October 2012

A newsletter for staff, physicians, volunteers and affiliates of the Vancouver Island Health Authority

T he Vancouver Island and Coastal

Communities Indigenous Food

Network (VICCIFN) fifth annual

“Traditional Foods Conference” was

held recently in Port Alberni hosted

within the Tseshaht Territory by the

Nuu chah nulth Tribal Council and

Tseshaht First Nation.

The two-day conference was organized

through VICCIFN, a group of people

whose vision is to recognize, protect,

maintain, enhance and celebrate the

Indigenous food systems of Vancouver

Island and coastal communities. VIHA’s

Aboriginal Health Dietitians, Fiona

Devereaux and Erin Rowsell helped

coordinate the conference. As a

founding member of VICCIFN, Fiona

has a passion for what she calls

“nourishing the community spirit.”

Over three hundred people attended

the community-driven event which

featured presentations, educational

sessions, songs, traditional teachings

and of course, food. Woven throughout

the conference was the

acknowledgement and deeply held

appreciation of food as medicine.

Here’s a description by participant

Tabitha Martens:

“On the morning of the conference

we gathered in the long house for

opening prayers, songs and

welcomes from an Elder’s Advisory

group.

Setting the table: food as medicine

“There is a powerful impact in

“setting the table” with the

traditional foods of our

island. It brings together

Elders and youth, knowledge

keepers and learners to share

in the teachings of the First

Nations’ communities.”

~ Fiona Devereaux VIHA

Aboriginal Health Nutritionist

We were given pieces of smoked

fish to hold in our hands and eat as

we listened, tearing small pieces

with each prayer, with each lesson,

with each piece of guidance, and

understanding. This was how I first

came to understand that food here

is everything. Of course we should

be eating; only through eating food

from the land could we take in what

we were listening to.”

“I love my job because I get to spend

time with people, in the world

where they live,” says Fiona. “There

is a powerful impact in “setting the

table” with the traditional foods of

our island. It brings together Elders

and youth, knowledge keepers and

learners to share in the teachings of

the First Nations’ communities.”

For more information visit:

www.indigenousfoodsvi.ca/ or

www.viha.ca/aboriginal_health/services/

community_nutritionist.htm.

Share your success stories with your VIHA peers. Email Audrey.Larson@viha.ca.

M oms and babies, along with their families, came together to celebrate National Breastfeeding Week last month. VIHA’s public

health nurses and nutritionists teamed up with staff from the Greater Victoria Public Library (GVPL) and Vancouver Island

Regional Libraries (VIRL) to host the 11th Annual Quintessence Breastfeeding Challenge.

This year’s theme, Nourishing the Mind, highlights the importance of books and breastfeeding,

both of which nourish growing minds and bodies. Baby’s brains grow rapidly and reading to

them right from birth stimulates their mind, develops language skills and lays a foundation for

later reading success. (Association for Library Services for Children)

That’s why VIHA collaborated with

our local libraries and community

agencies during breastfeeding week -

to highlight early literacy and in

support of activities that can be

shared as a family.

“Breastfeeding is all the food and drink

your baby needs from birth to six

months,” said Dr. Richard

Stanwick, VIHA’s Chief Medical Health Officer (pictured at left, far right).

“More importantly, breast milk contains important antibodies that prevent

disease and provides a customized source of nourishment for babies,

changing as they grow to help keep up with their needs.”*

The annual Quintessence Breastfeeding Challenge brings awareness to the

benefits of breastfeeding with a “latch on” event at 11:00 am. This year, a

total of 106 Island babies latched on to breastfeed and enjoyed story time

with their local librarians and public health team.

For more information, visit: http://www.viha.ca/children/baby_and_you/breastfeeding_nutrition.htm.

* Public Health Agency of Canada, Top Ten Reasons to Breastfeed.

Nourishing young minds and bodies

Tune in and turn „em off

How can you help save energy and thousands

of dollars in a second? Turn-it-off!

“Staff have the power to save electricity by simply turning off lights and

computer monitors when not in use” explains VIHA Energy Specialist

Claudette Poirier.

Employees can help by turning off lights and monitors when they leave a

room for breaks and at the end of the day. Adopt a light in a meeting room,

bathroom, lab, etc. and make sure it’s off when not in use. Be sure to follow

Standard Operating Procedures, especially for medical equipment, and if

you’re not sure, just check with your manager first.

Employees had fun learning about lighting, monitors and plug loads at the

Turn It Off Electricity Quiz Show hosted by Green Teams at five sites in

September.

For more tips you can use at work and at home visit:

https://intranet.viha.ca/green.

Tuned in and ready to turn it off: West Coast

General Hospital prize winners ( l – r) Genny Pavan,

Cynthia Johnston, Carol Thurley, Ellen Brown, Sarah Chaves

and Brenda Patterson had fun at the Turn It Off Quiz Show.

Staff from the Greater Victoria Public Library and VIHA’s Public

Health program joined mums and babes in support of books

and breastfeeding.

At the downtown library in Victoria,

finished feeding but still reading.

We’re on the web! Visit www.viha.ca/news for archived editions of Currents

Laboratory Medicine hits the road

D irector Pam Ganske along with Laboratory Medicine

Managers Deborah Cain, Jo-Anne Skillings and Lisa

Moore recognized that in-person, face-to-face meetings might be

more effective than emailing another memo or booking another

conference call. So, last summer they took “their show on the

road.”

They visited laboratory staff in all the acute care hospital sites –

Port Hardy, Port McNeil, Tofino, West Coast General, Campbell

River, Nanaimo General, Saanich Peninsula, Lady Minto, Cowichan

District, Victoria General and Royal Jubilee with a traveling road

show complete with information kiosks and Q&A sessions.

Site staff could visit each of the four kiosks and learn about the

work the Laboratory Quality Council undertakes, Gallup initiatives,

Patient Safety & Learning System data reports, work life metrics,

development of roles and responsibilities through job descriptions,

the importance of performance planning and reviews, and current

IMIT/ Laboratory projects to name a few things. Managers were

there to answer questions and engage in conversation.

“It was great to speak with staff face-to-face,” said

Ganske. “Not only was it an effective way to share

information, it was a reality check for us; we identified

areas where there were knowledge gaps and how we

could improve delivery of information.”

Thanks for your hospitality, Nanaimo!

Pam Ganske (far left, in white) received a warm welcome from the

laboratory team at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital.

Above: Was it the costumes or the candy? Whatever the reason, the pediatrics

team at Victoria General Hospital was buzzing from the excitement of Halloween.

Above: Not to be outdone, VIHA staff from Communicable Disease,

Environmental Health, Licensing, the MHO and Aboriginal Health in

Courtenay rose to the occasion and celebrated with a festive fall feast

in full costume.

Caught in the act of showing team spirit

Let’s take a closer look at the abs of steel on “Wolverine”

(AKA Renee Shimla), superhero from Aboriginal Health &

Medical Administration in Courtenay.

Staff were surveyed on whether they preferred this method

to traditional staff meetings or email distribution. For the

most part, staff found the information to be meaningful and

relevant and truly appreciated the opportunity to ask

questions of the senior laboratory management team. The

travelling road show was definitely an effective avenue for

information sharing and the team plans to take their “show

on the road” again in the future.

Need to change your Currents mailing address or reduce your copy count? Email Audrey.Larson@viha.ca.

Patient safety is up to you

P atient safety is at the forefront of everything we do and

celebrating Canadian Patient Safety Week gives us the

opportunity to recognize this important cornerstone of our

work.

The national annual campaign started in 2005 to inspire

extraordinary improvement in patient safety and quality.

Working together, thousands of healthcare professionals,

patients, and families help spread the message that good

healthcare starts with good communication.

VIHA’s intensive care staff recognize the importance of good

communication in supporting patient safety. ICU staff –

intensivists, nurses, clinical pharmacists, respiratory therapists

and physiotherapists – collaborated to develop an ICU

“checklist.” Posted at every bedside, the checklist ensures the

most crucial points of care are being addressed, including

preventing ventilator-acquired pneumonia and central line

infections and implementing deep vein thrombosis and stress

ulcer prophylaxis, as well as monitoring antibiotic duration.

Has it made a difference? According to Liz Wilkins, RN and

manager of Adult ICU at RJH/VGH, it has. “At morning rounds,

a multi-disciplinary team visits each patient,” notes Wilkins.

“They cover everything from nutrition and meds to family

ICU staff – intensivists, nurses, respiratory therapists, clinical pharmacists

and physiotherapists gather for morning rounds at the Royal Jubilee

Hospital adult ICU.

conferences and end-of-life issues, the checklist ensures

consistency so we don’t miss any critical care points.”

The ICU checklist is a good example of how staff can take the

initiative to find ways to improve patient safety. Critical care is

part of the province-wide Clinical Care Management (CCM)

initiative. CCM identifies eleven clinical areas where the

evidence shows that compliance to specific guidelines can

make a significant difference in the quality of patient care.

Patient Safety – part of our vision of excellent care for

everyone, everywhere, every time.

You can help TELUS equip

the Nanaimo emergency

department

T ELUS employees “give where

we live” and to demonstrate

their charitable culture TELUS will

give $25 to the Nanaimo &

District Hospital Foundation for

every new Optik TV or Smartphone

customer in Nanaimo. Proceeds will

benefit the Child & Family Area in

the new Nanaimo Regional General

Hospital (NRGH) Emergency

Department. The opportunity to

help is available to all Nanaimo

residents who subscribe to Optik

TV or activate a TELUS Smartphone

before December 5, 2012. For

more information, or to order

TELUS TV, visit telus.com/tv or call

310-MYTV (6988). For more

information, visit www.nanaimohospitalfoundation.com.

Thanks for helping to support your Hospital!

The children’s play area at

the NRGH Emergency

Department.

Excerpt from “Thank you Quadra,”

published in the Discovery Islander,

October 12, 2012:

“Morgan James Stewart-Webb, Noah,

Amanda and Lyra would like to thank our

friends, family and community for your

love, prayers, service and support. I hope

this reaches every one of you as the web

of who to thank grows bigger every day.

Firstly to the BC Ambulance and Fire

Department for doing such an amazing

job. Dr. Lund at emergency in

Campbell River and the nurses and

doctors in Victoria NICU.”

To the friends in Victoria who brought food, shared their cars

and homes and friends back on Quadra who cared for the farm,

garden and home, they wrote, “We are so grateful to be a part

of this loving community.”

Morgan James

Stewart-Webb

Photo courtesy M. Turner

Thank you, Campbell River

Emergency and Victoria

General Hospital NICU staff!

From the Stewart-Webb family of Quadra Island

Fortunately, our community

had the resources and

programs I needed. When I

had a gazillion questions, I

received support and

information from Victoria

General Hospital’s Breast

Health Centre. After surgery,

when I needed help

managing the pain, I used the

therapeutic touch program at

The BC Cancer Agency. Two

years later when a close

family member passed away

from breast cancer, I

accessed the counseling

services available through the

Victoria Hospice Program.

There were programs and

services to meet my needs.

I ’m Shelley Wiebe, your

VIHA Loaned Rep* for the

2012 United Way campaign.

Just a few years ago I didn’t

really know what the United

Way was all about, like many

of you, I would sit politely

while only half-listening to

their presentation. I knew it

was a fundraising charity, but

that was about it – and

besides, my fundraising

dollars were committed to

other causes near and dear to

my heart!

Two years ago all that

changed. While recovering

from an injury, I was offered

a temporary position with the

United Way for 16 weeks

through the Transitional

Work Program with VIHA’s

department of Occupational

Health. As your 2011 Loaned

Rep, I learned about the

United Way and all the

amazing community

organizations and programs it

helps fund. As a result, my

attitude and my charitable

giving have changed - I

realized the United Way helps

people just like me. Let me

explain by sharing a bit of my

own personal story.

This fall I’m celebrating five

years being breast cancer

free. Before my diagnosis, I

thought I was pretty

invincible. I considered

myself fairly athletic and

healthy. I ran 10k’s,

participated in the MS Bike

Tour, walked “The Great

Walk” to Tahsis and the “The

Great Lake Walk” around

Lake Cowichan. With a

healthy lifestyle and no

history of breast cancer in my

family, getting that diagnosis

was an ugly shock. I found

myself in a situation I never

expected and on a life

journey I never anticipated.

That’s when I realized I

needed help.

What the United Way means to me

Finding A Way to

the United Way N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 2

A s a f r o n t - l i n e

h e a l t h c a r e

w o r k e r , i t ’ s

c om f o r t i n g t o

k n o w t h a t t h e

p a t i e n t s I c om e

i n c o n t a c t w i t h

w o n ’ t f a l l t h r o u g h

t h e c r a c k s w h e n

t h e y l e a v e V I H A ,

b u t w i l l b e

s u p p o r t e d b y a

w o n d e r f u l n e t w o r k

o f o r g a n i z a t i o n s

w i t h c r e a t i v e a n d

e f f e c t i v e

p r o g r am s .

~ S h e l l e y W i e b e

B A , R N , C N e p h

V I H A L o a n e d

R e p r e s e n t a t i v e *

VIHA’s United Way Loaned Representatives (l-r) Shelley Wiebe and Caley Fox share how they found their

way to the United Way.

h t t p s : / / i n t r a n e t . v i h a . c a / a d m i n _ r e s o u r c e s / u n i t e d _ w a y /

* A Loaned Representative is

an employee who is loaned

(seconded) from their company

to work for United Way for

16 weeks during the Fall

fundraising campaign (Sept. -

Dec.). Employees apply through

their workplace and continue

to be paid by their

employer.

P a g e 2

What the United Way means to me, continued

That’s what I want for

others in my community.

Who knows when you or

someone you care about

will find themselves in a

situation they never

thought they would face?

Mine was medical but for

others, it might be a job

loss or perhaps their child

has been the target of

bullying. Maybe your

neighbour has a child with

challenges or an elderly

parent to care for and you

see how exhausted they

are without anywhere to

turn for support. The

United Way provides

funding to a broad

spectrum of community

agencies and programs that

are there to help.

My experience as both a

VIHA employee and as

Loaned Rep for the United

Way helped me realize that

there is a strong connection

between what happens

inside VIHA walls and what

happens outside, in the

community. As a front-line

health care worker, it’s

comforting to know that

the patients I come in

contact with won’t fall

through the cracks when

they leave VIHA, but will be

supported by a wonderful

network of organizations

with creative and effective

programs. Now when I

walk down the streets of

Victoria, I feel good about

the fact that I am making a

difference in my

community, both at work

and within my

neighbourhood.

That’s why now I make

room in my charity budget

to give to the United Way.

And you can give to the

United Way and still give to

your favorite charity. The

best part is that the money

raised in this community

stays in this community.

You are making a

difference, right here at

home.

Did you know?

The United Way supports

community partners Island

wide:

69 in Greater Victoria

17 in Cowichan

22 in Central and

Northern Vancouver

Island

Caley Fox RN, BScN

Why I give to the United Way

I ’m Caley Fox, an RN,

BScN here at VIHA and

this is my first year with the

United Way as a loaned

representative. I initially

signed up for this project as

a temporary work

assignment, but have

since discovered that I will

be unable to continue my

job as a medical unit nurse

(big change!).

I began this assignment in

August and it has been a

life-changing experience.

Since I started, I have

learned so much about the

United Way (for instance,

in Victoria they support 69

community partners, in

Cowichan 17 partners and

in Central and Northern

Vancouver Island, the

United Way supports 22

community partners). The

benefit for you, the donor,

is that United Way works

with business and

community leaders to find

the organizations that

need our support – rather

than you having to sift

through many different

charitable requests to find

the right one for your

charitable donations.

The concept of teamwork

is fundamental to the

success of the United Way.

VIHA, in my situation, has

provided me with the tools

and the United Way

provided the manpower

to liaise with fellow VIHA

employees. It takes many

hours to reach out to our

medical community and

without the support of

VIHA, the United Way

would have no way to

connect with us.

I believe my role as a

loaned representative is

making a difference and I

look forward to sharing my

knowledge of the United

Way with the community.

Ready to get started? Click here ►► https://intranet.viha.ca/admin_resources/united_way/

Do you know the risk factors and stressors for violence, and what to do when you are faced with a threat to your safety? Those answers and more vital violence prevention education is now available to VIHA staff on our computer-based Learning Management System (LMS). You can access this important education on the internet from any computer, any time. Every VIHA employee should have basic violence prevention training, and staff in some higher risk areas should complete more modules. Talk with your supervisor to find out what level of training is right for you. The new Provincial Violence Prevention Curriculum, consists of eight E-learning Modules and four classroom sessions. This allows programs, sites and units to customize violence prevention education to best meet the needs of staff.

Click here for more on the Provincial Violence Prevention Curriculum

November 2012

Keeping staff

safe on the job

The Provincial Violence Prevention Curriculum E-Learning Modules might be just the thing to get you started on the Learning Management System (LMS). You can access the LMS from the Education tab at the top of the intranet. Click the sign in button, select new user, and follow the instructions to create an account. An email will be sent to enable your account, and you will be able to search and register for courses.

You can access the LMS from any computer with internet access, anytime.

If you are expecting to be paid for completing a class on your own time, be sure to get prior approval from your manager/supervisor.

Email lms@viha.ca if you are having trouble creating an account.

VIHA’s Provincial Violence Prevention Facilitators –

We’re here to help!

Here’s a sample of the comments by our new Facilitators following their training:

“I feel more confident in assessing situations with patients that are agitated/nervous and I will

be more aware of my surroundings to coworkers, situations and am prepared to help

out.”

“I will be able to recognize escalating behaviour which could lead to violence and be more

equipped to deal with it.”

“I am more aware of the importance of communication to de-escalate problem

behaviours to hopefully diffuse the situation. We should all be safer in our work environment

if we use the information we were taught.”

In their words. Facilitators on their Violence Prevention

Training:

Find more information on how you can stay safe on the job on our website

VIHA now has 127 Provincial Violence Prevention

Facilitators – who are ready to help staff in their work

areas learn how to prevent violent incidents, and re-

spond in the safest way possible when they do occur.

Our facilitators have all undergone three days of train-

ing, and are now helping their coworkers understand

the risk factors for violence, and some of the tech-

niques that can help prevent violence in the work-

place. Violence Prevention Facilitators not only share

their knowledge and support colleagues on the job,

they also teach the classroom modules that make up

a key part of the Violence Prevention Curriculum.

To find out if there is a facilitator in your area, or you

would like information about becoming a violence prevention facilitator for your area – contact

Carrie Zelko-Norman, Violence Prevention safety advisor.

These new Provincial Violence Prevention Curriculum

Facilitators are ready to help staff prevent violence, and

to manage it as safely as possible when it does happen.

Safety skills at your fingertips

Spotlight on Safety Carrie Zelko-Norman, Violence Prevention Safety Advisor

Carrie Zelko-Norman has just returned from the International Violence Prevention

Conference in Vancouver, where VIHA’s organized team response to violence was

featured, and where BC’s new Provincial Violence Prevention Curriculum gained

international attention. “I was proud to see that BC

is advanced in the development and

implementation of staff violence prevention

education,” says Zelko-Norman. “There was great

interest from other provinces and John Hopkins

University wishing to adopt the PVPC as a VP

learning modality.”

Carrie has been at VIHA five years, and became a

safety advisor after working in Home and

Community Care. She spends her time away from

work cheering for her kids in hockey, basketball and

track and field. She also works out to keep fit so she

can keep up with them, and have the energy to do

her job.

VIHA is very proud of our three Provincial

Violence Prevention Curriculum (V-PVC) pilot

sites, West Coast General Hospital,

Campbell River Home Support and Gorge

Road Hospital.

Staff in these areas were among the first in

the province to take the new P-VPC, and

their valuable feedback helped ensure the

program now available to health care

providers across VIHA is one that will help

ensure quality patient care and safer work

practices and environments.

The pilot sites engaged in a journey that has

lead to a “Culture of Safety” at each site that

staff can take pride in.

The evaluations submitted by staff and

leaders at each of the sites showed us the

importance of supporting the E-learning

modules with classroom sessions, and the

importance of peer facilitators.

The evaluation outcome scores were

remarkably high and there were many

positive anecdotal statements from

participants indicating high levels of

satisfaction with both the e-learning and the

classroom sessions.

Find more information on how you can stay safe on the job on our website

Safety Profile determines Violence Risk

Thanks to staff at our pilot sites for helping tailor

the education to meet our needs. Patient care areas across VIHA

are currently creating their

Safety Profiles. The unit-specific

profile not only gives staff an

opportunity to identify where

they feel at risk for injury or

harm, it also provides a process

to help mitigate any risks, and

prevent incidents and injuries.

In areas where a risk for

workplace violence is identified,

VIHA has a legal obligation to

provide education and training

so staff are prepared to respond

in a safe manner.

A decision making tool is

available to help managers

determine which PVPC modules

will help address the risks

identified during their safety

profile risk assessments.

By creating the right violence

prevention education plan for

staff, managers are meeting

WorkSafe BC regulations, and

giving staff the skills and

knowledge they need to be safe.

Click here for more information

on Violence Prevention, or

contact: Carrie Zelko-Norman,

Peter Dunkley, or Tracy Larsen

Are you immunized

against influenza?

Click here for info on

your responsibility

to protect

patients

Carrie (pictured right) with Lynn Cole at

the kickoff of the P-VPC pilot at Gorge Road

Hospital.