Life is Movement - Bluewater Health

Volume 9 Issue 1 • Saturday, March 28, 2009
Newlyweds Win Dream Home
The 2009 Bluewater
Health Foundation’s Dream
Home Lottery was a
dream come true for both
the Foundation and the
winner. For the Foundation
it was the second year in a
row that the lottery SOLD
OUT and for the winner
Annette Campbell-Boles, it
was something she never
expected.
“I figured I was making a
donation,” Campbell-Boles
admitted when asked if
she’d ever dreamed about
winning. Then added, “I
don’t usually win anything
too exciting.”
That all
changed February 28 at
the Dream Home Draw
& Gala held at the Dante
Club when Sarnia-Lambton
MP Pat Davidson pulled
Campbell-Boles’ ticket from
the 7,000 tickets sold.
Meanwhile, CampbellBoles was at home totally
unaware of her good
fortune.
In
bed
and
feeling ill, Campbell-Boles
ignored the first couple of
late night telephone calls
from Bluewater Health
Foundation.
Instead,
letting them get picked
up by the answering
machine. “Tyler brought
the phone up to me going
‘I don’t know who this is.
They keep calling’. Then I
listened to the message and
of course at first I’m going,
that can’t possibly be true.
So I ran down stairs and
played the message again
so Tyler could hear it.” In
the meantime, Bluewater
Health Foundation officials
called again and finally
confirmed what they had
said in the messages. “I
was so shocked,” CampbellBoles said was her initial
Bone and joint health
is an important part of
enjoying an active lifestyle.
And at 79, Ross Wise of
Sarnia knows that and more
– he credits his participation
in Bluewater Health’s Total
Joint Replacement Project
with giving him back the
ability to play with his
granddaughter.
“She said to me one day,
response. “We were pretty
excited. We didn’t sleep all
night.” Even her parents
wouldn’t believe them at
first. Later “my mom was
so thrilled,” she said.
“My
friends
didn’t
believe me,” added Tyler,
who works for St. Clair
Fence and Deck.
“No one would believe
us at first, but we were in
disbelief too. It’s totally
starting to sink in now.
Holy cow,” said CampbellBoles.
Reality finally began
setting in for the couple,
married last September,
while Bluewater Health
Foundation officials gave
them a tour of the premise
for the first time, the day
after her lucky ticket was
drawn. “We’ve been talking
about it all morning. Now
that I’ve seen it, the girl side
of me is going, Oh my God,
it’s so pretty,” she said. We
have some thinking to do.
The financial planning
side of me is this could
be a retirement fund,”
Campbell-Boles said as she
toured the home with her
husband.
It was just the second
time Campbell-Boles, the
office manager for R.J.
Rau and Associates, had
purchased a ticket for the
Dream Home Lottery in its
14-year history. Winning
the grand prize was the last
thing on her mind.
For the first time in the
lottery’s history the winner
was given the option of
taking the home, this
year valued at $375,000,
or taking a $300,000 cash
payout as the grand prize.
In the end, the couple
wrestled
with
making
a decision for several
days before eventually
notifying
Bluewater
Health
Foundation
they chose to take the
$300,000 cash payment
instead of the home. As a
result, Bluewater Health
Foundation will place the
house for sale on the open
market and any proceeds
above the cost of the home
will also be included in
the lottery revenue. It was
an opportunity Annette
Campbell-Boles
couldn’t
pass up.
This year’s dream home
was a 1,980 square foot,
three-bedroom bungalow
located at 200 Ron Bolt
Street in Sarnia’s Heritage
Park built by Iacobelli
Construction, with Brush
Strokes
Interiors
Ltd
providing
the
interior
decorating
services,
Sarnia Cabinets created
a
comfortable
kitchen
complete with a large
working island and a raised
granite bar.
This year’s Dream Home
Lottery was the most
successful to date. The
Canadian Breast Cancer
Society matched every
dollar raised to bring the
total to $550,000 for the
purchase of two digital
mammography
stations
for the hospital’s imaging
department.
“This year the lottery
was especially beneficial
to our hospital, thanks to
our partnership with Breast
Cancer Society of Canada,
stated Johanne Tomkins,
Special Events Coordinator.
We are so happy for Annette
and Tyler, this win will help
them as they build their life
together.”
Pictured above are: Dream Home Lottery grand prize winner Annette Campbell-Boles
and husband Tyler Boles have opted to pass on taking possession of the 1,980 square
foot, three-bedroom bungalow home valued at $375,000 and chose to take a $300,000
cash payout.
Life is Movement
‘Grandpa, you walk like a
penguin’. But now I can do
things I previously wouldn’t
even have thought about.”
“The
Total
Joint
Replacement
experience
is
an
innovative
reengineering
of
our
treatment and care plan
for patients like Ross who
require elective knee and
hip replacements,” said
Mary Bishop, RN, Inpatient
Surgery, and Project Lead.
Born from the shared
vision of health care
providers at Bluewater
Health and Chatham-Kent
Health Alliance, the Total
Joint Replacement Project
is a partnership with
orthopaedic surgeons, the
Rehabilitation,
Complex
Continuing
Care
and
Surgical Programs, the Erie
St. Clair Community Care
Access Centre and Local
Health Integration Network,
and the Ontario Bone and
Joint Health Network.
“Previously,
we
concentrated only on the
surgical experience. Our
focus has fundamentally
changed and is now on
the patient experience
from start to finish,” noted
Mary.
Before May 2007, all
patient surgery preparation
was completed at the
hospital
pre-admission
appointment. One to two
weeks before the surgery
date, an intensive, long,
informative
and
often
overwhelming visit was
conducted to prepare the
patient for his/her surgery.
Now once the patient
chooses to have surgery,
a “journey” of learning
begins on how to prepare
their mind, body and home
environment for the elective
joint replacement surgery.
The patient preparation is
divided into several stages
to decrease stress, foster
self-management, facilitate
learning and memory of
important
educational
information and focus on
factors that will enhance a
smooth return home.
An interdisciplinary team
of health care providers
revised the “Total Joint
Replacement: The Patient’s
Guide”
and
gathered
information into a concise
step by step “what to
expect” instruction book.
At each step of the journey,
the patient is encouraged
to read the book and be
ready to self-manage their
health.
For Ross, each step of the
way was guided, informative
and interactive.
“The entire process from
start to finish was very good
indeed. I truly felt more
involved and in control of
my care. I understood what
I needed to do to get better,
I asked questions when I
didn’t, and because of that,
I’m more mobile and I’ve
felt better than ever.”
In 2007-2008, Bluewater
Pictured with Ross Wise is Mary Bishop, RN, Inpatient Surgery, and Project Lead, Total Joint Replacement Project.
3. Drink water.
Fuel
your day with water
while avoiding caffeine,
Health
performed
435
total joint replacement
procedures
(118
hip
replacements and 317 knee
replacements). Access to
an orthopedic surgeon
requires referral by your
family doctor, or hospital
or
community
nurse
practitioner.
Promoting Joint Health
Aging, injury and disease
all can take a toll on your
bones and joints.
To
help you stay mobile and
pain-free, follow these
five simple bone-building
steps:
1. Get moving. Make
physical
exercise,
including basic strength
training, part of your
daily routine.
2. Eat well. Eat a balanced
diet that includes fruits
and vegetables; lowfat dairy products; lean
meats, chicken and fish;
and high-fiber, wholegrain foods.
soft drinks and tobacco
products.
4. Take vitamins. Ask
you doctor if you would
benefit form taking a
calcium supplement or
vitamin tablet.
5. Get screened. A bone
density screening can
detect
osteoporosis,
predict your risk of
fracture and monitor
effects of treatment.
Learn
more
about
bone and joint health
through the Canadian
Orthopedic Foundation
(www.canorth.org) and
discuss the topic with
your primary health care
provider.
Volume 9 Issue 1 • Saturday, March 28, 2009 • Page 
Construction News
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As part of a project to connect you with all the news,
views, highlights and facts about the construction of our
new community hospital, check out our new two-page
construction newsletter! (at right)
Brought to you by Bluewater Health, Bluewater Health
Foundation, EllisDon Corp., and Infrastructure Ontario.
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• 965,000 kg of reinforcing steel is being used
in the project
• 14,500 cubic meters of concrete is being
used in the project
• 45,000 cubic meters of rock and dirt was
moved to start construction on the new
building
• 160 new trees are being planted on the hospital grounds
• 5,500 lights are being installed
• The highest point of the hospital is 116 feet
• The construction crane is as tall as 6 school
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• The new addition is 2 ½ hockey rinks long
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Past President • Phil Brown
Secretary-Treasurer • Gord Bristo
Board of Directors
Greg Bond • John DeGroot
Evelyn Dixon • Sylvia Foreman
Barry Hogan Jr. • David Joy
Len MacLachlan • Dorothy McKellar
Gail Mitton • Jamie Pole
Executive Director • Liz Kenny
(519) 464-4438
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Executive Assistant • Theresa Pettit
(519) 464-4408
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Donor Liaison • Lisa Waite
(519) 464-4429
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Foundation and Special Events Coordinator
Johanne Tomkins (519) 464-4405
Coordinator, Business Centre • Theresa Pettit
(519) 346-4704
Development Officer
Maria Muscedere (519) 346-4706
Email: [email protected]
Web Site: bluewaterhealthfoundation.ca
Charitable Business #86939 4163 RR0001
Pulse is produced by Bluewater Health Foundation
with support from the Department of Communications and Public Affairs of Bluewater Health.
Questions or information regarding this publication can be forwarded to:
Editor ~ Maria Muscedere
(519) 346-4706
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
Bluewater Health Foundation, through the generosity
of its donors has raised $40 million towards our share of
the money needed to build our new community hospital.
Thank you Sarnia-Lambton!
The Foundation’s efforts are now focused on raising an
additional $6.5 million. These funds are used to purchase
leading edge technology and equipment to enhance patient care and comfort and support our dedicated health
care professionals.
Your donation can make a difference. Please contact
Bluewater Health Foundation at 519-464-4408 or visit the
website at: www.bluewaterhealthfoundation.ca
Vice-President • Sheila Chappell
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How You Can Help!
President • Jack Pasternak
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Fun Facts…….
Did you know?
Bluewater Health
Foundation
Building Our Future, Together
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Volume 9 Issue 1 • Saturday, March 28, 2009 • Page New Nurse Practitioner Clinic Opens
Don’t have a family
doctor? Our new Nurse
Practitioner can help.
Bluewater Health is
pleased to welcome Nurse
Practitioner John Metcalf
to its dynamic team of
health care professionals.
“I hope to enrich the
care that is already being
provided by doctors here
at Bluewater Health and
provide access to those in
the community who don’t
have a primary health care
provider,” said Metcalf.
Nurse practitioners are
registered nurses with
the additional education
and skills to provide a
broad range of health
care
services.
They
perform a full scope of
nursing duties as well as
some functions similar to
doctors, such as routine
check-ups, diagnosing and
managing common acute
and
chronic
illnesses,
prescribing
medicines,
ordering
diagnostic
tests and referring to
specialists.
“Nurse
practitioners
are playing an increasing
role in health care in
Ontario,” said Dr. Richard
Cheong, Lead Hospitalist.
“In addition to increasing
access to primary care,
John will help us provide
a more comprehensive
health package to meet
the diverse and changing
needs of our community.”
John is working out of
Bluewater Health – Norman
Site with assistance from
Dr. Cheong.
John came to Bluewater
Health in 2001 and
previously worked in the
Medicine and Cardiac
Care Units. He completed
the Primary Health Care
Nurse Practitioner Program
through the University of
Windsor in August 2008
and is currently working
on his Masters in Nursing.
Patients can book an
appointment with John
by calling (519) 4644400, Ext. 8576.
The
Nurse Practitioner Clinic
is located in Room 301,
on 3rd Floor North, in
the Russell Building at
Bluewater Health - Norman
Site.
Pictured right: John Metcalf, Nurse Practitioner,
Bluewater Health.
Warm Up for Lambton
Chiropractic Society Walk/Run
Lambton Chiropractic
Society is taking a new approach to promoting spinal health and Bluewater
Health Foundation is the
beneficiary.
On May 2 the Society
is staging its first Spinal
Health Week Walk/Run at
Canatara Park with proceeds from the event going
to the purchase of medical equipment for the new
hospital being constructed
on Norman Street.
“This year we put a little
spin on it,” Society spokesmen Dr. John Vargo says
of the high point of local
Spinal Health Week celebrations. “We wanted to
make it a more interactive
event so it’s going to be a
five kilometer run, three
kilometer walk because
one of the big components
of spinal health is regular
physical activity and all of
its components, flexibility,
strength, cardio vascular
fitness.”
He added, “One important component that often
gets overlooked is posture.
Posture is critical for everyday living, at computers, at
desks, sitting, standing, lifting, bending.”
Spinal Health Week is
held annually during the
first week of May.
One of the highlights of
the event will be a visit by
Canadian Olympic runner
Nate Brannen.
A native of Cambridge,
Ontario, Brannen, 26, currently living and training
in Ann Arbor, Michigan, is
looking forward to meeting
lots of people at Canatara
Park.
“More than likely I will
run. I won’t race it but I
might just jump in with the
local athletes and do a little
five K with them,” Brannen
said, during a recent visit
to the Sarnia Chiropractic
Centre for a regular preventive treatment by Dr.
Vargo.
Brannen, who also represented Canada at the
2008 Olympics in Beijing,
said he jumped at the opportunity to take part in
the Spinal Health Week
Walk/Run when he learned
of the event. Participants,
however, shouldn’t expect
the 2006 Canadian men’s
1,500-meter champion, to
be burning up the course.
“I’m not going to run
hard. There will be people
that beat me,” Brannen
said.
Members of Lambton
Chiropractic Society will be
available on event day to
discuss spinal health, preventing walking and running injuries and other chiropractic issues. Members
will also staff a chiropractic
treatment tent for participants.
The 2009 Spinal Health
Week Walk/Run gets started at 10 a.m. on May 2 at
Canatara Park. Following
the event there will be a
barbecue for participants
sponsored by the Seaway
Kiwanis Club.
Registration forms are
available at local chiropractic offices, the Running Room at the Lambton Mall, or on-line at
www.runningroom.ca. Registration is $20 per person
until April 18. Late/event
day registration is $30.
Being a first time event
Vargo said it is difficult
to set a financial goal but
expects there will be a
good cross section of participants ranging from beginners and recreational
runners and walkers to
competitive athletes.
“One of our goals is to
get the people out to ben-
Pictured above from left are: Nate Brannen, Olympic runner receiving regular preventive treatment from Dr. John
Vargo.
efit from being in the park
and hopefully they won’t
forget the fundraising side
for the benefit of the hospital foundation,” said Vargo,
offering some encouragement for participants to
also collect pledges.
Vargo said choosing Bluewater Health Foundation as
the beneficiary of the event
was easy.
“Now that people can see
the new structure going up
there’s a lot of interest and
activity in it,” Vargo said,
referring to the new hospital under construction on
Norman Street. “But one
thing people forget about is
the hospital still needs lots
of new equipment to go in
it. There has to be equipment in it to provide health
care.”
Vargo said the Society is
still undecided on exactly
what piece of equipment it
would like to purchase but
will be consulting with the
Foundation to see what is
needed.
The Society, however, is
leaning towards something
for the Diagnostic Imaging Department, admitted
Vargo.
“We haven’t figured out
quite what we’re going to
do with it yet but that’s a
part of the hospital, the diagnostic imaging that we
have some involvement
with and it benefits our
community,” he said.
Liz Kenny, Executive Director of Bluewater Health
Foundation added, “We are
pleased to be the beneficiaries of the Lambton Chiropractic Society Walk/Run
and would like to thank
them for their commitment to our patients. The
walk/run is an opportunity
for families and friends to
enjoy the spring weather,
get some exercise, meet a
world class athlete and help
the hospital”.
Lambton
Chiropractic
Society has a membership
of 25 chiropractors that
meet monthly to discuss
chiropractic and health
related topics and issues.
Members also volunteer at
various charity and sporting events in the community throughout the year. For
more information about
Lambton Chiropractic Society members go to www.
lambtonchiropractors.ca.
Volume 9 Issue 1 • Saturday, March 28, 2009 • Page We Couldn’t do it
Kiwanis of the
Seaway Support
Maternal/Infant/
Child Program
Pictured above from left presenting a cheque to Bluewater Health Foundation are: Don Burnard, Past President, Kiwanis of the Seaway; David Allen, Past Secretary, Kiwanis of the Seaway; Liz Kenny, Executive
Director, Bluewater Health Foundation; and Dick Carey,
Treasurer, Kiwanis of the Seaway.
Kiwanis of the Seaway
made their final pledge
payment towards their
$50,000 donation to Bluewater Health Foundation.
The money will be used to
purchase an infant transport unit for the Maternal/Infant/Child Program.
The donation is from the
clubs TV Bingo Fund. It is
important for the club that
the money raised through
TV Bingo, by the community, be given back to the
community through this
project.
From Pop Tabs
to Wheelchairs
Pictured above from left are: Liz Kenny, Executive Director, Bluewater Health; Lucy Bryson; and Chad Cormier,
Rehab Mobility Consultant, Shoppers HomeHealth Care.
Bluewater Health Foundation received a generous donation of four wheel
chairs from Lucy Bryson of
Watford. Lucy purchases
wheelchairs for different
organizations by collecting pop cans tabs and pop
cans. “We are very pleased
to received four new wheel-
chairs which totals six
chairs in the last year from
Lucy. It is a wonderful recycling program that helps
our environment and our
patient benefit from her
hard work.” said Liz Kenny,
Executive Director, Bluewater Health Foundation.
ISA Sarnia
Section Purchases
New Equipment
Pictured with the existing monitor, which is similar to
the one that’s currently on order, from left are: Jeff Talbot, Vice-President, ISA Sarnia Section; Margaret Nap,
RN, Bluewater Health; Liz Kenny, Executive Director,
Bluewater Health Foundation; Kathy Kolotylo, Charge
Nurse, Bluewater Health; Randy Dennie, Treasurer, ISA
Sarnia Section.
The ISA (International
Society of Automation)
Sarnia Section has generously donated $5,600
towards a new Echo Cardiogram & Vital Signs
Monitor that provides a
clear picture of each patient’s status, measures
3-lead Echo Cardiogram,
pulse oximetry, blood
pressure and predictive
temperature.
The unit
will soon be available in
the Operating room at
Bluewater Health, thanks
to the ISA Sarnia Section.
Up-Coming Special Events
Trivia Night May 1, 2009
Spinal Health Week Run/Walk May 2, 2009
Golf Fore Health June 11, 2009
9th Annual Gala Ball - Soirée a Paris! October 17, 2009
For tickets or more information about Special Events, please contact Johanne Tomkins at 519-464-4405
Temporary Donor Wall Up
Saying thank you to our
donors is important to Bluewater Health Foundation
and to accomplish this, we
have developed a variety
ways to recognize their outstanding contribution to
health care in Sarnia-Lambton. The Foundation created
the temporary donor wall
to publicly acknowledge
the individuals, businesses,
organizations and foundations that have made generous contributions to Bluewater Health Foundation.
The donor wall recognizes
donors whose cumulative
giving level has reached or
exceeded $5,000.
The temporary donor wall
allows our donors to view
their names and contact the
Foundation with regards to
any corrections, additions or
omissions. The donor wall is
located at Bluewater Health
-Mitton Site (near lab) and
Bluewater Health - Norman
Site (main lobby). The permanent donor recognition
wall will be located in the
main lobby of the new addition of the hospital. The
unveiling and dedication of
the permanent wall will take
place when the new addition
to the hospital is complete.
Letters will soon be sent
to donors who have the
opportunity to move up to
the next recognition level
and also, those donors who
have a naming opportunity. If you have questions
or require information regarding the wall please
call Maria Muscedere, Development Officer, at 519346-4706 or Theresa Pettit,
Executive Assistant, at 519464-4408.
Bluewater Health Foundation greatly appreciates
of the support, commitment and dedication of the
donors who believe in and
invest in our Vision.
Volume 9 Issue 1 • Saturday, March 28, 2009 • Page Leon’s Celebrates
100th Anniversary
We’re
Number One!
John Chapman, Senior Medical Radiation Technologist
at Bluewater Health, is shown above preparing a patient for an MRI.
Pictured above at Leon’s 100th Anniversary celebration
are: Terry Leon, President & CEO , Leon’s Furniture;
Kelly Ross, Manager, Maternal/Infant/Child Program,
Bluewater Health; and Dr. Jack Pasternak, President,
Bluewater Health Foundation.
To commemorate its
100th anniversary of doing business in Canada,
Leon’s is donating furniture to 64 hospitals across
the country, to add the
comforts of home to the
hospital environment. On
February 5, 2009, Leon’s
President and CEO Mr.
Terry Leon was at the local Leon’s store in Sarnia.
Mr. Leon spoke about the
store’s history and how
the founder, Ablan Leon a hard working immigrant
from Lebanon - got his
start in Welland, Ontario,
in 1909 selling clothing
door-to-door out of his
suitcase until he managed
to save enough money
to buy a small building.
Ablan bought a mattress
as a wedding gift but when
it was delivered it was too
big to fit inside his store so
it rested on the sidewalk
outside. When a passerby
offered to buy the mattress
for more for than Ablan
had paid, the mattress was
sold and Leon’s Furniture
Ltd. was born!
As part of the celebration Mr. Leon, special
guests and store associates
released 100 yellow biodegradable balloons, each
one containing a Leon’s
gift certificate, over the
Leon’s store on Barclay
Drive. Bluewater Health
Foundation received a
$6000 in-kind donation
from Leon’s which was
used to purchase appliances and furniture for
the Maternal/Infant/Child
Program, Pat Mallioux Eye
Centre and the Rehabilitation Program. Leon also
visited the hospital and
toured the area’s were
the furniture was placed.
Bluewater Health and
Bluewater Health Foundation are very thankful
for the generous gift and
would like to congratulate
Leon’s on their 100th Anniversary.
Running for a
Good Cause
Pictured above from left are: Dr. Ken Walker, Organizer of the Bluewater Trail Half Marathon; Johanne
Tomkins, Special Events Coordinator, Bluewater Health
Foundation; Stefania Baron, Manager, Running Room
Canada Inc.; and David Joy, Bluewater Health Foundation Board Member.
Recently, Bluewater Trail
Half Marathon presented
a cheque to Johanne Tomkins, Special Events Coordinator, Bluewater Health
Foundation, from their
run/walk last October.
They raised over $7,000
from the event. Thanks
to everyone involved for
making the marathon success again. Special thanks
to Dr. Ken Walker for facilitating the event.
Bluewater Health is
proud to have had the
shortest MRI wait time in
Ontario at 17 days!
“We are very proud,”
said Dr. Leslie Potts, Medical Director of Diagnostic Imaging. “It says a
lot about the staff who
work here. Our hours
have increased and staff
are committed to working weekends to get people through. Everyone is
working together to complete approximately 10
additional scans a day.”
The average wait time
in Ontario is 100 days.
The provincial target is 28
days. Currently the range
is 17 days at Bluewater
Health to 300 days in other hospitals. The wait time
is measured from the time
when a diagnostic scan is
ordered to when it is completed.
Bluewater Health
Supports Our
Troops
Pictured above holding a shirt and a donated lab jacket
with personal messages from left are: Colin Fairbairn,
Manager, Environmental Services & Plant Maintenance, Bluewater Health and Bill Beveridge, Bluewater
Health Supervisor of Emergency Response and Security
Services.
Bluewater Health is
backing the Hero To Hero
program in support of Canadian troops.
“It’s gone over quite
well,” said Bill Beveridge,
Bluewater Health Supervisor of Emergency Response
and Security Services, and
the man responsible for
bringing the pilot project
to the hospital. “We just
sold out.”
Through this non-political, non-profit program,
shirts were emblazoned
with the Bluewater Health
logo and a yellow ribbon
over the front pocket area.
Beveridge said the t-shirts
are destined for soldiers
and staff at the Canadian
field hospital in Kandahar, Afghanistan. Based
on how fast the first 50
t-shirts sold, Beveridge
said he may launch a second round to the program
depending on how many
more requests he receives.
Beveridge said members
of the Security Services
Department are also collecting donations of old
scrubs to be sent to the
field hospital in Kandahar.
“They’ve had a request for
scrubs so we’re trying to
help them out,” he said,
noting he’s already collected 100 scrubs and
about 50 lab coats.
Anyone wishing to purchase a t-shirts, or contribute scrubs or lab coats are
asked to contact Bill Beveridge at 519-464-4400,
Ext. 5431 for more information. T-shirts are two
for $25 – purchasers keep
one shirt for themselves
and, after they write a personal message on the other, its packed and shipped
overseas.
Planning for
the Future
This is both an exciting
and challenging time in our
organization’s history.
Together, we are turning
a new page and creating a
dynamic future. While we
revitalize Bluewater Health
from the inside, our focus
continues to be on providing quality patient care to
the communities we serve.
Part of this important
work is the development of
a new strategic plan.
The strategic planning
process is an important exercise that becomes the roadmap for our future – think
of it as an analysis of where
we’ve come from, and the
process to decide where we
want to go and how to get
there. This work will guide
operational planning and
decision-making for the
next three to five years.
Much of our work is being done internally, which
is critical to our plan’s success. But our approach has
involved extensive consultation with important groups
such as the Board of Directors, staff, doctors, community partners, Bluewater
Health Foundation, and the
community at large.
Last November, approximately 100 staff, doctors,
Board members, Foundation
representatives and community partners including the
Erie St. Clair LHIN, participated in a two-day retreat
as part of this process. The
purpose of the retreat was to
talk about the organization
and identify key priorities
– the foundation of the new
strategic plan.
The session began with
presentations prepared by
six working teams - developed to support the strategic planning process. If
you’re interested in reading
the reports, please visit our
website at www.bluewaterhealth.ca and go to About
Us/Moving
Forward/Our
Strategic Plan.
The gathering of participants’ suggestions for areas
of future focus was the highlight of the retreat. These
ideas were later grouped
into four broad directional themes around performance, communications,
human resource planning
and transition.
As part of the next step in
the process, internal working teams are now finalizing
the directional statements
and goals. The teams are
comprised of staff, doctors,
volunteers, members of the
Board of Directors and Bluewater Health Foundation’s
Board of Directors. Their
draft work will be completed by the end of February
for further Board review and
input.
We expect the strategic
plan to be provided to Bluewater Health’s Board, finalized and communicated by
June.
Living
with
Stroke
Living with Stroke is a community program for
stroke survivors and their caregivers.
Living with Stroke - The program focuses on:
• Participating in your recovery
• Adjusting to life after stroke
• Learning about living with stroke
Living with Stroke is being offered this spring
with the support of community partners, the
Stroke Recovery Association, and the SarniaLambton District Stroke Centre at Bluewater
Health.
You are invited to participate in an 8-week
session being offered in April and May. For more
information including dates and registration,
please call the District Stroke Centre at 519-4644400, Ext 8562.
Volume 9 Issue 1 • Saturday, March 28, 2009 • Page Impressive Results
Achieved from Patient
Safety Campaign
Acute Cardiac and Surgical Intensive
Care Units see dramatic reduction in
life-threatening infection
Recently a celebration was held to thank staff for all their hard work with the VAP
initiative. Pictured above from left are: Lisa Veeke, Registered Respiratory Therapist,
Co-lead; Gail Boughner, Registered Respiratory Therapist Co-lead; Carol Columbus Registered Respiratory Therapist, Manager, Respiratory Therapy; Teri Avery Registered Respiratory Therapist; Rachel Busby, Registered Respiratory Therapist; and Lynn Nelles
Registered Respiratory Therapist.
Bluewater Health’s ongoing commitment to quality improvement and patient safety has resulted in
enhanced quality of care
and improved outcomes
for patients. Most notably,
the Acute Cardiac and Surgical Intensive Care Units
are protecting already vulnerable patients from a
life-threatening infection
called
ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), by
consistently
implementing evidence-based leading
practices through the Safer
Healthcare Now program.
“Since introducing a set
of prevention strategies
though Safer Healthcare
Now, the Acute Cardiac Care
Unit has reached two years
and the Surgical Intensive
Care Unit has reached one
year without a case of VAP,”
said Lisa Veeke, Respiratory Therapist, Respiratory
Therapy. “Our success is attributed to the work of our
staff and physicians and
their ongoing commitment
to best practice in care for
ventilated patients.”
According to the Canadian Patient Safety Institute
that coordinates the Safer
Healthcare Now program,
hospital-acquired infections
affect five to 15 percent of
hospitalized patients and
can lead to complications
in 25 to 33 percent of those
patients admitted to intensive care units. One of the
most common causes is
pneumonia related to mechanical ventilation. Pneumonia has long been considered an occasional but
unavoidable consequence
of spending time on a ventilator.
“Enhanced patient safety
and preventing hospitalacquired infections are the
top reasons for our participation in the VAP initiative,” said Gail Boughner,
Respiratory Therapist, Respiratory Therapy.
“We
have achieved a dramatic
reduction in VAP through
the implementation of seven components in our care
plan.”
1) Elevation of the head
of the bed to between 30
and 45 degrees.
2) Use of oral versus nasal tubes for access to the
trachea or stomach.
3) Use of EVAC tubes
to suction secretions that
can gather above the cuff,
which prevents secretions
from leaking back into the
lungs.
4) Daily “sedation vacation” to help staff assess
the patient’s readiness to
have their tube removed,
in order to evaluate if they
can maintain their breathing on their own off of the
ventilator.
5) Feeding 24-48 hours
from the time of intubation.
6) Use of chlorohexidine
mouthwash.
7) Enhanced hand hygiene practices for the care
provider.
“Real improvements in
patient safety are possible,”
said Lisa O’Connor, Director, Patient Safety Services.
“Our continued focus on
patient safety initiatives
will create a self-sustaining
process of quality improvement.”
With its goal to improve
health care delivery by focusing on patients and
their safety while in the
care of health providers,
Safer Healthcare Now is a
collaborative effort aimed
at reducing the number of
injuries and deaths related
to adverse events through
the development of multidisciplinary teams based on
evidence-based strategies.
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