KTHR Pulse Fall 2010 - Kelsey Trail Health Region

“Healthy People in Healthy Communities” 

KTHR Pulse 

Fall 2010 

In This Issue 

1st Year Medical Students tour 

Appropriate use of ER 

Danish nursing student 

completes practicum in KTHR 

RTC kick-off in Melfort 

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 

Contact us with your 

comments, suggestions or ideas 

for future editions. 

Peggy Ratcliffe 

Corporate Communications Officer 

KTHR 

873-6613 

pratc@kthr.sk.ca 

KTHR flu clinics continue across region 

Like most of the province, Kelsey Trail Health Region’s public health 

influenza clinics began across the region on Tuesday, October 12. The 

2010-11 Influenza campaign marks the first season after the last year’s 

H1N1 influenza pandemic (post-pandemic). Though pandemic has 

been declared over by the World Health Organization (WHO), the 

H1N1 virus is still circulating in communities and will behave more 

like a seasonal virus. 

As usual, three influenza virus strains are included in the 2010-2011 

influenza vaccine. These include the pandemic 2009 influenza A 

(H1N1) component, a new influenza A (H3N2) component and an 

influenza B component. A typical influenza season is expected for 

2010-11; however, it is likely that H1N1 will be one of the main strains 

of influenza for the season. Immunization is the most effective 

measure of preventing influenza. 

Influenza is a serious, contagious and potentially deadly disease. 

Everyone is at risk of contracting influenza. However, some 

individuals are at a higher risk of complications and hospitalization. 

These include: individuals with a chronic health condition or morbidly 

obese; adults 65 years of age and older; children aged 6 

months to under 5 years of age; pregnant women; residents of longterm 

care facilities; household and close contacts of infants, pregnant 

women and individuals at high risk; and occupational groups likely to 

get or transmit influenza due to the nature of their activity (i.e. child 

and healthcare providers, people working with poultry and/or swine). 

Those falling in the high risk groups are highly encouraged to receive 

their influenza shot as soon as it is available. Public health efforts will 

be directed to protect those most at risk of complications. Vaccine will 

also be available to any resident who wants to receive it through public 

health clinics and physician offices. Influenza immunization clinic 

schedules are available on the KTHR internet site at 

www.kelseytrailhealth.ca.☼ 

Upcoming Regional Health Authority Meetings 

Call 873-6600 for more information 

Tuesday, November 9, 2010 

Nipawin – Evergreen Centre Pro Shop 

“Working together to improve the health of people”

KTHR Pulse “Healthy People in Healthy Communities” Page 2 of 13 

KELSEY TRAIL HEALTH REGION PUBLIC HEALTH 

SEASONAL INFLUENZA & PNEUMO 23 VACCINE 2010 CLINICS 

WALK IN CLINIC – NO APPOINTMENT NECESSARY 

DATE LOCATION WHERE TIME 

November 1 

November 3 

November 4 

Nipawin 

Archerwill 

Star City 

Porcupine Plain 

Bjorkdale 

Tisdale 

Kelvington 

Senior’s Centre 

Lutheran Church 

United Church 

Sunset Club 

Bjorkdale Senior’s Centre 

Golden Age Senior’s Centre 

Senior’s Centre 

9 a.m. – 1p.m. 

1:15 - 3:45 p.m. 

10 a.m. – 12 noon 

9:30 – 11:45 a.m. 

1:30 – 3:30 p.m. 

3 – 6 p.m. 

9 a.m. – 12 noon 

November 8 Rose Valley Senior’s Centre 1– 3 p.m. 

November 17 Melfort Kerry Vickar Centre - 

Advantage Room 

November 30 Melfort Public Health 

(UNDER 5 YEARS OLD) 

9 a.m. – 12 noon & 1– 3 p.m. 

9 a.m. – 12:00 noon 

For more information call your local public health at Melfort (752-6310) Tisdale 

(873-8282) Nipawin (862-0761) Hudson Bay (865-2634) Kelvington (327-4723) 

KTHR hosted more than 50 first 

year Medical students from the 

University Of Saskatchewan 

College Of Medicine during the 

2 nd annual summer tour in 

August. The students enjoyed a 

day of touring and mentoring 

courtesy of KTHR physicians 

before heading out to Stony 

Lake Bible Camp to enjoy some 

fun in the summer sun.☼ 

Dr. Stoll 

Dr. Yemi 

Paintballing 

Kayaking 



KTHR encourages appropriate use of the OPD/ER 

Kelsey Trail Health Region would like to remind the public that anyone experiencing a medical 

emergency should dial 9-1-1 for medical assistance. 

If you are unsure of whether or not your condition is considered an emergency, please contact HealthLine 

at 1-877-800-0002 or online at www.healthlineonline.ca. 

Health Centres are not adequately staffed to address emergency room visits. If you are thinking about 

visiting an emergency room, please keep in mind that only emergency rooms in the district hospitals at 

Melfort, Nipawin and Tisdale and the community hospitals at Hudson Bay, Kelvington and Porcupine 

Plain are appropriately staffed to deal with emergency room visits. 

Call 9-1-1 or visit an emergency room if you have an immediate, urgent medical condition such as 

breathing difficulty, heart attack or stroke symptoms or head trauma; or if you cannot safely treat your 

medical condition at home. 

If the symptoms you are experiencing are minor and you can wait to see your family physician, or you are 

able to treat your medical condition at home, please refrain from visiting the emergency room.☼ 

Did you know? 

Routine care costs two or three times more in a hospital emergency room than in a doctor’s 

office. 

Emergency room visits aren’t “first-come, first-served”. The sickest patients will be seen 

first. 

National Pap Test Campaign October 24 th – 30th 

Several physicians in the Kelsey Trail Health Region were among those in the province that participated in the 

National Pap Test Campaign during Cervical Cancer Awareness Week October 24 th – 30 th . Through the Prevention 

Program for Cervical Cancer, Saskatchewan women 18 to 69 years are encouraged to have regular Pap tests as the 

best way to prevent cervical cancer. During Cervical Cancer Awareness Week, women could get a Pap test at a 

participating clinic by drop-in or appointment regardless of whether or not the participating physician is their 

regular family physician or not. 

Cervical cancer is the third most common type of cancer in Saskatchewan women. Approximately 80% of cervical 

cancers, which are generally caused by the Human Papillomavirus (HPV), can be prevented with regular Pap tests. 

In KTHR, the following participated in the campaign: Hudson Bay Medical Group; Melfort - Dr. Marius Aucamp, 

Dr. John Renouf, Dr. Robert Steffen, Dr. Michael Stoll, Dr. Eben Strydom, Dr. Richard Van der Ross, Dr. Jordan 

Wingate, Dr. Lionel Lavoie; and Tisdale - Dr. Mishak Zwane. 

While no test is 100% effective, screening provides an opportunity to detect cancer early and potentially save a 

life.☼ 



KTHR implements provincial smoking restrictions as 

regional tobacco-free policy implementation date approaches 

Patients, residents, clients and visitors to all Kelsey Trail Health Region facilities will notice new signage 

restricting smoking to 3 metres (10 feet) from doorways, windows and air intakes as the result of 

provisions that came into effect on October 1 as part of the second round of amendments under The 

Tobacco Control Amendment Act, 2010. 

Protecting children under 16 years of age from second-hand smoke in vehicles is another provision that 

came into effect on October 1 st . The legislation under The Tobacco Control Amendment Act, 2010 is 

implemented in three stages. The provision prohibiting tobacco use on school grounds was proclaimed on 

August 15. The final stage will occur early in 2011 and will include the provision that prohibits the sale 

of tobacco in pharmacies. 

During the November 24, 2009 regular meeting of the Kelsey Trail Regional Health Authority, the RHA 

approved the Kelsey Trail Health Region Tobacco Policy. The policy has two main purposes: 1) to 

foster an environment that protects staff, clients and the public from second-hand smoke and reinforces a 

social norm of being tobacco-free; and 2) to provide help and support for staff and clients who wish to 

stop using tobacco products. The KTHR Tobacco Policy was also developed in harmony with the 

provincial Ministry of Health’s move toward a comprehensive tobacco reduction strategy. 

Beginning on April 1, 2011, the use of tobacco products will no longer be permitted in buildings or on the 

grounds of any health service operated and/or funded by KTHR. Employees, patients, residents, clients 

and visitors will be required to smoke outside the perimeter of KTRHA grounds and will be responsible 

for the appropriate disposal of their tobacco products. Littering will not be tolerated. Employees, 

practitioners, patients, residents, clients and visitors will share in the responsibility for adhering to this 

policy and will be responsible to ensure a healthier, smoke-free environment for all those who work in 

and visit KTHR sites. 

KTHR will support staff and inpatients in their personal efforts to become tobacco-free over the coming 

months in preparation for the April 1, 2011 tobacco-free implementation date. At the same time, KTHR 

will continue to respect the rights of those who choose to continue using tobacco.☼ 



Welcoming Kelsey Trail Health Region’s newest employees 

July 

Caryn Stanger-Medical Lab Tech, Nipawin Hospital 

Lyle Bittman-Director Employee Services, Regional 

Angela Gillert-Environmental Services, Nipawin 

Hospital/Pineview 

August 

Amanda Pihowich,-Pharmacy Tech, Nipawin Hospital 

Kendall Jasken-MHAS Assessor/Coordinator, Melfort 

Mary Kehrig-Chometsky- Environmental Services, 

Nipawin Hospital 

Lynn Quintaine-Chronic Disease Health Educator, 

Nipawin 

Lisa Shreve-Licensed Practical Nurse, Arborfield 

Sonia Bergen-Special Care Aide, Carrot River 

Marie Kapeller-Registered Nurse, Pineview 

Leah Mardell-Home Health Aide/Special Care Aide, 

Nipawin 

Mark Ollinger-Director Pre-Hospital Emergency Services, 

Regional 

September 

Kimberley Kerfoot –Food & Nutrition Services, 

Arborfield 

Susan Bruce-Home Health Aide/Special Care Aide, 

Kelvingdell Lodge 

Anna Murray-Environmental Services, Parkland 

Sandra Luthi-Environmental Services, Parkland 

Jessie Van Camp-Occupational Therapist, Melfort 

Cindy Hill-Special Care Aide, Red Deer Nursing Home 

Barbra Foster-Environrnental Services, Parkland 

Cheri Schmidt-Special Care Aide, Parkland 

Jason Brisco-Emergency Medical Responder, Hudson 

Bay/Porcupine Plain 

Dalene Pihowich-Food & Nutrition Services, Nipawin 

Hospital 

Marley Hartt-Reception/Office Assistant, Melfort Hospital 

Jennifer Braun-Community Wellness Coordinator, Tisdale 

Mandy Olsen-Home Health Aide/Special Care Aide, 

Nipawin 

Welcome to Dr. Neville van der Merwe, who recently joined the medical staff at the Nipawin Medical 

Group. Dr. van der Merwe arrived in Nipawin from Nelspruit in South Africa. He is joined by his wife, 

Woudri; to Dr. Morgan Hayes, who also recently joined the medical staff at the Nipawin Medical Group. 

Dr. Hayes comes to KTHR from Cape Town in South Africa. He is joined by his partner, Amy Edwards; 

and to Dr. Eleanor Francis, who recently joined the medical staff at the Nipawin Health Centre. Dr. 

Francis comes to Nipawin from Durban in South Africa. She is joined by her husband, Ian. We hope you 

enjoy your stay in Kelsey Trail. 

Best wishes to Rhonda Clark, Nurse Manager at Kelvindell Lodge, who resigned from her position 

earlier this month; and to Kerri Franklin, who was job sharing with Rhonda and has now taken on the 

position on a full-time basis. Thank you both for your commitment to the well-being of the long term care 

residents in Kelvington and area. 

Sincere sympathy….is extended to the family, friends and colleagues of 

Anne Grypuik, who passed away on September 22nd. Anne was employed in 

Environmental Services at Parkland Place in Melfort and had worked for the region 

since December of 1988. 

When someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure. 

~Author Unknown 



KTHR to mark National Infection Control Week 

“Infection Control – It’s Simple!” was the 

theme of this year’s National Infection Control 

Week, October 18-22, 2010. 

Infection Prevention and Control programs 

have been widely recognized to be both 

clinically effective and cost-effective in 

preventing and controlling the spread of 

infections in health care settings. However, 

ultimately the most effective way to prevent 

the transmission of infection is through hand 

hygiene and effective environmental cleaning. 

Washing your hands is an ordinary procedure 

and does not take a lot of time and effort or 

thought. You can use soap and water or 

alcohol based sanitizers. It takes only 20-30 

seconds of your time to wash your 

hand…..Now that’s simple! 

In Canada, Infection Control Week originated 

in 1988 to highlight infection control efforts in 

Canadian hospitals, long-term care facilities 

and in the community. It was an opportunity 

for infection control professionals to educate 

staff and the community about the importance 

of infection prevention and to promote the important work that was being done by infection control 

professionals in a visible and fun way. In 1989 the federal government proclaimed Infection Control 

Week as an annual event. Kelsey Trail Health Region focused on promoting hand hygiene and cough 

etiquette/respiratory hygiene during National Infection Control Week. ☼ 

Around the region 

Jessie Brown, KTHR Recruitment Coordinator, and 

Rosemary Van Herk-Auger, Hudson Bay Home Care Case 

Manager, took the opportunity to introduce students at 

Hudson Bay Composite School to health care career 

options during a career fair held at the school October 4 th . 

Students from Grades 9-12 participated in the one-day 

event. In addition to a career fair display, KTHR also spoke 

to several students interested in careers in healthcare, 

highlighting opportunities in KTHR as well as some 

Saskatchewan educational institutions for healthcarerelated 

fields.☼ 



HealthLine suicide and depression campaign expands 

Early in 2010, the Ministry of Health launched a new 

suicide and depression campaign to promote HealthLine as 

a place to call in times of need. This campaign targeted 

residents of Northern Saskatchewan and included radio, a 

poster series, and an Aboriginal comic book dealing with 

suicide and depression. 

Due to the positive response the campaign has received, it 

has now been expanded throughout the province. With as 

many as 10 calls per day seeking mental health information, 

the campaign is raising awareness of HealthLine, the 

Ministry of Health’s free, confidential 24-hour health 

advice telephone line, as a source to turn to for advice when 

feeling depressed or suicidal. 

In the Kelsey Trail Health Region, the Northern Village of 

Cumberland House and Cumberland House Cree Nation 

were among the Northern Saskatchewan communities that 

were targeted in the initial campaign, receiving posters and 

comic books developed specifically to raise awareness 

about mental health issues and the help that is available. 

For many residents of Northern Saskatchewan, depression, 

drugs, abuse, despair, addictions and suicide are often a 

harsh reality. Mental health services in these remote 

locations are often difficult to access. The awareness campaign is an attempt to bridge the gap. 

HealthLine began operating almost six years ago with 

registered nurses providing 24//7 health advice and 

information to callers. Within two years, it became clear 

that mental health services were also required and social 

workers and registered psychiatric nurses were added to 

the staff. Mental health information is available by calling 

HealthLine at 1-877-800-0002 anytime.☼ 

Sooner, Safer, Smarter 

Subscribe Now! 

The Saskatchewan Surgical Initiative is committed to keeping health providers and health sector 

organizations informed about progress being made in transforming the surgical care system. The 

Initiative's Sooner, Safer, Smarter newsletter will be e-mailed to anyone who wishes to subscribe: health 

care providers, patients and administrators who are interested in patient- and family-centred innovations 

occurring in Saskatchewan. 

To subscribe, or to suggest story ideas about efforts to transform surgery in Saskatchewan, visit: 

http://www.health.gov.sk.ca/sksi-newsletter.☼ 



KTHR Telehomecare pilot project one of 

ITAC’s Community IT Hero Award finalists in August 

The following is reprinted with permission from the Information Technology Association of Canada’s (ITAC) online newsletter 

which can be found at www.itac.ca. 

Remote control 

Nearly 50 years after Tommy Douglas made instrumental moves toward the 

creation of a publicly funded provincial healthcare system, Saskatchewan’s 

provincial government is still pioneering projects that position it as a leader in 

the provision of innovative healthcare services. 

In a province known for its geographical vastness, Saskatchewan’s Ministry of 

Health has teamed up with Kelsey Trail Regional Health Authority, HealthLine 

and SaskTel to form a joint venture arrangement to address the growing need 

for enhanced chronic disease management in the province. The objective of the 

joint venture was to undertake a pilot program that uses remote patient 

monitoring technology to manage patients living with diabetes and 

hypertension. The 12 month program began in January 2010 and is currently 

monitoring over 60 patients living with diabetes, hypertension or both. The 

Ministry chose Kelsey Trail as the location for the program, as this health region is located in northeastern 

Saskatchewan with a majority rural population, providing an ideal market for remote patient 

monitoring. 

KTHR project team members include (Back, L-R): Maureen Heron, 

Home Care LPN; Bettylou Fagnou, Diabetes Nurse Educator; Val 

Wittig, Project Manager; Carlene Schmaltz, Diabetes Nurse Educator; 

Linda Lyndsey, Home Care RN; (Front, L-R) Heather Genik, Chronic 

Disease Manager; Linda Barlow, Director Primary Health Care; Sheila 

Seiferling, Home Care Case Manager; and Sandy Weseen, Director 

Home Care. Missing: Julie Cleaveley, VP Community & Primary 

Health Care Services; Kendell Arndt, Privacy Officer; Pam Molnar, 

Diabetes Nurse Educator; LeeAnn Fannon, Home Care Case 

Manager; Mary Burt, Home Care RN; and Sandra Hart, Home Care 

RN. 

Shari Mombourquette, 

Market Manager, SaskTel 

The pilot program utilizes SaskTel’s 

LifeStat service to provide the technology. 

LifeStat is a remote patient monitoring 

service that allows healthcare professionals 

to monitor patients’ blood pressure and 

blood glucose readings without having to 

visit their homes. 

“LifeStat uses standard medical devices that 

the patient would already be using to take 

their readings – a blood pressure monitor or 

blood glucose meter, depending on the 

patient’s chronic condition,” said Shari 

Mombourquette, LifeStat Market Manager 

with SaskTel. “But instead of the patient 

recording their readings in a paper logbook, 

the information is automatically transmitted 

directly from that medical device, using 

Bluetooth technology, through the internet 

to a secure web server. 

“The beauty of it, then, is that authorized 

members of the patient’s care team, including the patients themselves, can then access the readings and 

trend reports almost immediately from any internet enabled computer through a secure authentication 



process,” Shari said. “And faster access to accurate patient data allows quicker response times for 

treatment when needed. Another benefit is that the patients, themselves, tend to become more engaged in 

their own care because they have easy access to their trend reports and know that others are monitoring 

their readings.” 

LifeStat also provides the ability for setting up alerts that can be delivered to members of the care team 

via text message, e-mail or phone messages. As an example, in the Kelsey Trail project, critical alerts are 

routed to the provincial HealthLine for immediate follow up with patients. Alerts can also be set up for 

non-critical situations which could include reminders sent to patients to take their medications. 

Sandy Weseen is a Registered Nurse and Director of Homecare for the Kelsey Trail Regional Health 

Authority. She said the program has three primary goals: (i) improve the quality of services and client 

outcomes, (ii) increase utilization of the treatments, and (iii) make the process of treating remote clients 

easier for healthcare staff. She said the idea of removing travel time from the healthcare equation in an 

area as remote as Kelsey Trail is a complete game changer. 

“We really want to assess whether or not our client outcomes will be improved by using this technology, 

and we’re interested in whether the utilization of this technology will impact the utilization of services 

and our human resources. Particularly in homecare, because of our travel time, can we in fact provide 

care to more people remotely if we aren’t encumbered by all the travel time?” 

Sandy said there are much larger trends at play, which if unaddressed by Canadian governments will 

become huge obstacles in the creation of efficient healthcare systems. And this is where LifeStat can help. 

“Long term and big picture, we know we’re going to be facing a shortage of nurses and physicians, and in 

many of our rural communities, we’re already facing these shortages. If there is a way to ensure that we 

can deliver the care people need, with the available human resources, that would be wonderful. Our 

concern is, with the available human resources, are we in fact going to be able to provide people with the 

care that they need to improve their health?” 

Both Shari and Sandy are optimistic that at the end of this year-long trial, LifeStat will have proven itself 

as a service-enhancing system. 

Come January, 2011, there are a number of metrics the Ministry of Health will be assessing: 

Has the average number of home visits, and the length of visits decreased? 

Has travel time decreased? 

Has the number of hospital visits decreased? 

Are Hemoglobin A1c and blood pressure levels in optimal range more often? 

What responses have they heard from the post-trial “Status Action Surveys,” from both clients and 

staff? 

The need for tools like LifeStat to help manage chronic diseases will continue to grow in response to an 

aging population, increased incidence rates of chronic disease diagnosis, increasing health care costs, and 

a shortage of health care professionals. 

If the success of Mr. Douglas’s revolutionary idea is foretelling at all, remote tele-monitoring throughout 

the “true north” could soon become a staple in Canadian healthcare.☼ 



Danish student participates in nursing practicum in KTHR 

A practicum experience for a Danish nursing 

student took her more than 6,000 kilometres 

overseas and back to her Canadian roots. 

Kirstine Ann Sorenson spent seven weeks 

between September and October in the Kelsey 

Trail Health Region on a nursing practicum with 

Nipawin Home Care. Sorenson is currently 

studying nursing at University College North 

Jutland in her home country of Denmark. 

“My Canadian roots were my biggest motivation 

for an overseas practicum in Canada,” Sorenson 

explained, adding that both she and her mother 

were born in Canada. “An overseas practicum in 

Canada would not only give me a great 

experience as a nursing student but it would also 

give me the opportunity to visit with my 

Canadian family…” 

When Sorenson’s nursing studies approached 

module 6, the study of chronically ill patients 

and clients in their own home, the opportunity to 

be involved in an overseas practicum placement 

in primary health care presented itself. With her 

grandmother, Gladys Sheridan, living in 

Nipawin, the picturesque northeastern 

community became her natural first choice for a 

practicum placement. 

With the help of her mother, who had recently 

graduated as a Licensed Practical Nurse and 

spent one of her practicum placements at 

Nipawin’s Pineview Lodge, Sorenson set the 

wheels in motion in April. Within a week of 

emailing her application to KTHR, Sorenson was 

told a practicum placement at Pineview Lodge 

was not possible but her application had been 

forwarded to the Director of Home Care Sandy 

Weseen. 

“I contacted Sandy Weseen and a few phone 

calls and emails later, I knew that a practicum in 

Canada was possible after all,” Sorenson 

recalled. By mid-July, Sorenson’s practicum 

had been arranged with a September start date. 

Because Sorenson took an active role in 

arranging her placement, she was fortunate to be 

able to choose her location. Had the University 

College North Jutland been responsible for her 

placement, she would have likely ended up in 

Vancouver, BC. 

In early September while her classmates were 

beginning module 6 with two weeks of 

classroom work, Sorenson found herself on route 

to Canada. On her first day with Nipawin Home 

Care, she was introduced to both Weseen and her 

KTHR mentor, Regional Skin & Wound Care 

Nurse Faye Street. In addition to maintaining 

contact with the University College North 

Jutland throughout the duration of her practicum 

experience, Danish nursing education guidelines 

also required Sorenson to have a site mentor. 

The practicum allowed Sorenson to experience 

learning in a variety of ways. “One of my very 

first days I got to go to a wound management 

course for nurses. The teacher used a video, 

power point and the workbook they had handed 

out,” she recalled. “I also attended a meeting 

broadcasted by webcam to Nipawin Hospital. 

The meeting was for KTHR and it was put on by 

the Infection Control Nurse. The purpose of the 

meeting was to ensure that all within KTHR 

used the same procedure regarding MRSA and 

other multi-resistance strains. It was very 

interesting to see such a different way to 

communicate.” 

Sorenson’s practicum in Canada was made 

affordable through Danish Government support. 

According to Sorenson, post-secondary 

education is free for all students in Denmark. 

Students also receive monthly financial support 

from the government. While she is taking her 

nursing education, Sorenson receives $850 

Canadian dollars a month. She also applied for a 

scholarship which provided a subsidy of $1,268 

Canadian dollars that she used to cover half of 

her airline ticket to Canada. 



“I found that people in Canada are very friendly 

and open-minded. The normal gesture is “hi, 

how are you” and if the answer is negative for 

some reason that’s okay. The empathetic way of 

being is not only within family, friends and 

colleagues. It is also towards the lady the behind 

the counter at the local grocery store or towards 

the elderly man you meet on your walk. I cannot 

put my finger to what it is that makes a 

difference but the feeling of being welcome is 

overwhelming.” 

For Sorenson, the experience proved very 

worthwhile both academically and personally. 

“To see how another country nurses opens your 

eyes to your own nursing and upgrades it. I will 

for sure be able to think back at my practicum in 

Canada and use my experience as a positive 

resource in my studies and future career in 

nursing, “she explained. “I had the opportunity 

to train my nursing skills. I received teaching 

and guidance towards being a Home Care nurse 

and I moved towards becoming more selfassured 

in wound management using the best 

clinical practice.” 

“My communication skills certainly also got 

tested - I learned how to communicate within the 

health care system and I learned how to manage 

if there were barriers like hearing problems and 

decreasing eyesight,” she added. “This 

experience gave me so much, not only as a nurse 

but also as an individual. Academically I had the 

privilege to explore the nursing field in another 

country. Not just any other country, but the 

country my mother was born and raised in and 

the country I was born in myself.”☼ 

Danish nursing student Krissy Sorenson spent seven 

weeks in Nipawin in September and October doing a 

practicum in Home Care. 

(Photos, Top to Bottom) Sorenson poses with the 

Nipawin Community Services sign; receiving hands-on 

instruction from KTHR mentor, Faye Street, Regional 

Skin & Wound Care Nurse; posing with Nipawin Home 

Care staff; pictured with Nipawin Hospital staff nearing 

the end of her practicum experience. 



Letters to the Editor 

Dear Editor: 

As you may be aware, the Public Health Nutritionists of Saskatchewan have written and distributed 

nutrition articles to Saskatchewan newspapers for over 30 years. Over these years there have been many 

changes in the writing and distribution of the articles. Most recently the number of articles distributed to 

Saskatchewan newspapers has decreased from four to two per month over the last two years. In addition, 

there has been a decline in newspaper pick up rates. There have also been changes in public health 

promotion services, making it necessary to focus resources in other areas. 

For these reasons, the Public Health Nutritionists of Saskatchewan have decided to discontinue writing 

monthly nutrition articles. The October 2010 articles will be the last monthly installment you will receive. 

We thank you for your years of partnership and support in publishing the articles for your community and 

the province of Saskatchewan. 

Public Health Nutritionists of Saskatchewan 

Coming Events 

November 5 th – Tisdale 

7- 9 p.m. 

RECplex Hanover Room 

“The First R: Relationships 

How Love Builds Brains” 

Free presentation for parents and 

caregivers of infants, children and 

adolescents by Dr. Jean Clinton, 

Dr. Clinton’s presentation will 

feature discussion on how love 

nurtures brain development. 

A limited amount of free childcare 

is available with advanced 

registration. To register for 

childcare, call 873-4242. 

In 

Flanders 

Fields 

In Flanders fields the poppies blow 

Between the crosses, row on row, 

That mark our place; and in the sky 

The larks, still bravely singing, fly 

Scarce heard amid the guns below. 

We are the Dead. Short days ago 

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, 

Loved, and were loved, and now we lie 

In Flanders Fields. 

Take up our quarrel with the foe: 

To you from failing hands we throw 

The torch; be yours to hold it high. 

If ye break faith with us who die 

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow 

In Flanders Fields. 

-John McCrae 



Melfort Hospital kicks off Releasing Time to Care TM 

Melfort Hospital hosted the official kick-off to the Releasing Time to Care TM : The Productive Ward 

program on Thursday, October 14 th with a barbecue and trivia games for staff and volunteers. Melfort 

Hospital is the second site to be introduced to RTC in Kelsey Trail Health Region following in the 

footsteps of Nipawin Hospital, who began RTC implementation in the spring of 2010. 

RTC is a program developed by the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement in Britain. It is a 

patient-centred approach to improving the quality of care on acute care nursing units, by freeing up 

caregivers’ time for more direct patient care. The Ministry of Health is rolling the program out across the 

province in a phased approach.☼ 

(Photo at left) Members of the Melfort Hospital 

Releasing Time to Care TM team include (Back, L-R: 

Judy Blair, Director Acute Care Services; Anna 

Dawn Hewitt, Quality Improvement Nurse 

Educator; Twila Yackel, Melfort Hospital Facility 

Administrator; Deborah Unruh, Licensed Practical 

Nurse, Melfort Hospital: Janelle Larson, Registered 

Nurse Melfort Hospital, (Front, L-R) Pam McKay, 

KTHR VP Institutional & Emergency Care; and 

Nadine Mevel-Degerness, Melfort Hospital Nurse 

Manager. 

Below, hospital staff and volunteers were 

introduced to the Releasing Time to Care TM 

program through a bean bag toss trivia game, 

informational display, and a video. Participating 

staff enjoyed barbecued burgers, prepared by 

members of the RTC team, and a specially created 

RTC cake in the hospital cafeteria.

KTHR Pulse Fall 2010 - Kelsey Trail Health Region

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