patients gather in a horseshoe arrangement around a white board. They chat together amicably and, from a health perspective, they have a lot in common: they are patients of Dr. Keith Merritt in Castlegar; they all have Type 2 diabetes; most have hypertension; and they’re here to attend a regular group medical visit held every three months by Dr. Merritt in partnership with Interior Health. “I am used to a regular office practice so dealing with patients in a group setting was initially a little stressful, given concerns around confidentiality, speaking in a public forum, Dr. Keith Merritt is one of several physicians in Kootenay Boundary offering group medical visits. record keeping, and other differences,” says Dr. Merritt. “We are all timid about trying something new. However, there is satisfaction on didn’t work for them, and a chance to share resources. both sides. At the end of a session I feel we have dealt Everyone seems to enjoy it.” with a number of issues productively. This has been a positive experience for me and my patients.” “We are seeing more Group Medical Visits being introduced as we continue to develop integrated care models,” says The patients share blood glucose levels, albumin/creatinine Darlene Arsenault, Integrated Primary Care Director for ratios, blood pressure, and cholesterol readings with Dr. Interior Health. “The benefits include increased efficiency Merritt, who discusses each case individually and updates and improved access. Physicians report increased prescriptions during the visit. Anecdotes are shared and professional satisfaction and patients report increased questions are answered. At the end of the appointment confidence in their ability to self-manage their conditions.” patients leave with a lot of information – more than they would get in a regular 10-minute appointment – and that Group medical visits have been particularly well developed information helps build their confidence. in the Kootenay Boundary region. Since being introduced in 2007 they have been embraced by five Castlegar physicians Castlegar residents Diane and Richard Welychko have been and one in Grand Forks. Space is provided by Interior attending the group medical visits since 2009. Richard has Health in the local hospital or health centre. Integrated complex health needs – in addition to having diabetes, he Primary and Community Care staff help organize the visits, has suffered a debilitating stroke and undergone heart which include a medical visit component, as well as an surgery. Diane attends as his support person and takes education component, often focused on self-management comfort in the group experience. and facilitated by Interior Health staff. “I think it’s really good. The patients all have the same concerns. It’s nice to have the support of the group so you don’t feel isolated. We all sign a confidentiality clause so there aren’t concerns around privacy,” she explains. “Plus this way you don’t take up time in the doctor’s office for routine things.”
During Dr. Merritt’s group, education topics such as foot care and exercise are identified by Dietitian Jennica Hague.
“Group medical visits allow patients more time to discuss and learn about their condition with their doctor, dietitian, and nurse in a relaxed, friendly, and collaborative setting,” “There is always a presentation that is very informative. says Jennica. “I appreciate being able to work as part of There is a chance to hear what worked for others and what a team with the doctor and nurse.”
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Tamara Danchella, Registered Nurse @IH: Tell us a little about your background and education. I graduated from the Selkirk College/University of Victoria Nursing Program in 2010. Since then, I have been employed with Interior Health working in many entry-level areas of nursing including residential care, daycare surgery, psychiatry, and acute medical and surgical ward nursing. In August 2014, I changed my focus and entered into Home Health care. I am also currently enrolled in the Athabasca University Graduate program, working part-time towards a Masters in Nursing: Nurse Practitioner.
@IH: Where did your interest in Home Health begin? My interest in Home Health began with my enrolment in the NP Graduate Program. This continuing education identified where gaps in my experience lie, as the majority of my nursing care and experience was in acute care. I wanted to fill these knowledge gaps by transitioning from acute to Home Health care as my future endeavours include primary care and/or family practice.
and therapeutic relationships that are created daily with my clients. I have gained a new perspective for caring, as I am @IH: Where has your work at IH taken you? caring for clients as a whole, including their family members, I was supported by IH as a student and employee – I gained often in their homes. This provides me with the opportunity practical experience throughout my four-year nursing program to adapt teaching/learning opportunities that make sense to and, following graduation, I was fortunate enough to have them. full-time employment at Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital where my mentors became colleagues. That helped mould me @IH: What do like most about working in Salmo? into the nurse I am today, and now transitioning into Home I enjoy many things about working in Salmo, so it is difficult Health has provided me with many new and challenging to identify what I like the most! I would have to say that I learning opportunities. love the community support and how the community sticks together. I have phone call referrals from neighbours, friends, @IH: What are some day-to-day things you do as a professionals, and the church community; they truly look out Home Health nurse? for one another. I actually grew up in Salmo, so I am also The scope of practice of a Home Health nurse is quite broad. happy to be back working here and providing services to my I provide non-emergent and time-limited care to clients of all community. ages within the community of Salmo. This includes client and family teaching and navigation of resources, as well as direct @IH: What makes for a really great day at work? client care for Home IV/PICC maintenance, wound care, The best days are the days I have time to talk, listen, and palliative care, etc. In addition, I provide supportive long-term laugh with my clients, families, and colleagues – the days care and authorize home supportive services to adults to that strengthen our relationships and make it apparent that assist them with living safely and independently their homes. the nursing care I provide is making a difference for my clients and their families. This position also provides me @IH: What do you enjoy the most about being a with a unique opportunity to work in a clinic with physicians, Home Health nurse? managers, admin, lab, and public health, providing The one aspect that stands out most is the human connection opportunities for inter-professional collaboration.
Salmo Wellness Centre
763
Home care nursing visits
3
71,500
Kilowatts per hour - equivalent to the energy used in seven homes in a year.
7
Employees
Gathered from 2013-2014 data
UBC Faculty of Medicine students per year
165
Community rehabilitation visits
4
Years old
Cranbrook Submitted by: Maggie Strosher
Hedley Submitted by: Sarah Hanson
Lac Le Hache Submitted by: Maria Ziolkowski
West Kelowna Submitted by: Leslie Manders
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
Congratulations to Jana MacMaster, Recreation Coordinator for Adult Day Services in Kelowna, and winner of the WELLfie photo contest held in March to celebrate Nutrition Month. Jana’s WELLfie showcased a colourful warm kale salad with beets, yams, quinoa, and avocado — a photo that won her a copy of the coveted Meals in Minutes cookbook by our very own Laura Kalina, Registered Dietitian. This year’s theme for Nutrition Month — “Make it. Take it.” — was all about eating healthy at work. Interior Health’s community nutritionists launched the contest as a way to share healthy snack and meal ideas and inspire others. Visit our Facebook page to see the WELLfie album.
It felt a little like getting into a space suit, but it was important equipment and training for staff and physicians at Kelowna General Hospital, Interior Health’s designated Type 2 site for our Ebola response.
Overlander Residential Care celebrated Therapeutic Recreation Month with an open house on Feb. 25. Staff, residents and their families, students, and volunteers were treated to displays of recreation programs, a slideshow of residents engaged in special events and programs, games, and popcorn. It was also a chance to raise awareness about bullying, as the event coincided with Pink Shirt Day. Here, Overlander resident Laura Jules (second from left) visited with Recreation Team members (L-R) Sharon Lyall, Sherri Read, Michelle Davis, and Lori Holmes.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) training sessions took place in March at KGH with a specific focus on Ebola Virus Disease High Transmission Risk Option 2 PPE, which is also the decontamination PPE used for other emergency situations. The training was targeted to a core group of staff who had already received PPE training for suspected/confirmed Ebola cases, as well as staff who would most likely be required to provide care to a patient requiring decontamination. The use of decontamination PPE includes Powered Air Purifying Respirators (PAPRs), Tychem QC coveralls, and rubber boots for full protection. To learn more about Ebola preparedness in IH, visit our InsideNet web page.
Stop cancer before it starts. Learn about the impact of cancer and how to reduce your risk. Learn more at Canadian Cancer Society www.cancer.ca.
Have you ever wondered how people get tuberculosis? Did you know tuberculosis can be prevented? This multi-lingual, animated video describes tuberculosis and its precursor as well as ways of preventing tuberculosis. Learn more at BC Centre for Disease Control, www.bccdc.ca.
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10152845782893369&fref=nf
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre surgeons share what music they listen to in the operating room — and why. Learn more at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, www.sunnybrook.ca.