a publication for staff and physicians of ih - interior health · dr. trevor janz discusses...
TRANSCRIPT
A publication for Staff and Physicians of IH
A message from Chris Mazurkewich, Interior Health’s CEO.
Wellness wisdom for work
Training for biological hazards protects you and the people in your care.
Collaborative conversations leading to better residential care.
Donna Helgeson, Public Health Nurse, and her community of Sicamous.
Staff-submitted photos of places where we live and work.
Snapshots of our staff in action and trending health-care videos.
On the cover: Dr. Trevor Janz chats with resident Annie Newton in the dining room
at Mountain Lakes Seniors Community in Nelson. Story on page 10.
Meet Interior Health’s new Board Chair, Dr. Doug Cochrane.
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: [email protected] Editors: Amanda Fisher, Ingeborg Keyser Designer: Kara Visinski IH Communications Contributors: Lesley Coates, Susan Duncan, Patrick Gall, Karl Hardt, Erin Toews, Breanna Traynor, Tracy Watson
Every person matters
A tragic incident in Fernie on Oct.
17 brought home the importance
of keeping people safe – our own
health-care team and the people
living in communities across Interior
Health.
The ammonia leak at the local arena
led to the death of three people and a
resulting public health emergency. It was
a shocking tragedy and our hearts and
thoughts go out to the families and friends
directly impacted, and the community as a
whole.
I thank the staff, managers, and physicians
in Fernie who stepped up to meet the
ongoing health needs of their community
during the emergency and for their
patience in being on standby while the
remediation work was completed. As
well, kudos for the support and expertise
provided from staff across IH in terms of
the emergency response.
During a tour of the East Kootenay with
our new Board Chair Doug Cochrane the
week of Oct. 24, we were able to share our
appreciation in person with the team at Elk
Valley Hospital. Their compassion and their
commitment to taking care of people is the
heart of what we do. It’s good to be
reminded of that as much as possible.
And, fortunately, our tour provided many
opportunities to see how the work we
do matters to people – from staff and
physicians, to our foundation and auxiliary
partners, to elected officials and the media.
We heard from auxiliaries eager to help
fund new projects; from First Nations
representatives who acknowledge and
appreciate the collaboration with IH;
and from physicians who are engaged in
integrated primary care and proud of the
work they are doing.
We also heard about areas of concern
and challenge – from patient transport
and telehealth access, to recruitment and
retention in nursing and allied health, to
retaining services in rural areas.
This engagement on the ground is an
important part of how we work together
to improve the system.
It always comes back to people. It’s why
we’re here. Circling back to the topic of
safety, I want to highlight what we
are doing to keep our people and our
workplaces safe, so that we can do the
best job possible caring for patients,
clients, and residents.
We are on a journey in IH to embed a
culture of safety. That is happening in
partnership with our staff and physicians,
and with learnings from WorkSafeBC, our
partner health authorities, unions, and one
another, on how we can do better.
An important factor for safe workplaces is
proper training, which has been a priority
for several years across IH. This past year,
we mobilized in an amazing way to take
immediate action on improving workplace
violence prevention. By June 30, 2017, all
IH employees and managers completed
the mandatory education required
according to their level of risk.
More recently, we developed a Biological
Exposure Control Plan (ECP) to better
protect you and respond to outbreaks.
This plan combines all of our biological
exposure policies and procedures into one
document, and includes a requirement for
employees to complete education modules
related to biological agents. On page 6,
you can read more about how some of our
housekeeping staff are tackling the training
as a group, to meet the Dec. 15 deadline.
Going forward, we are adopting a
system-wide approach to health and
safety. This will guide our organization
in moving beyond basic compliance to
embracing a culture of health and safety,
where it actually becomes an intrinsic part
of the way we work.
A steering committee with representation
from all vice-president portfolios and key
program areas has been formed to lead
this culture shift.
As a starting point, a core assessment
and leadership survey was completed
with each of the senior executive team
members; we look forward to hearing the
results of that survey later this month.
Leadership and organizational commitment
make up the first pillar of a Health & Safety
Management System (HSMS), which sets a
strong foundation for success. See a visual
of all five pillars on page 6.
Ongoing success in embedding a culture of
safety is a call to action for every one of
us. We all must lead, influence, and model
safety behaviour – it’s a team effort, let’s
each do our part.
President & CEO Chris Mazurkewich
G erms. They are everywhere! We know the basics: wash your hands, cover your mouth when you cough, and
use disinfectants to wipe surfaces and equipment. But in health care, we have to think beyond the every day germs.
Most Interior Health employees are potentially exposed to blood, bodily fluids, or other infectious agents on a daily basis.
Basically, if you come into contact with anyone in our care – you are at risk.
“Both direct and indirect patient contact puts us at risk of catching a highly contagious or infectious disease,” says Omid
Nobakht, Occupational Hygiene Advisor.
“Often times, it’s improper handling of waste materials and blood/bodily fluids. But with the proper education and knowledge, exposure is very preventable.”
Earlier this year, a biological exposure at Kelowna General Hospital caused a housekeeper to seek immediate medical attention and endure six months of follow-up bloodwork with prolonged stress.
“This housekeeper was cleaning a utility room in a surgical area when she picked up a garbage bag containing
improperly disposed sharps waste and was pricked repeated times by several needles,” says Jackie Marsh, Support
Services Operational Coordinator at KGH.
“This incident could have been prevented had the needles been disposed in a safety-certified sharps container, which is why I am very supportive of the new biological hazards training for employees. The two modules are user friendly and
give a great overview of biological hazards, proper handling techniques, and protective measures.”
Jackie says that some trauma rooms can be a horrific scene after treating patients, which is why it’s important to know
Members of the Kelowna General Hospital Housekeeping team have signed up to take the Biological Exposure Control (ECP) training as a group.
the personal protective equipment needed before entering a room.
“Patient rooms have designated precaution signs so health-care workers know what to put on before entering. This
could be protective gloves, gown, eyewear, face shield, and/or air purifying respirators.”
More than 80 per cent of IH employees are exposed, or at risk of exposure, to biological agents on a daily basis. This
includes staff and managers in support services (food, housekeeping and laundry); plant services; acute, residential, and home and community care; laboratory; diagnostic imaging; medical device reprocessing; and mental health and
substance use.
“Your actions can contribute to or prevent a workplace accident,” says Lorne Cooke, Support Services Manager. “Increasing your awareness and taking the proper precautions reduces the risk of hazardous exposures to you, your
colleagues, and the people in your care.”
A new Biological Exposure Control Plan (ECP) combines all Interior Health biological exposure policies and procedures
into one document, and includes a requirement for employees at risk to complete education modules related to biological agents by Dec. 15 (i-Learn courses 1634 and 1635). Read the Oct. 3 all staff memo from Mal Griffin, VP
Human Resources to learn more.
The new Biological Control Exposure Plan is an important part of a safe and healthy workplace. Another is the ongoing and focused effort on violence prevention. And the list goes on, with numerous initiatives aimed at protecting our staff
and preventing injury.
To bring all of those pieces together and ensure continuous improvement, we are adopting a Health and Safety Management System (HSMS) in IH. This means we will embed safety into everyday practice as everyone's responsibility.
With the HSMS, we will have proven methodology and tools to help eliminate hazards, reduce injuries, and move us
forward on our journey to a culture of safety.
A year ago, Kootenay Boundary residential care physicians, Interior Health administrators, nurses, and private partner site leads began meeting around a dinner table … and some amazing things happened. Physicians became more involved. Staff felt more empowered. And residents began benefiting from improved quality across the board.
The General Practice Services Committee (GPSC) introduced a project to improve quality outcomes in residential care two years ago. Although timelines and tactics have varied among different Interior Health communities, at the crux of the project is collaboration. The aim of the initiative is to bring everyone together around the table – and in the Kootenay Boundary’s case they are literally at a table, as a portion of the GPSC funding through the local Division of Family Practice is dedicated to biannual dinner meetings. “We have a lovely dinner, with between six to 15 of us gathered around to share best practices. Nurses from facilities can sit for two hours with the doctors and work out mutually respectful quality solutions,” says Dr. Trevor Janz, Kootenay Residential Care Medical Director. The Residential Care Initiative aims to achieve three system level outcomes: reduce unnecessary or
inappropriate hospital transfers; improve patient-provider
experience; and decrease cost per patient as a
result of increased care quality. “This collaborative focus on quality cycles has had a tremendous impact,” says Cindy Kozak-Campbell, Interior Health Residential Services Executive Director. “By bringing everyone together to share ideas we can work as a team to achieve common goals. It’s a really powerful thing.”
Dr. Trevor Janz discusses resident Median Logus’s care with her during a morning visit to her room at Mountain Lakes Seniors Community in Nelson.
In the Kootenay Boundary, results are particularly impressive. Dr. Janz credits the success to an experienced and committed medical leadership, combined with an engaged staff. “When we show staff that they can change the system, they are energized. They feel positive about their job. It is enormously empowering,” he says. Statistics have also played a key role.
“When we put the numbers up and compare sites, looking at the number of residents being sent to the emergency department for example, or the number of residents who are on anti-psychotic medication, the ability to compare notes is extremely powerful. It allows everyone to look at their practice and ask each other ‘how did you do that?’ And then behaviours start to change.” In combination with ongoing initiatives, such as PIECES education, the SBAR tool (Situation, Background, Assessment, and Recommendation), and practice standards around medication review and falls prevention, the Residential Care Initiative has so far resulted in:
a 15 per cent decrease in residential to emergency eepartment transfers; a 19 per cent decrease in residential care patient hospital admissions from the emergency department; and a 15 per cent reduction in residential care falls-related emergency department transfers.
The Residential Care Initiative has also paved the way for the introduction of a Palliative Approach in Residential Care (PARC) – a fundamental shift that will embed palliative care practice into residential care to enhance residents’ quality of life, regardless of the stage of their illness. For more information about the Residential Care Initiative or PARC, contact Cindy Kozak-Campbell.
L-R: LPN Patti, resident Annie Newton, and Dr. Janz at Mountain Lakes.
Doug Cochrane is the new chair of Interior Health’s Board of Directors.
T he new board chair of Interior Health is a private person. Rather than talking about himself, he prefers to discuss quality care for patients, strengthening the health system, and responding to social needs.
An early riser, after a light breakfast – yogurt and granola – Dr. Doug Cochrane, a well-known name in B.C. health circles, is ready for the day. “I’ve learned from experience that the hours can get away from you and you end up working far later if you don’t get going early.” He says his early rising was entrenched by on-time charge nurses and patients. He may not be quite as busy these days as before he retired as a pediatric neurosurgeon at B.C. Children’s Hospital, but his mind is still fully occupied by health matters. He is chair of the BC Patient Safety & Quality Council; the Provincial Patient Safety & Quality Officer; and as of September, chair of the Interior Health Board of Directors. For the past two years, he and his wife, Barbara, have lived permanently in West Kelowna, but they’ve had a historical connection to the Okanagan through relatives and bought their retirement property long before making the final move. Doug is the only health-care professional in his family. His dad was a teacher, his mom was a homemaker, and his wife was trained as a chemist and engineer with “amazing organizational skills” that allowed Doug to focus on his unquenchable drive to improve health care for patients. They also have two daughters and three grandchildren. That’s about all the personal information he’s likely to reveal at a first encounter, but he will happily discuss what motivated him to accept the position as IH board chair. It’s an extension of his work to improve patient safety and reduce errors in health care that began in 1997 when he was on a team fighting to reverse the effects of a medication mistake that eventually resulted in the death of a young girl. A full interview on his mission to improve patient safety is available on the Canadian Patient Safety Institute website. “I have had the honour of caring for patients from all areas of IH over many years and I relied on the strength of the health system to help me take care of the babies, children, and teenagers who needed the clinical services I could offer through Children’s Hospital. Now, if I can do anything to strengthen that system as chair of the board, then I want to do that.” While he believes having clinical knowledge will be helpful to him as he navigates board decisions, it’s not the only thing. “Our job as board members is to provide reflective advice on the systems of care that IH provides to patients. We set the bar for health-care performance and make sure that it is high enough. “The issues facing a health authority need a forward looking, thoughtful plan and implementation that respects and addresses patient and community needs. With the CEO and his staff, we support the relationships with communities and the health system.”
a quality guy
… continued on page 14
… continued from page 13 Doug considers the opiate crisis as one of the challenging areas of work that will continue to remain a crisis until all partners put their minds to it in an organized way and join in providing safe care for those in need. “Until that happens, we will remain reactive to the crisis and will not address critical underlying issues that drive this tragedy.” Many aspects of the health system work really well, which gives him inspiration as he continues to do his part for the most vulnerable people in the province – those who need strong health-care services. He is pleased to be leading a health authority that has a history of strong management and governance upon which a quality future can be built. Along with the new chair, two new members also joined the IH board in September. They are Dr. Selena Lawrie, a general practitioner in Kamloops, and a site director for the University of British Columbia Family Medicine Program; and Cindy Stewart from Vernon, who holds a Bachelor of Science in rehabilitation medicine and has worked as a physiotherapist. Cindy is also a former president of the Health Sciences Association of B.C. and former vice president of the B.C. Federation of Labour. The biographies of the Interior Health Board of Directors are available on the IH public website.
New Board Chair Doug Cochrane, left, joins CEO Chris Mazurkewich in Cranbrook on a recent tour of IH sites in the East Kootenay.
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Find your employee number on iSite at http://isite/.
?do youknow youremployeenumber
@IH: Tell us a little about yourself and your
background in health care.
I have been a Public Health Nurse (PHN) for 37 years and thirty of those years were with Interior
Health. I moved from Edmonton in October 1987 to Salmon Arm. For the past 15 years, I have been
working as a staff nurse in the Sicamous Health Unit office.
@IH: Tell us about your role in IH. What do
you do?
My PHN role is a generalist role. I work with families, from prenatal, postnatal, and through the
school years. I also provide immunizations across the age span, from infants to seniors. I am lucky to
have the opportunity to do lots of community development work in Sicamous with many different
agencies.
@IH: Why is your work important?
I believe I am working with people to help them help
themselves. The variety of my job keeps me interested as not
one day is the same in Sicamous.
@IH: What do you most enjoy about your work?
I love working with children and families in the community.
I love to see children happy, and when we host community
events that have a health or safety message, it brings a smile
to my face.
@IH: Do you have a highlight or two from your
career with IH? Anything that really stands out for
you? Seeing the community of Sicamous grow, the network
happening, the free services happening for parents, and
the agencies working cooperatively for the good of the
community. The willingness for community agencies to start
new programs is amazing. One of my greatest developments
is the creation of the “baby wall” in my office. Parents can
bring a photo in and we post it on the wall, and over the
years we can show the photos to the children who come to
our Kindergarten Immunization Fair.
@IH: What is great about working in Sicamous?
The great thing about working in a rural office is the
supportive staff I work with. We are a close team. We have
some resident staff such as Marjorie Dewit in Administrative
Support and Pamela DeBruin, Manager of Communicable
Disease Prevention and Immunization. Others are in and out
– like Colleen Wagner from Dental Health and Bonnie
Johnson with Speech Language – because they travel
regularly as part of their work.
@IH: Final thoughts?
In my role with Public Health, I have a continuity of care that
is very satisfying. I can see clients several times and build
rapport with them and also a sense of trust. I feel like I have
a dream job here in Sicamous.
Public Health Nurse
Donna Helgeson,
Community of
Sicamous
Stats and photo: hellobc.com. Nominate a colleague, manager, or place for a future spotlight.
Nov. 7, 1885 Completion of Canadian Pacific
Railway nearby
3,055 Population (approx.)
4 Provincial parks
in the area
30 yrs Age of Sicamous
Health Centre
3 Permanent health
centre staff
23 Babies born in
community (2017)
Fernie Submitted by: Dee O’Connor
Slocan Valley Submitted by: Kenneth Sedore
Penticton Submitted by: Sarah Carrington
Lower Nicola Submitted by: Jessie Tubbs
IH nurses Nadine Rigby, Nicole Campbell, and Avneet Khela met recently with MLA Steve Thomson (Kelowna–Mission) and his constituency office to discuss the overdose crisis and provide naloxone training.
East Kootenay (EK) Public Health Nursing (PHN) has partnered with EK Children First & Success By 6 to pilot a project designed to promote safe sleep for infants as well as an early and meaningful connection with Public Health nurses and community resources for first-time parents. In the photo (L-R): PHN Pam Smith, PHN Caroline Shepherd, PHN Team Leader Terri Fergus, EK Children First & Success By 6 Regional Manager Gina Panattoni, and PHN Diane Cameron.
Did you ever stop to think that someone has to clean and decontaminate many of our medical devices? At Interior Health, we rely on well trained and knowledgeable staff to do this very important behind-the-scenes job. This process is known as Medical Device Reprocessing (MDR). Pictured here, Megan Collins is in the decontamination area of Kelowna General Hospital’s MDR department. Find out more about what this job entails In The Loop.
People often think that palliative care is just for the last days or weeks of life, but actually it should be initiated much earlier. Having a proper palliative care plan in place can eliminate many negative consequences, including inappropriate treatment choices and lack of symptom control.
Have you ever wished you could connect more meaningfully with people? Have you ever wondered what you could say to make someone’s day more special? Watch this short video to see what Dr. Lachlan Forrow, MD, advisor to The Conversation Project, has to say.
Keeping families together is critical, especially when you have a little one who is sick. Every year, thousands of families are forced to leave their homes and travel to Kelowna General Hospital for specialized medical care. Accommodation in this rapidly growing city is expensive and nearly impossible to find. That’s why the KGH Foundation has committed to raising $8 million to build JoeAnna’s House, a home away from home for families travelling for care.
