A publication for Staff and Physicians of IH
A message from Donna Lommer, VP Residential Services & CFO.
Board Chair Erwin Malzer introduces IH’s new President and CEO.
Leadership Talent Management Program grads share their experiences.
Managing our response during a fire, flood, or other unexpected event.
Respiratory therapists have HART.
HIV tests at acute sites prevent people from falling through the cracks.
Highlighting Aboriginal careers in IH.
Featuring Darcy Jong and Brookhaven Residential Care Home.
Staff-submitted photos of the areas we call home.
Snapshots of our staff in action and trending health-care videos.
Graduates Naomi Erickson and Tracey Rannie. 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 November 2015 @InteriorHealth magazine is Oct. 12. Editors: Amanda Fisher, Breanna Pickett Designers: Breanna Pickett, Kara Visinski, Tracy Watson IH Communications Contributors: Lesley Coates, Susan Duncan, Patrick Gall, Karl Hardt, Megan Kavanagh, Breanna Pickett, Erin Toews, Tracy Watson
Every person matters
A
t a glance, residential services and finance don’t seem like two areas that have much in common. But for my team, leveraging the diversity of these groups is a big part of what makes this portfolio work. As Vice President of Residential Services and Chief Financial Officer, diversity is, literally, the spice of life. Donna Lommer, VP Residential Services & CFO.
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.
Leading a team of both operations and support staff certainly makes life interesting. But I think the dual focus helps us all to keep a finger on the pulse of the organization and stay closely tied into the real business of delivering care. Let me outline the core groups within this portfolio so you can have a sense of what that diversity looks like for us.
overseeing the food, housekeeping, and laundry services across IH. And, the Capital Planning team is responsible for planning and delivering health-care facility capital projects. I work with these exceptional teams and their many talented leaders. Our focus has always been on “people helping people” and we take that approach when tackling even the toughest of issues, like: how to manage the increasing trend in overtime, overcome a concern where the safe physical environment is at risk for a patient or resident, or ensure various services and facilities are sustainable. I enjoy the fact that no matter how complicated the issue, we can always benefit from a really rich discussion. That kind of discussion can only happen when you have a diverse group of people willing to share their unique perspectives.
The Business Integration and Development group is responsible for procurement, contract management, and leasing. In terms of our focus for the year ahead, we continue to keep our Our Financial Services team guides attention on budget management. the organization through capital and This is something that we as a health operating budget processes as well as authority have had to give serious keeps a pulse on the ongoing financial thought to over recent years. I believe health of IH. we’ve already identified most of the “low-hanging fruit” or most obvious The Facilities Management and ways of cost savings. Now, we need to Operations team is responsible for the renew our focus on finding innovative safety and comfort of patients, staff, ways of continuing to make health-care and visitors by maintaining the physical service delivery sustainable. environment, grounds, and systems. As a team and as an organization, we Our Residential Services team have some challenges ahead, but I’m oversees the strategy that provides confident that we have the right people a range of options for people who in the mix to make informed decisions. require 24/7 support as a result of More than this, our ability to leverage ongoing health-related problems due the collective intelligence within IH to progressive or chronic conditions. continues to assure me that we will be able to find a solution to even the most Support Services is charged with complex challenges.
Chris Mazurkewich
A
familiar face will return to Interior Health with the appointment of Chris Mazurkewich as the new President and Chief Executive Officer, effective Oct. 26.
IH Board Chair Erwin Malzer announced on Oct. 6 that Chris will rejoin the organization after spending four years at Alberta Health Services, most recently as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for the provincial agency. In this role, he worked in close partnership with the chief medical officer overseeing the clinical operations of the Alberta health service delivery system. Prior to his move to Alberta, Chris was the Chief Operating Officer, Strategic & Corporate Services, for Interior Health from its inception in 2002 until 2009. “The extensive knowledge Chris has of our operations, our region, and, most importantly, our people will be great assets in his new role,” says Erwin. “Add to that the diverse experience he gained in Alberta, and we are confident in his ability to guide the organization on our journey forward.” IH Board Chair Erwin Malzer (L) and incoming CEO Chris Mazurkewich.
His leadership will be critical as we continue to improve our acute care services, while accelerating robust community and primary care systems to better meet the needs of our population and reduce future demand on hospital and facility-based care. “Chris has expressed to me the excitement he feels about rejoining Interior Health in his new role,” says Erwin. “He is looking forward to connecting with colleagues, old and new; meeting with staff and the valued partners that serve our organization and our residents; and listening and learning from all.” Welcome back, Chris!
The Personal Touch Chris lives with his wife Wanda in Kelowna. They have four children, two of whom have also chosen to work in health care. For work-life balance, he enjoys hiking, yoga, t'ai chi, road biking, and bridge.
here is no cookie-cutter template for the creation “The opportunity might have been there (if I wasn’t in of a leader. Sometimes, it’s a natural progression. the program), but my confidence as a leader was definitely Sometimes, it’s the last thing a person wants to be heightened because of it,” says Naomi. – until they actually become one. “I felt I had the skills to deal with conflict and have strong “Leadership chose me,” admits Tracey Rannie, Health conversations, and help us function well as a team. I Services Director at Royal Inland Hospital. “If you had learned a lot about myself as a leader and where I needed asked me 15 years ago if I wanted to be a manager, I to stretch, but also where my strengths already were.” would have said no. But what I like about leadership roles is that I can impact more people. At the patient’s bedside, Tracey and Deb echo Naomi’s sentiments. It was an honour your main impact is to the patient. In a leadership role, to be asked to join the LTMP, they say, and the mentorship there is more of a ripple effect – you impact more people, and networking opportunities offered during the program who in turn impact more patients, and the result is greater were beyond measure. quality care.” Some program participants still keep in touch. In fact, It’s for people like Tracey that Interior Health introduced Tracey and Naomi, who are both based at RIH in the Leadership Talent Management Program (LTMP) in Kamloops, meet regularly – which, incidentally, is as it 2013. Leadership growth and succession planning are should be since their career paths have virtually mirrored critical components of a healthy organization and an each other since nursing school, including getting their engaged workforce. IH wanted to ensure that it was masters in health studies at the same university. developing its future leaders, so they were ready to step into new roles within the organization when opportunities Deb says one of the best facets of the program is that arose. while it has core foundations, each participant’s program plan is tailored to his or her own strengths and areas for The first cohort of LTMP students graduated in June 2015. further growth. Some have already earned promotions or advanced into new positions. For instance, Tracey was formerly RIH’s “The program provided me the focus to understand my manager of Emergency Services and the High Acuity future and my goals, and developed a plan for me to Response Team (HART) before her promotion to Health advance,” says Deb, who also has a nursing background. Service Director. “The coaching and stretch assignments provided us with a means to broaden our experience. It made me stronger, Naomi Erickson was a Quality Improvement Consultant more confident.” for IH West before she was named manager of Quality Improvement and Patient Safety, IH West, as well as IH Tracey says she recognized that by tailoring the program, Patient Experience. And, Deb Runge was Acute Health Interior Health had given her an opportunity to be the best Services Director for the Cariboo before assuming the same leader she could be. She sees her job now as removing role in Oliver and Penticton. barriers for others to do their work, and she envisions mentoring future leaders, with the goal that one day Naomi’s journey within IH includes nursing and five years they will take her job. with the Professional Practice Office. She credits the LTMP with prompting her to apply for her current management “I’m grateful to Interior Health for giving me this position. opportunity,” she says. “It shows that IH values
Left: Naomi Erickson (L) and Tracey Rannie each moved into new positions while enrolled in IH's Leadership Talent Management Program. Both say the work they did contributed to having the confidence to apply for their new positions. Above: Deb Runge is the Acute Health Services Director for Penticton and Oliver, a role she moved into while also participating in IH’s Leadership Talent Management Program.
leadership by investing in people like Naomi, Deb, and me.” The second cohort of the Leadership Talent Management Program is now underway. The program is challenging. Individuals are expected to dig deep through self-reflection and peer reviews. This requires being open and honest with yourself, which can be uncomfortable at times. If what she saw in the first cohort is any indication, Candis Eikerman, IH’s Talent Management Consultant, is excited to see what will come from the next group. “I would like to acknowledge the people from Cohort 1 for their commitment to attending to the rigour and additional obligations required to succeed in the Leadership Talent Management Program,” says Candis. “I saw huge growth in people’s confidence in their leadership and a deeper level of organizational awareness. It was my pleasure working and learning with this talented first cohort.” One unexpected benefit, says Deb, is seeing what she learned in the LTMP spill over to her life outside of work. Because she’s more confident as a leader, she is now more confident as a person. Adds Tracey: “When you learn skills like that, it helps – not just in your career, but in your life.”
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t was the middle of a scorching hot Saturday afternoon in June. Residents at Hardy View Lodge in Grand Forks had finished their lunch and were enjoying quiet time indoors when, without warning, the overhead sprinklers turned on. The fire alarm began to sound, indicating a Code Red (fire) was under way. Gaylene Slaferek, Patient Care Coordinator at Boundary Hospital next door, leapt into action and discovered there was no fire – the sprinkler system had malfunctioned and was proceeding to cause extensive flooding to the residential care home. Gaylene realized an immediate evacuation of three cottages was necessary and called a Code Green (evacuation). “I was at home when I was alerted that Hardy View had issued a Code Green,” says Karan Fervorn, Manager, Hardy View Lodge. “Most of the managers here have taken emergency management training, and we had also just reviewed and revised our evacuation plan a few days prior, so I knew exactly what my first action should be, who my first point of contact was, and the steps I needed to take to ensure the residents were safe.” An Incident Command Centre was initiated and for the rest of the weekend employees at Hardy View Lodge and Boundary Hospital worked together to coordinate the evacuation and re-location of 24 residents. On Monday, the Incident Command Centre was expanded to include regional leads in order to bring together the necessary players to ensure a coordinated response and the management of information. “We see a lot of cooperation between portfolios here,” says Cindy Crane, Acute Health Services Manager for Grand Forks. “Because of our isolation from other sites within the Kootenay Boundary, we know we have to be prepared and work together in an emergency.” The situation is similar in many rural communities across Interior Health, which is why Health Emergency Management (HEM) training is so important.
“The main goal of HEM training is to demystify the emergency-management process and provide the right tools so leaders, at all levels across IH, can manage emergency situations when they occur,” says Rick Erland, Director for IH’s Health Emergency Management program. “Our regional emergency preparedness coordinators deliver training, review site response plans, and assist during emergencies.” During the Hardy View Lodge flood, Ryan Kuhn, Emergency Preparedness Coordinator for IH East, linked in with the local Regional District and the Provincial Regional Emergency Operations Centre (PREOC) and assisted the leadership team with the disaster response. “The most important piece in emergency response is a coordinated approach to ensure swift and accurate flow of information,” says Rick. “This is critical to identify potential and real impacts and, ultimately, how we will minimize impact to health-service delivery.” At Interior Health, there is a year-round, rotating schedule for an emergency response director on-call. This person is the first point of contact when disaster strikes and, if deemed necessary, it is their responsibility to establish a virtual emergency operations centre and bring all necessary stakeholders into one conversation. In the summer of 2015, IH managed 27 coordination calls related to wildfires and had 12 activations of a virtual emergency operations centre (see Rock Creek kudos, p. 11). “I cannot stress how great our managers have been this year,” says Rick. “They made time for HEM training in the spring and when faced with an event later in the summer, they were prepared and stayed calm, which reduced the stress levels on staff, patients, and residents.” Each year, regional emergency preparedness coordinators provide HEM training to leaders and staff across IH. Learn more about HEM Education, Training & Exercises on InsideNet.
Above: With teamwork and training, evacuation of residents at Hardy View Lodge was successful. (L-R): Gaylene Slaferek, Randy Dowhaniuk, Karan Fervorn, Roslyn Barrington, Stacey Edgington, and Cindy Crane. Right: Collapsed ceilings and broken light fixtures after the sprinklers caused flooding at HVL.
Left: Emergency personnel delivering the latest on the fire situation to evacuated residents of Rock Creek. Right: Wildfire crossing Hwy. 33 near Rock Creek. Photo credits: Castanet & Global News.
On Aug. 13, a wildfire swept across the dry hills between Rock Creek and Westbridge, just along the Canadian border in the Kootenay Boundary. The blaze reached 4,414 hectares in size and destroyed 30 homes and an additional 15 structures. A round of applause to Brigitte McDonough, Director Acute Services, Kootenay Boundary; Thalia Vesterback, Acute Services, Kootenay Lake Hospital; Cindy Kozak-Campbell, Residential Services, Kootenay Boundary; Cheryl Whittleton, CIHS Health Service Administrator, Kootenay Boundary; Brent Hobbs, Network Director, Patient Transfer Services; Dan Ferguson, Leader, Health Protection; Ryan Kuhn, Health Emergency Management, IH East; and Jonathan Jinjoe, Manager Plant Services, Kootenay Boundary, for their work in maintaining smooth operations during this hectic time. A special thanks also goes to Celia Evanson, Nurse Practitioner, who maintained her clinic patient services from the emergency social services response centre in Midway, despite being evacuated herself! Read Celia’s story in the Summer CIHS Update, p. 5.
Breath
B
of
Life
reath. Without it, a patient will die within minutes – something Lois Oijen knows too well.
“When you can’t breathe you feel as though you are being strangled, but the constriction is low down in your chest. It feels like you are drowning,” Lois describes. Lois lives in Hedley, where the Similkameen River and the highway wind past town and through steep mountains. She has asthma and is allergic to smoke, among other things. She also has Multiple Sclerosis, a complex disease affecting the central nervous and immune systems which, she says, “complicates everything.” Lois takes a careful mix of medications each day. If she feels an attack coming on, she tries to catch it with Benadryl and a nebulizer. Still, the 68-year-old has been in an ambulance more times than she can recall.
“HART has saved my life a lot of times. I rely on them,” Lois states emphatically. “I live a-ways-away. Without them, I wouldn’t be here.” “A respiratory therapist has probably been involved in every transport between hospitals, and every hospital stay,” she adds. Throughout Interior Health, RTs manage patients’ airways and ensure they are getting enough oxygen and breathing easily. The role is critical, particularly during transport. About 40 per cent of HART transports involve RTs. “Having an RT with me on a transport means I can ensure that the patient’s airway is being managed and I can address other medical needs,” explains HART Patient Care Coordinator Jessica Nattress. “It can make all the difference.”
“
That’s when Interior Health’s High Acuity Response Team (HART) steps in. The team is comprised of critical care nurses and respiratory therapists (RTs) able to accompany paramedics when patients need to be transferred between health-care facilities to a higher level of care.
has saved my life … without them, I wouldn’t be here.
Michael Shannon has been part of the 10-person RT call group at Penticton Regional for just over a year. Looking back, he was probably destined to become an RT: he suffered from asthma as a child so he empathizes with people struggling for breath; both his mother and grandmother were nurses; and, he wanted a good, steady job. Most of all, Michael wanted to help people. “It’s good to be able to help the patients and, when we are on a transport, staff at the other end are always really appreciative, too,” says Michael. “Often, the hospitals we support have just one overnight nurse in the Emergency Department with a doctor on call. They are glad to know there is an RN and RT on the way. “We couldn’t do any of this without the support of BC Emergency Health Services, which coordinates HART deployments. And the paramedics are an invaluable asset, supporting a team approach to patient care. “I’ve been on a few HART calls. Patients are intubated and ventilated and we pack them up and bring them back.” To this RT, and others like him, providing patients with the breath of life is all in a day’s work. But to patients like Lois, they are part of a life-saving team. “I want to send a huge thank you to the local first responders in our town, to the fabulous paramedics, to everyone in Emergency all the way to ICU. To each and every doctor, nurse, HART member, RT, surgeon, and anyone else I missed, a heartfelt thank you!” Lois says. Oct. 25-31 marks Respiratory Therapy week. Learn more at www.csrt.com.
Above: Penticton respiratory therapist Michael Shannon. Left: Hedley resident Lois Oijen understands only too well the value of respiratory therapists and the High Acuity Response Team.
I
n the Interior Health region, 65 per cent of people diagnosed with HIV are diagnosed after they should already be receiving treatment.
B.C.’s HIV testing guidelines promote early diagnosis and treatment. The guidelines recommend all patients assessed or admitted to hospital through the emergency department or inpatient unit are offered an HIV test when receiving blood work for a new or worsening condition. Dr. Trevor Corneil, Chief Medical Health Officer, says the new guidelines will help reach people with no obvious risk factors who would normally have fallen through the cracks. “Anyone who has ever been sexually active is at some risk of HIV,” says Dr. Corneil. “A large portion of our newly diagnosed patients don't identify as ever belonging to one of the traditional high-prevalence populations. Getting tested for HIV provides reassurance for those who test negative and for those who test positive; it gives them opportunity to access life-saving treatment.” People with HIV often have no symptoms for many years. During this time, their health may be affected without them even knowing it. Research has shown that an early diagnosis in combination with anti-HIV medicines, called antiretroviral therapy, means HIV-positive people can expect to live as long as those without HIV. Early diagnosis and treatment also reduces the risk of transmission to others. Treatments available today can suppress HIV to undetectable levels, which greatly reduces the likelihood of transmitting the virus. Several Interior Health sites have already implemented routine HIV testing. “The response from our sites has been incredible. To date, 14 hospital emergency departments are offering an HIV test as a part of routine blood work and 17 additional sites are expected to be on board in the coming months,” says Maja Karlsson, STOP HIV Program Implementation Leader. “Our goal is to have routine HIV testing become the norm in every hospital in Interior Health.” The Emergency Department at Castlegar and District Community Health Centre is one of the sites currently rolling out routine HIV testing. Joan Conkin, Patient Care Coordinator, offers this advice to other sites. “Offering an HIV test as a part of routine bloodwork is a significant change in practice and that takes work. However, it’s worth it because we know that this change will benefit our patients and our community. Ongoing collaboration between acute care staff, physicians, and the lab is the key to success.”
Heather Thompson, a lab technologist at Castlegar and District Community Health Centre, begins routine HIV blood testing.
Patients are offered an HIV test when other blood tests are ordered. As with all medical tests, the patient has the right to refuse an HIV test and only those patients able to make a decision on their own will be offered one. Patients who test positive for HIV are referred to a health outreach nurse and supported with appropriate care and treatment. Test results are confidential and only health-care staff directly involved in the care of a patient may access the patient’s information. Find out more about routine HIV testing at acute sites or visit myhealthissexy.com.
H
ealth care is a growth business and it needs a diverse workforce. In Interior Health, recruiters are turning to Aboriginal populations who can help expand that cultural diversity and offer both patients and staff a welcome place to access and provide health services.
Aboriginal Health Director Brad Anderson says the strategy to attract First Nations and Metis employees to consider health-care careers will benefit Interior Health as an organization, its Aboriginal patients who will recognize they are in a safe place, and Aboriginal youth who will discover interesting and well-paying careers. IH CEO Dr. Robert Halpenny notes the benefits when people from different backgrounds work together and develop an understanding of each other’s cultures. He is also enthusiastic about giving the Aboriginal holistic approach to health care a greater focus in IH sites. Four recruitment videos, sponsored by our Aboriginal Health and Talent Acquisition and Marketing teams, feature IH leaders, Aboriginal leaders from IH communities, and Aboriginal employees. Each profile offers a different perspective on the advantages of careers in health care.
Darcy Jong, Recreation Therapist @IH: How did you end up at Brookhaven?
I started with Interior Health in 1996. At first, I was in Kelowna General Hospital and then Brookhaven, Cottonwoods, and David Lloyd Jones (residential care homes in Kelowna/West Kelowna). In 2006, I came back to Brookhaven.
@IH: What does a day in the life of a
recreation therapist at Brookhaven look like? My training and values allow me to provide the best place for the residents to live in as well as for the staff to work. We celebrate the residents by celebrating their individuality. So, the first thing we do when a new resident comes to Brookhaven is find out who they are and who they’ve been their whole life. We walk through the garden of their life and find out where they were raised, some of their favourite childhood memories, their years parenting or working, and retirement years. We try to gain a grasp of who these people are and, in doing so, we find out what’s important to them and what sort of experiences we can facilitate to help this be a more homelike environment.
The Brookhaven Recreation Team (L-R): Darcy Jong, Terry Swetlikoe, Terry-Anne Bennett, and Trish Brown.
we’re surrounded by trees and mountains, and there are areas where residents can go and be alone or visit with their loved ones. There are also private areas where my team can spend time with the residents, like play a quiet game of cards or spend time with them and listen to them one-on-one. Things like that make it a truly great site.
I help residents overcome extreme barriers in order to fully participate in activities. Physical, social, and emotional obstacles are sometimes what people may face, especially @IH: What do you like best about working at once they are permanently living in long-term care. Brookhaven? A recreation therapist can unlock these barriers and I like the freedom we have to plan for our residents. All a person can still live the quality of life they deserve. of the recreation programs we initiate are based on our residents’ interests – the freedom to be able to @IH: Who makes up your recreation team? individualize. We have one recreation therapist, that’s me; and I work alongside an amazing team of three therapy assistants. We @IH: Are there any fun facts or things that really also have an amazing volunteer department. We could not stand out about Brookhaven? do our recreation work without the volunteer department’s We have two brown owls who like to watch us while assistance. Any projects, anything we’re working on, they we’re having our barbeques. They’re appropriately are keen to lend a hand. named Brook and Haven. Also, our resident- and community-funded waterfall is what really stands out. @IH: What makes Brookhaven a great site? It’s stunning and overall our grounds are quite beautiful. We’ve done a lot to enhance the grounds here. There’s Brookhaven has a great vibe – it’s very well organized, a beautiful water feature, there’s a creek running by, very friendly and open to change.
Brookhaven Care Centre
26
Recreation therapists within IH
180
Kim Garbers, Health Care Aide at Brookhaven.
2
101 Care beds
Resident cats — George and Maya
434 4
Average length of stay (days)
Rec programs per day
Gathered from 2015 data sources.
Complex care and respite patients
20
Years old
Creston Submitted by: Vadim Belyakov
Princeton Submitted by: Lenka Kolar Nakusp Submitted by: Carla Poulin
Nelson Submitted by: Lisa Quinn
Lavington Submitted by: Kelly Chernoff
Where We Live & Work ... A Spotlight on Our Communities Covering more than 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 on the InsideNet.
Aboriginal Health team members (L-R) Danielle Wilson, Joan Guido, Gina Guerrero, and Judy Sturm honour residential school survivors on Orange Shirt Day – Every Child Matters, celebrated on Sept. 30. The day grew out of a story told in 2013 by Phyllis Webstad who said when she was six her grandmother took her to a store in Williams Lake to buy a shirt to wear at St. Joseph’s Mission Residential School. She picked out a shiny, orange shirt. When she arrived at school, students were stripped of their clothing and she never once got a chance to wear the shirt. Learn more about How Orange Shirt Day Came to Be.
Residents at Mount Cartier Court in Revelstoke are about to see what life looks like from the seat of a brand new bike – a Duet Plus tandem bicycle! A HUGE thank you goes to the Revelstoke Hospital Auxiliary for their generous donation. In the photo are, Andrew Clark, Recreation Therapist (pedalling), and Chelsea Watts, Social Worker (riding).
Lillooet Hospital and Health Centre has received a second award for the Managing Obstetrical Risk Efficiently (MOREOB) Program. This achievement requires that 80 per cent of the whole team, including maternity staff, physicians, and midwives achieve a series of goals. The core team of (L-R) Dr. Karl Mascher, RN Jessica Mclellan, RN Maria Mascher, Dr. Nancy Humber, and Dr. Terry Miller has been instrumental in supporting the nurses and physicians in Lillooet to continue to provide maternal services to Lillooet-area moms and babies.
While potential earthquake hazards depend on your location, everywhere in B.C. is considered at high risk in relation to the rest of Canada. The Great British Columbia ShakeOut, on Oct. 15, is an annual opportunity to practice how to be safer during big earthquakes: Drop, Cover, and Hold On. The ShakeOut is also a time to update home and work emergency preparedness plans, kits, and supplies. Learn more at www.shakeoutbc.ca.
Keeping Canada Alive is a new CBC docu-drama that asks two simple questions: What if we could see what our health-care system does in a single day? How would we feel? Sixty camera crews spent the day filming health care across Canada over a 24-hour period. One of them was at Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops. We are so proud to have been a part of it! #KeepCanAlive The series started Oct. 4 – watch it on CBC at: www.cbc.ca/keepingcanadaalive/.
– The Public Service Alliance of Canada National Aboriginal Peoples’ Circle launched the “Justice for Aboriginal Peoples – It’s Time” campaign. The campaign intends to raise public awareness about the issues of and provide the tools necessary to help ensure that the rights of Aboriginal Peoples in Canada are respected. Learn more at Public Service Alliance of Canada, http://psacuntion.ca.