KTHR Pulse December 2008.pdf - Kelsey Trail Health Region

“Healthy People in Healthy Communities”
KTHR Pulse
December 2008
In This Issue
• Letter to the Editor
• New flu web portal
• Welcoming new employees
• Dr. Phillips retires
Category of Links
www.health.gov.sk.ca
For the latest provincial health news
www.pandemicinfluenza.gc.ca
The federal government’s pandemic
informational website.
www.healthlineonline.ca
KTHR Pulse is published on a
quarterly basis from the Kelsey
Trail Regional Office
901-108 th Avenue
Tisdale, SK S0E 1T0
Watch for the next issue in
March 2009.
Contact us with your
comments, suggestions or ideas
for future editions.
Peggy Ratcliffe
Corporate Communications Officer
KTHR
873-6613
pratc@kthr.sk.ca
Christmas Message 2008
In health care all aspects of the care we provide are very important
to our clients, but one aspect of our client care that cannot be
accomplished with all of our modern technology, and infrastructure
is “Kindness”. Receiving or treating others with kindness makes
everyone feel good. In this, the season of giving, there can be no
greater gift to give or to receive than a simple act of kindness.
When people talk about their
experiences with health care, it
usually does not involve the new x-ray
machine. It involves discussion about
how they were treated during their
health care experience.
Health care is a very stressful
environment to work in, particularly
considering the fact that most people
are very emotional about their personal health or the health of a
family member or friend. The kindness that we, as health providers,
deliver will go a long way in helping people through their troubled
times.
Kindness is also very important with co-workers and goes a long
way in showing our respect for fellow employees. If we are to
provide the best possible care we must work as a team. Kindness
and respect goes a long way in making everyone involved in health
care a great team and it’s nice to go home at the end of the day
knowing that you are part of a workplace that puts kindness and
respect in the forefront.
Merry Christmas & all the best in 2009!☼
Glen Kozak
CEO
Carol Hayward
RHA Chair
Upcoming Regional Health Authority Meetings
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Call 873-6600 for more information
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The Ultimate Gift: Saving a life
As we move into the season of giving, Canadian Blood Services would like to remind you that there is no
more precious gift than donating blood in order to save lives.
“The holiday season is the perfect time to become a blood donor,” said Donna Wunderlich, Director of
Donor and Clinic Services for the Prairie region of Canadian Blood Services. “The need for blood and
blood products remains high throughout the year, but it is always especially poignant during the holidays.
What better way to show the true spirit of the season than by helping to save a life.”
Wunderlich noted that each blood donation actually has the potential to help as many as three patients.
“Canadian Blood Services is able to separate each unit into red cells, plasma and platelets and provide
these products to patients in need,” she said.
According to Canadian Blood Services, it is estimated that one in two Canadians is eligible to donate
blood, yet only one in 60 actually does.
“Quite simply, we need new donors,” said
Wunderlich.
For more information on blood donation, or
to make an appointment to donate, please
call Canadian Blood Services, toll-free at 1
888 2 DONATE (1888 236 6283).
Canadian Blood Services is a national, notfor-profit
charitable organization that
manages the blood supply in all provinces
and territories (except Quebec) and oversees
OneMatch -the Stem Cell and Marrow Network. A dedicated team of 4,800 staff and 17,000 volunteers
enable us to operate 40 permanent collection sites and more than 20,000 donor clinics annually. While
Canadian Blood Services is a non-governmental organization, it receives operational funding from the
Provincial and Territorial Ministers of Health and is regulated by Health Canada. For more information,
please visit www.blood.ca.☼
Have you or someone you know received blood?
Approximately every minute of every day, someone in Canada needs blood.
Fifty-two percent of Canadians say they, or a family member, have needed
blood or blood products for surgery or for medical treatment.
Give a heartfelt “thanks” to donors by sharing your story and inspiring others to
donate at www.ThankYourDonor.ca.☼
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TMSS students donate
time to help KTHR
During several weeks in the month of October,
Tisdale Middle & Secondary School students
helped lend their time to assist Kelsey Trail
Health Region with the production of buttons
that were distributed among staff during
Infection Control Week (Ask Me If I’ve Washed
My Hands); to kick off the annual flu shot
campaign (I’ve Had My Flu Shot…Have You);
and Focus on Patient Safety Education Day
(Ethics Matter and Focus on Patient Safety).
The buttons prompted interesting conversation
among health care providers, patients, visitors
and the public and will be re-used in the future.
KTHR appreciated the helping hands.☼
Letter to the Editor
I would like to thank the community of Naicam and surrounding areas for the wonderful support
given to me over the past 6 ½ years during my time at the Naicam Primary Care Clinic. While
‘pioneering’ the clinic, we have progressed over the years and are hopeful that becoming a healthier
community will continue. I have enjoyed my years here in Naicam and will always remember how
welcoming you have all been to me. I do hope that the idea of Primary Health Care and Nurse
Practitioners becomes more openly accepted throughout the Health region, as you as a community
have shown me is possible.
Again thank you for all the years of support, fun and even some tears, it has been a wonderful time
in my life and career.
A special Thank You to Linda Barlow, my ‘boss’. I could not have asked for anyone better, she was
always very supportive and encouraging whether it was my professional life or personal. She is a
great leader and has more determination than most people I know. I was very fortunate to have worked
with her.
And finally, Kelly Crozon, to say Thank You seems so minimal. Kelly has been so very supportive,
understanding and patient over the past 6 ½ yrs with me and without her the Naicam clinic would
not have been such a success. Not only is Kelly an excellent support but has become truly a very best
friend, and that I will miss the most of all.
So to everyone, Thank You again, and this is not good bye, but ‘til we meet again.☼
Cheryl Weger
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“Health Tips” in medical clinics in KTHR
Saskatchewan is expanding an
innovative project that provides
practical health information to
people while they visit doctors'
offices.
"Health Tips" uses wireless
technology to deliver video
health messages in physicians'
office waiting rooms. It can be
instantly updated by remote. The
project began as a pilot in 20
clinics, and has now expanded to
100 locations across
Saskatchewan. Within the
Kelsey Trail Health Region,
“Health Tips” are now available
at the Hudson Bay Medical
Group, Kelvington Medical
Clinic, Nipawin Health Centre,
Nipawin Medical Group and the
Porcupine Plain Medical Clinic.
"Our government wants to
ensure that people make healthy
lifestyle choices based on
reliable, current information,"
Health Minister Don McMorris
said. "This service provides
useful, timely, health advice. It
also encourages patients to ask
their doctors more informed
questions, because it's available
when they're already thinking
about their health."
The video is regularly updated to
include seasonal or timely topics
such as West Nile Virus, flu
shots and drug coverage
changes. It offers information on
subjects including cancer
services, the surgical care
process, medical coverage,
healthy lifestyles, and a variety
of specific health conditions.
The Saskatchewan Medical
Association participated in
development of the video
content, and strongly supports
and promotes the program.
"The Saskatchewan Medical
Association has been proud to
support this initiative from the
outset," SMA president Dr. Milo
Fink said. "Providing patients
with information in this way not
only contributes to their overall
health knowledge, it helps enrich
patient-physician contact so that
both parties are able to get the
most out of an appointment."
"Preventative medicine is the
mainstay of family practice, and
promotion of preventative
medicine is very important in
my practice," Regina physician
Dr. Susanne Arndt, who is
participating in the program,
said. "Patients have expressed to
me that they appreciate having
the opportunity to learn about
their health as they wait. The
feedback from patients has been
very positive."
"We need to search out new and
creative ideas, and make the
most of opportunities to provide
people with information,"
McMorris said. "This project is a
great example of an inventive
application of digital technology
by a Saskatchewan company."
Saskatchewan Health is
providing approximately
$150,000 in funding this year to
operate the program.☼
New flu web portal launched
Canada’s provinces and territories and the Public Health Agency of Canada have launched fightflu.ca, a pan-
Canadian web portal designed to provide Canadians with one-stop access to information about influenza (the flu)
and ways to limit its spread.
Within the portal, Canadians will find general information about influenza and how it spreads, along with simple
tips to prevent infection, such as: getting a flu shot; hand washing; covering coughs and sneezes; keeping shared
surfaces clean; and staying home when sick.
The portal also provides fact sheets on
influenza and tips for avoiding infection in over
10 languages. A link to the flu portal can be
found on the Kelsey Trail Health Region
website at www.kelseytrailhealth.ca under
“Your Health”.☼
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Did You Know?
Saskatchewan Cancer Agency
The Saskatchewan Cancer Agency is responsible for the provision of cancer prevention, early detection,
treatment, research, education, and supportive care services and programs for the people of
Saskatchewan. The Agency is mandated by The Saskatchewan Cancer Agency Act and Regulations to
maintain a population-based cancer registry. This Act also mandates that cancer is a reportable disease in
Saskatchewan; therefore, the Agency receives information on every case of cancer diagnosed in residents
of the province.
The Agency is also mandated by The Health Information Protection Act to maintain confidentiality of
patient information. This legislation and Agency policy govern release of information from the registry.
Statistical information is considered de-identified and may be shared, however identifiable information is
subject to strict controls, including ethics approvals and patient consent where appropriate.
The Saskatchewan Cancer Registry was established in 1932 and is the oldest cancer registry in Canada
and one of the oldest in the world. In 1977 the Agency created a computerized registry system, and cases
from 1967 to 1977 were back-coded onto the system. All cases from 1967 are available in an electronic
format.
The cancer registry is a patient-oriented database, which means that patient demographics are recorded
once but may be associated with more than one case. The registry records approximately 8,500 new
cases of cancer per year. Patient demographics include sex, date of birth, residence, and date and cause of
death. This information is used to describe patterns of cancer, including age at diagnosis, geographic
incidence and survival.
Cancer case information includes date and method of diagnosis, tumour site and histology, behaviour,
grade, stage of disease (where available), summary of treatment, treatment centres and disease status.
Follow-up information includes date of follow-up, location of follow-up, disease status, and current
treatment.
Information in the registry is reportable to Statistics Canada for inclusion in Canadian cancer statistics.
De-identified information is also reported to the North American Cancer Registry and the International
Association for Research on Cancer for inclusion in these broader statistics.
Registry data is used within the Agency for business purposes such as surveillance, budget forecasting,
research, and monitoring of practices of care. Information may also be shared with external individuals
performing cancer research projects.
The registry is certified through the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries for the
quality, completeness, timeliness of its data, and adherence to standards. Statistics Canada also provides
Saskatchewan’s Ministry of Health and the Agency with a yearly report card based on the same type of
analysis. The registry participates in the Agency’s accreditation process through Accreditation Canada.
Additionally, in Saskatchewan, legislative authority to conduct cancer surveillance resides with the
Agency, Department of Epidemiology. Cancer surveillance is the collection, review and analysis of data
that describes incidence, prevalence, morbidity and mortality attributable to cancer. Cancer surveillance
answers the basic question of where we are at in controlling and managing cancer. The registry provides
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a rich source of information allowing effective long-term monitoring of our progress in managing cancer.
The Department of Epidemiology relies on registry data to produce the Saskatchewan Cancer Control
Report, which describes the burden of cancer and how it is changing over time in the Saskatchewan
population. The Department of Epidemiology is responsible for evaluating the effectiveness of programs,
assisting with future planning, and determining the burden of disease in the population through ongoing
surveillance and research into the causes of cancer and cancer outcomes.
The 2008 Saskatchewan Cancer Control Report will be released this fall and will showcase cancer
prevalence and standard incidence and mortality statistics. Once the report is released, copies can be
obtained through the Contact Us link on the Agency’s website at www.saskcancer.ca.☼
Introducing….
Scooter the Squirrel
The Nipawin Primary Health Care Provider team, “Move
More… Increase Childhood Activity” Working Group
recently unveiled their new mascot, Scooter the Squirrel.
Scooter will be used by the Nipawin Primary Health Care
Provider team to promote importance and awareness of
physical activity in youth in the Nipawin area.
Through the use of the mascot, the Nipawin Primary Health
Care Provider team hopes to create awareness of childhood
inactivity within the community of Nipawin while
empowering youth to live healthy lives through education
and encouraging positive attitudes toward physical activity,
healthy eating and positive self-esteem.
Scooter will make special appearances at festivals,
symposiums, parades, school presentations and events,
promoting messages that will inspire youth to “Get Up! Get
Out! and Get Active!” by getting off the couch, going
outside and getting active in sports and recreation.
Nipawin area groups and organizations interested in having
Scooter make a special appearance at an event are asked to
contact Geoff Stewart, Kelsey Trail Health Region Exercise
Therapist, at 862-7266 for more information.☼
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KTHR selected to participate in
national medication safety pilot project
Kelsey Trail Health Region is one of nine health
regions in Canada that has been chosen to
participate in the Canadian Medication Incident
Reporting and Prevention System (CMIRPS)
pilot project focused on the development and
implementation of a national medication incident
reporting and prevention system.
The Canadian Coalition on Medication Incident
Reporting and Prevention (CCMIRP) is a
national coalition of stakeholders that has driven
the creation of a business plan for the
development and implementation of a national
medication incident reporting and prevention
system.
The pilot project will take place over four
months from November 2008 to February 2009.
During the pilot, a new reporting form for
medication incidents will be used by hospitals
within KTHR and all data will be submitted to a
national database.
Through the collection, analysis, sharing and
reporting of medication incident data, the
CMIRPS will enhance understanding of why
these events happen and how to prevent them in
the future. Participating in the pilot project will
give KTHR the opportunity to use a tool which
will be validated and to access national trends
and medication safety experts.
Recent research findings have raised concerns
regarding the number of adverse events
experienced by patients that are related to
medication incidents. Better information on the
types, sources, causes and outcomes of
medication incidents is needed to assist in
identifying areas requiring change and potential
preventative strategies, and to implement proven
strategies that reduce the risk of incidents.
When implemented, the CMIRPS will strengthen
the capacity to manage and share medication
incident information and inform ongoing quality
improvement and prevention activities at local,
provincial and national levels. Ultimately, this
will serve to build a solid foundation for a safer
medication-use system.☼
Christmas –
That magic blanket that wraps itself about us, that something so intangible
that it is like a fragrance. It may weave a spell of nostalgia. Christmas may be
a day of feasting, or of prayer, but always it will be a day of remembrance - a
day in which we think of everything we have ever loved.
~Augusta E. Rundel
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Nipawin area students learn to take smart risks
Making a conscious decision to make smart choices when taking risks may result in avoiding the negative
outcomes that far too often are associated with risk-taking behaviour. That was the message delivered to high
school and post-secondary students from Nipawin, Choiceland and the Red Earth and Shoal Lake First Nations
during a SMARTRISK Heroes presentation in Nipawin in October.
SMARTRISK is a national non-profit organization dedicated to preventing injuries and saving lives. Founded in
1992, SMARTRISK has become one of the leading injury prevention groups in Canada and enjoys international
recognition and support.
A traveling road show targeting high school
students across the country, the
SMARTRISK Heroes multimedia
presentation was organized by the North
East School Division. An evening
presentation for parents and members of the
public was also organized in cooperation
with the Nipawin Primary Health Care
Provider Team. In addition to the video
presentation, Ian Crowe of Winnipeg shared
his own tale of taking unnecessary risks and
the impact it has had on his life. From his
wheelchair, Crowe told the students about
the 2000 snowboarding accident that left
him a quadriplegic and talked about the
decisions that he could have made that may
have prevented his current situation.
Taking a risk is acting before you think. The SMARTRISK Heroes presentation is based on the premise that taking
smart risks is simply a matter of considering your options before making a decision. By making the smart choice
before taking a risk, the odds of avoiding a serious injuries such as Crowe’s and, in some cases, even death, are
significantly reduced.
Through positive messaging, the SMARTRISK Heroes program recognizes the fact that people will continue to
take risks. While acknowledging risk, it also offers the tools to navigate risk through five key messages: Buckle
Up. Look First. Wear the Gear. Get Trained. Drive Sober.
Risk-takers are being encouraged to continue living their lives but they are being encouraged to approach it
differently than they may have in the past. In Crowe’s case, the message is go snowboarding but before you do,
ensure you are wearing the right gear and you receive training. Crowe had little experience with snowboarding at
the time of his accident, yet he continued to push the limits, attempting jumps with greater and greater difficulty
until his final crash resulted in the injury that has changed his life.
The SMARTRISK Heroes presentation also recognizes the fact that injuries, like that suffered by Crowe, are not
accidental. Most injuries are both preventable and predictable. Taking a proactive, preventative approach to risk
taking behaviour empowers the risk taker to make the choices that will determine outcome rather than leaving
everything out of control.☼
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Cancer survivor shares dangers of spit tobacco with students
In his early 30s, Gruen Von Behrens has spent more
time in hospitals over the past 15 years than most
people will experience in their lifetime. Since being
diagnosed with oral cancer at just 17 years old, Van
Behrens has undergone 34 surgical procedures that
have left him scarred both physically and mentally
and almost cost him his life. The culprit? An almost
instant addiction to the spit tobacco he was first
introduced to as a 13 year old.
Cancer survivor Gruen Von Behrens posed with KTHR
Dental Health Coordinators Shari Moneta and Celia
Schreiner following his presentation at TMSS in October.
Spit tobacco is ground-up or shredded tobacco that is
placed between a persons’ gum, lip or cheek. It
contains hundreds of chemicals including 28 that
cause cancer, and is highly addictive. According to
Health Canada, Saskatchewan has one of the highest
rates of spit tobacco use in Canada, especially among
teenage boys.
Von Behrens shared the story of his fight with cancer
and how the uninformed decisions he made as a
teenager have impacted his life during a presentation
at Tisdale Middle & Secondary School in October.
The Illinois-based motivational speaker visited 10
Saskatchewan schools October 20th through 24 th to
talk about the risks associated with using chewing
tobacco and share some very important life lessons.
The tour was a joint initiative by the Canadian
Cancer Society, The Saskatchewan Dental Health
Promotion Task Group and the Saskatchewan
College of Dental Surgeons.
By sharing his story, Von Behrens hopes to motivate
youth to make informed decisions that will help them
to avoid the consequences he has faced. Introduced
to spit tobacco at 13, Von Behrens admitted that peer
pressure and the invincibility associated with youth
led him to make the choice that would ultimately lead
him down an unexpected path in life. A promising
young baseball player, Von Behrens once had the
opportunity to play for virtually any college team he
wanted. The discovery of a pencil-lead sized white
spot on the side of his tongue midway through his
16 th year would ultimately end up costing him that
dream.
Choosing to ignore the spot in hopes that it would go
away, Von Behrens soon found his tongue split in
half by the tumour. He had kept his condition a
secret out of a fear of hurting his mother, who had
raised him as a single mom, and of getting kicked off
the baseball team, which had a tobacco free policy.
Von Behrens decision ultimately cost him much
more. Half of his tongue was removed in the first
surgery he underwent. The radiation that followed
resulted in significant weight loss and destroyed his
skin, teeth and jawbone. Successive surgeries have
followed in an effort to replace Von Behrens
jawbone, first with bone from his back that was
subsequently rejected, and later, with bone from his
calf and skin and muscle from his thighs. The cancer
and surgeries have left Von Behrens disfigured and
serve as a constant reminder of the choices he made
in his youth.
Von Behrens story captured the full attention of a
crowd of over 900 students, teachers, and health care
professionals that saw his presentation at TMSS. “It
was amazing,” commented KTHR Dental Health
Coordinator Shari Moneta. “He told his story but it
was not just about the dangers of tobacco and the
consequences of decisions made, it was more a
lesson on life – that we should be kind to each other,
not to judge people by how they look and to enjoy
every moment of this life.”☼
Did You Know…
The Canadian Cancer Society estimates that 85 people
will be diagnosed with oral cancer in Saskatchewan in
2008. Twenty-five people will die from the disease.
Across Canada, 3400 will be diagnosed with oral cancer
and 1140 will die.
A few years ago, a survey conducted by Saskatchewan
dental health educators indicated 15% of Grade 9
students were chewing tobacco.
On average, the amount of nicotine in one tine of spit
tobacco (snuff) is equal to about 2.5 packages of
cigarettes.
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Welcoming Kelsey Trail Health Region’s newest employees
October
Wendy Borstmayer – Office Admin. Asst., Chateau
Donna Newberry – Rec. Coordinator, Newmarket Manor
Laurie Kisilowksi – Exec. Asst., Regional Office
Kyla Lewis – EMT, Hudson Bay/Porcupine Plain
Marisa Vaida – CCA, Pineview Lodge
Brandy Arcand – SCA, Pineview Lodge
Nicole Kendel – RN, Tisdale Hospital
Carolyn Galucan – RN, Nipawin Hospital
Valerie Steed – CCA, Kelvindell Lodge
Don Bair – Vehicle Operator, Melfort
Dianne Flaherty – Env. Services, Red Deer Nursing
Home/PP Hospital
Jeannine Nagy – Env. Services, Red Deer Nursing
Home/PP Hospital
Janelle Bansley – RN, Melfort Hospital
Carla Streeton – Comm. Wellness Coord., Nipawin
Jeannine Schulz – Bd. & Comm. Secretary, Regional
Office
November
Kristen Weins – Food Services, Arborfield
Tamara Giles – Food Services, Parkland Place
Rosy Singh – Food Services/Asst. Cook, Parkland Place
Delvena Doucette - Nurse Practitioner, Naicam
Nicole Keen - Food Services, Tisdale
Sandra Cameron – Food Services/Laundry Services,
Pineview Lodge
Cindy Gaudet – Laundry Services, Pineview Lodge
Alicia Hamilton – SCA, Chateau
Cheryl Harris – Rec./Office Asst., Nipawin Hospital
Shannon Rousson – SCA, Red Deer
Nursing Home
Mandy Thorson – SCA, Red Deer
Nursing Home
Kathy Meekins – SCA, Parkland Place
Ainsley Nickel – Food Services/Asst. Cook, Nipawin
Stacey Perron – Cook, Kelvindell Lodge
Joanne Thorson – SCA, Pineview Lodge
Megan Bradshaw – Combined Lab/X-Ray Tech., Melfort
Hospital
December
Brady Janson – Cook, Arborfield
Russell Scott – Public Health Inspector, Melfort
Judith Tondell – RN, Parkland Place
Lisa Brownlee – Admin. Office Asst., Kelvington Hospital
Natasha Fullerton – LPN, Porcupine Plain
Pat Bachlin – SCA, Tisdale
Deon Black – LPN, Hudson Bay
Marjorie Wichihin – Aboriginal Dev. Coord., Regional
Karen Vasquez – Environmental Services, Nipawin
Rebecca Colville – Environmental Services, Nipawin
Lori Mangels – Environmental Services, Arborfield
Traci Carello – SCA, Parkland Place
Melony Komodowski – Admin/Office, Melfort Hospital
Tracey Chowen – CCA, Parkland Place
Jared Summach – CCA, Parkland Place
Janice Campbell – Environmental Services, Pineview
Lodge
Charlene Collinson – Environmental Services, Hudson
Bay
Welcome to Dr. Lawrence Hibraim, who comes to Kelsey Trail Health Region after practicing family
medicine in the Saskatoon Health Region for the past seven years. Dr. Hibraim’s wife Metha, two sons and a
daughter will join him at the conclusion of the current school year. Dr. Hibraim joined the Tisdale Medical
Clinic on October 1st. We hope you enjoy your stay in Kelsey Trail!
Best wishes to North East Regional Intersectoral Committee (RIC) Coordinator Peter Waldbillig, who is
retiring at the end of December after 10 years in that position; to Dr. Michelle Nelson, who is leaving Melfort
and relocating to B.C. at the end of December; to Dr. Doug Phillips of Nipawin, who is retiring from dental
practice after a 50 year career in dentistry. Thank you for your dedicated service to the residents of Kelsey
Trail Health Region.
Congratulations to Brenda Ives, former North East Understanding the Early Years Project Coordinator,
who will be taking over the role of North East Regional Intersectoral Committee (RIC) Coordinator effective
January, 2009.☼
Did You Know?
Alcohol use costs Saskatchewan $508.7 million a year in lost productivity, absenteeism and
disability. The nationwide cost is nearly $7 billion a year.
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Nipawin-based dentist retires after 50 year career
For 50 years, Dr. Doug Phillips’ career in dentistry has provided him with the opportunity to travel extensively,
meet and work with people of different cultures and religions, provide innovative dental programs and gain
fulfilling and rewarding experiences.
“If I had my life to live over again, I would choose dentistry as a profession. It’s given me the opportunity to do all
kinds of work,” Phillips said. “It’s been a wonderful time. I think I’m the luckiest guy in the world, not only
because of my wife and family, but also the students I’ve taught and my patients. They’re some of the finest I
know. It’s the people who have surrounded me - those are the people that deserve any congratulations.”
Phillips completed his final treatment plan on Wednesday, December 17 th , bringing an end to a career that has
taken him from private practice in Nipawin to the rural villages of Malawi, Africa, and from teaching and
supervising to caring for the homebound. His work in the field of dentistry has been ground-breaking and
innovative and has had a significant impact on populations that have long been underserved by his profession. His
primary motivation? The healthy smiles of the people he serves.
Raised in Lloydminster, Phillips completed his dental education at the University of Alberta before relocating to
Nipawin to establish a practice in 1958. During that time, the Junior Red Cross approached Phillips to inquire
about his interest in providing dental care to First Nations communities in the area. “I decided very selfishly that if
I could plan the particular amount of time that I wanted to work, that I would go,” he recalled.
Phillips agreed to travel to Cumberland
House twice a year. “I wanted to go
goose hunting and Cumberland House was
noted for its goose hunting,” he explained
of his decision to travel to the community
one week every fall. He also agreed to go
one week each spring in order to take
advantage of the fishing.
Phillips initial selfishness quickly turned
to selflessness as he realized the
importance of his visits. “I found the
needs were so great there. The kids had
no opportunity for dental care. Getting in
and out was very difficult by road. The
work was more fulfilling than goose
hunting,” he said.
Phillips remained in private practice in Nipawin for ten years before deciding, with the support of his wife and
three young children, to shift gears. “I had a certain dissatisfaction with everything. I had a new building and upto-date
dental office with five chairs but I thought there must be more to this life.”
Phillips had spent three months as a volunteer in a rural African setting in 1967. “I experienced the need and the
living conditions. I came back full of fire about going to Africa.” Through the United Church of Canada, Phillips
considered three options to fulfill his dream: a French-speaking country in Western Africa; an urban-based clinic in
Nairobi, Kenya; or a missionary hospital in the rural setting of Mzuzu, Malawi.
With the full support of his wife, Shirley, in 1968 Phillips sold his practice and his home in Nipawin, loaded up his
family and headed to Africa to become the first United Church of Canada lay person to work overseas with the
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Roman Catholic Church at St. John’s Hospital in Mzuzu. The hospital was operated by the Medical Missionaries
of Mary, an Irish order. “It was like going home when we got there. There was an immediate connection.”
During his first four years in Africa, Phillips provided dental care and instruction, as well as dental care “safaris”,
to a population of around one million in the northern half of the country. “It was really pioneering work. At the
time, there were only two dentists in the whole country.” The Phillips’ also welcomed their fourth child, a son.
Relocating his family to Toronto on a one-year leave in 1972, Phillips received his diploma in Dental Public
Health. The family returned to Mzuzu in 1973 with one more addition, an eight month old daughter.
“When I returned with my public health designation, I did more public health work. We organized meetings for
physicians and surgeons and started doing preventative work and teaching,” he said. “The church gave me $1500
per year to do public health.” Among the projects Phillips took on was printing resource material on nutrition,
hygiene and malaria prevention in both English and the local language. He was also instrumental in the
development of a weekend study program for Medical Assistants, those responsible for providing primary health
care such as injections, delivering babies and simple surgeries in rural medical clinics at that time.
“It was surprising how a dollar goes such a long way in a developing country,” Phillips recalled. “We even
introduced a program to entice the village health care people, commonly called witch doctors. We put together a
package with band aids, safety pins and simple things like aspirin to lure them. It was very interesting to have
them in with people with more Western-based educations.”
In 1975, a call from the Saskatchewan Dental Nurse program lured Phillips back to the province. The family
returned to Canada, relocating to Swift Current. “The reverse culture shock was very difficult,” he said. Phillips
assumed the role of one of the supervising dentists for the program which would later become the provincial Dental
Therapy program.
Two years later, the United Church of Canada asked Phillips to work on dental development on the Baie Verte
peninsula on the east coast of Newfoundland and the family was on the move again. Phillips helped establish a
mobile dental outreach program and did clinic work until 1979 when personal commitments brought the family
back to Nipawin.
Phillips embarked on private practice for the second time in his career and resumed his regular visits to the First
Nations communities of Cumberland House, Red Earth and Shoal Lake. During the 90s, Phillips took on several
other roles including supervision of the University of Saskatchewan College of Dentistry’s Northern Options
program. For several years, Phillips traveled and provided supervision for dental students at Fond du Lac, Black
Lake or Wollaston Lake for three week clinics. He also became a part-time instructor at the National School of
Dental Therapy in Prince Albert, a position he held for 13 years.
In 1990, Phillips also embarked on the establishment of a dental care program for homebound patients. “I think the
most satisfying aspect of dentistry is providing service where it’s needed and being able to be flexible enough to
provide that care where the people are. I think that’s very important – not expecting the people to come to you.”
After suffering a stroke in 1998, Phillips reluctantly gave up the homebound program. “I recovered but I didn’t
feel comfortable in doing patient treatment but I was able to continue teaching. The thing that really bugged me
was that I couldn’t find any dentist in the area that was interested in taking over the program.”
Phillips integrated the homebound concept into his teaching although it has not been as successful among dental
students as it has been among dental therapists. The recent launch of a program directed at long-term care residents
in Saskatoon, to which Phillips donated his portable equipment, has given him a renewed reason for optimism. “I
hope it is expanded to other areas. There’s a great need. Most dentists don’t want to provide care for the
homebound because it’s time consuming and takes you into all of these different work environments.”
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It is this aspect of his career that Phillips has found most challenging over the
years. “I have a mantra – KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid). The other philosophy
is that “one size does not fit all”. You have to be adaptable enough to change
your work or the things you do to fit the people you’re serving whether you’re
in Northern Saskatchewan or an African village…The services you’re providing
should be available to all people with dental care needs. There are many under
serviced communities.”
Though he will continue to be available as a resource, Phillips has eliminated all
temptation to return to his chosen career by asking the College of Dentistry to
cancel his license as of December 31 st . He is among the first to admit that
leaving behind the career that has brought so much adventure and fulfillment to
his life will be bittersweet.
“Just to say I’m going to retire is like a death notice,” he laughed, adding his
wife gave him a book by Art Linklater entitled How to Make the Rest of Your
Life the Best of Your Life. “In it, he says retirement shouldn’t be in your
vocabulary. It should be refirement and I agree with him. I’ve started my
refirement.”
Among his first orders of business will be collating the journals and diaries he has compiled over the duration of
his career. Equally as important will be spending time at the family’s quarter section retreat by the river. “There’s
so much to learn in this life. I’m very interested in nature. There are all kinds of things First Nations have used for
years as medicine plants that I’d like to find out about. I love to be there, wandering through the bush and try to
identify plants.”
Over the course of his career, Dr. Phillips has been a selfless volunteer for numerous organizations in his
communities and has received a number of awards for developmental work and service in the field of dentistry
provincially, nationally and internationally. Yet, on the eve of his official retirement, he is directing his accolades
to his lifelong partner, his wife, Shirley.
“…Without the loving support of a wonderful and gifted partner, my wife Shirley, little of the adventure could
have been experienced. Although our five children have little to do with many of their parent’s decisions, they
have made the adventure that much more exciting – a wonderful family who have, to date, provided us with nine
grandchildren. My life has been so enriched by a countless number of people from near and far.”☼
Kelsey Trail Health Region scholarship applications available
Applications will be received until February 6, 2009 for the following scholarships:
Kelsey Trail Health Region General Scholarship
Eligibility - The candidate must meet the academic achievement requirements and been accepted into, or is enrolled
in, a recognized post-secondary health care program or institute; and be a resident of the Kelsey Trail Regional
Health Authority administrative area.
Kelsey Trail Health Region Aboriginal Scholarship
Eligibility - The candidate must meet the academic achievement requirements and been accepted into, or is enrolled
in, a recognized post-secondary health care program or institute; and be Aboriginal and a resident of the Kelsey
Trail Regional Health Authority administrative area.
Application forms are available at the Kelsey Trail Regional Office at 901-108 th Avenue in Tisdale or by calling
306-873-6600. Applications and scholarship information is also available on the KTHR website at
www.kelseytrailhealth.ca. Applications are to be postmarked no later than January 31, 2009.☼
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Population Health Promotion grant applications available
Kelsey Trail Health Region and its intersectoral
partners established a Population Health Promotion
Leadership Committee to develop and implement a
Population Health Promotion Strategy for northeast
Saskatchewan.
The Leadership Committee has developed a small
project grant program, establishing 10 community
grants of up to $500 per project for the 2008-2009
year. Eligible groups or organizations in the northeast
are encouraged to apply for these grants to carry out
Population Health Promotion work in their
communities.
The objectives of the Population Health Promotion
Grant Program are: to encourage community groups
and organizations to take action on the determinants
of health (Income and Social Status, Education,
Social Support Networks, Healthy Child
Development, Physical Environments, Working
Conditions, Personal Health Practices and Coping
Skills, Health Services, Culture and Gender); to
address one or more of the three pillars of health
(Accessible Nutritious Food, Active Communities,
Mental Well Being and Decreased Substance
Use/Abuse) and; to utilize an intersectoral approach
at the community level that supports healthier
choices in the population as a whole.
Among successful grant award recipients in 2007,
several projects were submitted by schools within
Kelsey Trail Health Region and focussed on
developing leadership and citizenship among
students, anti-bullying initiative, a girls club aimed at
empowering young women to become leaders within
their communities, and programs promoting physical
activity and healthy eating. Grants were also
awarded to several other groups and organizations
with project proposals that included motivational
speakers, outdoor winter festivals, Aboriginal youth
leadership development, adult in motion activities
and activities for seniors.
Project information and application forms can be
downloaded from the Events section of the Kelsey
Trail Health Region website at
www.kelseytrailhealth.ca. Application Deadline:
January 23, 2009.☼
Coming Events
Canadian Diabetes Association Telehealth Education Event: January 20 th from 7 – 8:30 p.m. KTHR Telehealth
sites. Topic: Exercise vs. Diabetes – how to fight back! Practical solutions to treating your diabetes with
exercise. Presentation by KTHR Exercise Therapist Geoff Stewart. For more information, contact Michelle
Hrychuk at 862-7256. Registration Deadline: January 18, 2009.
Lifestyle Balance Program: Tuesdays January 20 th to March 3 rd from 5 – 5:45 p.m. Nipawin Hospital
Multipurpose Room. To register, call 862-9822.
Public Telehealth Session: January 26 th from 3-4 p.m. from Nipawin Hospital Telehealth. Topic: Medication
Safety – knowing your medications. Presentation by KTHR Director of Pharmacy Barry Lyons. For more
information, contact Michelle Hrychuk at 862-7256.
6 th Annual KTHR Annual Long Service Recognition & Appreciation Banquet: Thursday, February 5 th , 2009
at the John Barron Auditorium in the Tisdale RECplex.
2009 Chronic Disease Prevention & Management (CDPM) Provincial Conference: June 18 & 19, 2009 at the
Sheraton Cavalier in Saskatoon. Keynote Speaker: Dr. Jean Bourbeau MD, MSc, FRCPC McGill University. The
purpose of the 2009 CDPM Provincial Conference is to provide health care practitioners, policy makers,
administrators, organizations and individuals committed to prevention and living well with chronic disease an
opportunity to share ideas, practices and initiatives.☼
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KTHR marks National Addictions Awareness Week November 16-22
The week of November 16 – 22nd individuals, schools, communities and workplaces throughout Canada and
Saskatchewan participated in National Addictions Awareness Week activities, raising awareness about the use
and misuse of various substances and related issues; gambling behaviour; healthy choices; and community
resources. This year’s theme was “My Choice is a Healthy Community”.
Schools in Nipawin marked Addictions Awareness Week with poster contests featuring giveaways provided by the
province. Nipawin’s local radio station CJNE also participated in a regional radio contest along with CJVR.
Hudson Bay Addictions Awareness Week activities kicked
off with local Students Against Drunk Driving (SADD)
members participating in a Sober Walk that took them on a
trek through their community. The event was coordinated by
KTHR and the Hudson Bay & District Assessment and
Resource Service (ARS). A special luncheon was also held
which featured a presentation by Shannon Gauthier of
Melfort. The 28-year-old self-employed artist and mother of
three shared her personal story of the struggles she has had
with alcohol addiction. Shannon also shared her story of hope
with two classes of Grade 8 student at Hudson Bay Composite High School. The evening of November 20 th a
display table containing pamphlets and handouts regarding all types of addictions was set up at the arena in Hudson
Bay. Goodie bags containing balloons, bracelets, candies and inspirational messages were handed out to many of
the public attending the arena for hockey games that evening. The display table was well visited and many people
picked up literature.
The Tisdale Drug Awareness Committee worked with
Tisdale Elementary School (TES) & Tisdale Middle &
Secondary School (TMSS) to offer activities to engage
youth to think, talk and learn about issues around substance
use, gambling and making healthy choices. Activities that
took place in Tisdale during National Addictions Awareness
week included a school-wide poster contest at TES that
promoted addiction-free healthy living; the creation and
display of tent cards that promoted addiction free healthy
living by TMSS students; the broadcast of daily
announcements that raised awareness about substance abuse
and the risks involved by the TMSS SADD group; and the
annual Families Against Drugs (FAD) community dance,
which promoted addiction free lifestyles for families, communities and individuals. In addition, Addiction
Services staff from KTHR made presentations to a variety of students in an effort to increase knowledge and
awareness of addictions and how they can be addressed.
In Melfort, KTHR Mental Health & Addictions Services partnered with the Marguerite Riel Centre to host a
variety of events over the course of the entire week. In addition to KTHR, presentations were made by the Kinistin
Wellness Office, Corrections & Public Safety, and the Sakwatamo Lodge Treatment Facility. Features included
presentations on gambling addiction and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum (FAS) disorder, a stand-up comedy routine by
Albert Scott, and a dry dance. Participants also heard a presentation by Riley Burns, a support worker for
residential school survivors, who shared his own story of struggling with alcoholism. The creation of a special
memorial wall to honour the lives of those who have died as the result of substance abuse was one of the highlights
of the week and was very well received by participants. The week concluded with a special awards ceremony
designed to recognize a number of community role models. Among those chosen to receive awards were
individuals who had overcome personal addictions or had dedicated themselves to helping those with addictions.☼
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Youth is when you're allowed to
stay up late on New Year's Eve.
Middle age is when you're forced to.
Bill Vaughan
Moving together Symposium motivates communities
Submitted by Chris Hudyma, Lakeland District for Sport, Culture & Recreation
The Moving Together Symposium in Nipawin November 18 th , organized by the Kelsey Trail Health Region Active
Living Committee, brought community members throughout the northeast together to discuss the physical
inactivity epidemic and to look at ways individuals and communities can reverse this trend and move toward a
more active lifestyle for optimal health benefits. CJNE radio in Nipawin provided live coverage and interviews
throughout the day to help bring further awareness of the physical inactivity issue and the impact it is having on the
health of residents. The local radio station also invited the listening audience to be part of the discussions to
improve the situation at home and in the community.
Guest Speaker, Mark Fenton, television host of, “America’s Walking” and one of North America’s foremost
experts on the subject of walking, shared his knowledge and experience with an audience that included municipal
leaders, recreation, health and education professionals as well as community members.
Speaking to an audience that filled the Legion Hall in Nipawin, Fenton shared his analysis of the Town of Nipawin
and compared these finding to similar communities across North America to help encourage discussion and
examine ways to improve municipal planning and by-laws for the greater overall health benefits of residents while,
at the same time, reducing the environmental foot print through cost savings to ratepayers on infrastructure
expenditures. Discussion items included the revitalization of the main residential and business areas, the
preservation of green space, the incorporation of new multi-level structures verses single unit dwellings and
improvements to the sidewalk and walking trails system to better connect people to each other and to businesses
and facilities.
Saskatchewan In Motion, sponsoring partners of the symposium, and the
Kelsey Trail Health Region Active Living Committee will be conducting a
follow-up to the actions identified during the symposium discussions in the
New Year.
Smeaton resident Margo Marshall (left)
was presented with a Population
Health Promotion Recognition Award
by KTHR Active Living Committee
member Louise Verklan.
The Kelsey Trail Health Region Active Living Committee mandate is to
build the capacity of individuals and communities to improve their overall
physical health and wellbeing. The Active Living Committee is a
partnership between the Kelsey Trail Health Region, Lakeland District for
Sport, Culture and Recreation and individual community champions
working toward active and healthy communities.
For further information on how you, your group or community can be more
active this winter, visit the Saskatchewan In Motion web site at:
www.saskatchewaninmotion.ca.☼
“Working together to improve the health of people”