Edition 129 - February 2013 - Interior Health

A publication for Staff and Physicians of IH
IH makes top employers’ list

2013
Make a splash...
Win an Excellence in BC Health Care Award !
Nominations are now being accepted for the
7th annual Excellence in BC Health Care Awards
Presented by the Health Employers Association of BC (HEABC), the Excellence in BC Health Care Awards
celebrate excellence and innovation in BC’s health care community.
Nominees must work within an HEABC member facility and nominations must be for work done in
service to or on behalf of an HEABC member employer either as an employee or contractor.
Some awards are for projects that are improving health care delivery and some are for individual
health employees who inspirations to those around them.
Award categories are: Top Innovation – Affiliate, Top Innovation – Health Authority,
Workplace Health Innovation, Collaborative Solutions and Health Care Hero.
Nominations deadline: Thursday, February 28, 2013
To learn more and nominate online, visit
www.BCHealthCareAwards.ca
Nominate a deserving person or team today!
P R E S E N T E D B Y

Dr. Halpenny talks about our organization as he sees it from his
day-to-day perspective.
What’s your plan for a positive work place in 2013 Read this month’s
responses.
A simple “Hello, my name is…” can change everything.
Interior Health makes the BC Top Employers for 2013.
Thoughts on moving the health-care system from a provider-centred
system to a place where patients are the true centre of care.
Excellent care is provided to a patient who experiences the sudden
onset of a stroke.
Shining a spotlight on the many communities that make up where we
live, work, and play.
Snapshots of our staff in action over the last month.
What are KLH staff Diane Riel and Eve Burkart doing See p.18 to find
out!
The @InteriorHealth newsletter is a monthly publication created by the Communications Department of Interior Health.
Past issues of @InteriorHealth can be found on our website under About Us/Media Centre/Publications & Newsletters.
If you have story ideas for future issues, please e-mail: IHAcommunications@interiorhealth.ca – deadline for
submissions to the March 2013 issue of the @InteriorHealth newsletter is February 15.
Editors: Amanda Fisher & Breanna Pickett
IH Communications Contributors: Lisa Braman, Lesley Coates,
Susan Duncan, Karl Hardt, Megan Kavanagh, Erin Toews, Kara Visinski

At Interior Health, we want to set
new standards of excellence in the
delivery of health services in B.C.
and to also promote healthy
lifestyles and provide needed health
services in a timely, caring, and
efficient manner.
To achieve this, we are guided by
the following strategic goals:
Goal 1 Improve Health and
Wellness
Goal 2 Deliver High Quality Care
Goal 3 Ensure Sustainable
Health Care by Improving
Innovation, Productivity,
and Efficiency
Goal 4 Cultivate an Engaged
Workforce and Healthy
Workplace
The articles featured in the @IH
newsletter are great examples of
how we’re achieving our goals …
and realizing our vision and mission.
Read on!
Dr. Halpenny finds some work-life
balance on the mountain –
“a fantastic day” at Big White Ski
Resort on January 20.
M
y message this month starts
on a very sad note. We lost
Janice Buller, one of our
dedicated Home Health nurses
from Lillooet, following a tragic accident
on January 17. My thoughts and prayers
go out to her family and especially to the
young son she has left behind, as well as
the many staff members in Lillooet she
worked so closely with every day.
Looking back over the last few weeks,
it is clear we hit the ground running after
our Christmas break. As you know, there
is never a shortage of projects to tackle
when it comes to making improvements
in health care.
One that I am particularly excited about
is focused on our research efforts and
how we take a more involved and
coordinated approach within IH. With
that in mind, we’re in the midst of an
environmental scan of research initiatives
underway and how they align with one
another. This preliminary work is a first
step in developing a research strategy
for the organization.
On January 18, I was in Vancouver for
Leadership Council with my health
authority CEO peers. This is a monthly
meeting, chaired by the Deputy Minister
of Health, that also includes senior
executives from the Ministry of Health.
It provides a forum for discussing
provincial initiatives, approving policy,
and addressing common issues. This
month, we had an opportunity to review
the draft Public Health Plan for B.C. which
is a guiding document to help us identify
and set new priorities, make strategic
investments, and increase focus in areas
that contribute to a strong, effective
public health system.
On a related note, we also discussed the
next phases of Panorama, the new public
health clinical information system for B.C.
Panorama provides the tools to collect,
share, and analyze a wide range of
health information critical for managing
population health issues and
communicable diseases. The first module,
Inventory Management of Vaccines, was
introduced in 2010. The next two phases
will be implemented beginning in May/
June 2013 and include Immunizations and
Family Health (Phase I) followed by Case
and Outbreak Management (Phase II).
After Leadership Council, I was back in
Kelowna for our monthly Senior Executive
Team (SET) meeting. We are fortunate to
often have presentations from some of
our community partners on the agenda.
At this meeting, representatives from
the Red Cross joined us to provide an
impressive overview of their services.
It was a good opportunity to consider how
we might enhance our partnership going
forward.
During the meeting, we also discussed our
response to some of the most significant
issues we have been managing of late.
These include Summerland Seniors Village
and Crossroads Treatment Centre in
Kelowna which have had widespread
media coverage. Both are challenging
situations and our staff and senior leaders
are working diligently to take appropriate
action and find solutions that are in the
best interests of our patients and clients.
January ended with a team-building
session for SET. This is an important part
of our action plan for engagement
because it is helping us find ways to work
together more effectively, and to
recognize and value the strengths each
of us brings to the table. I hope you are
making similar progress in your own
teams as you work through your action
plans.
In closing, I would like to say how pleased
and proud I am that Interior Health has
been selected as one of BC’s Top
Employers for 2013. We are always
striving to engage and support our
employees, in everything from career
opportunities to comprehensive
compensation and benefits plans, and we
make this a priority because it helps build
a more positive work environment over
the long-term. I think you all deserve a
pat on the back!

your
opinions
count @
What’s your plan for a positive workplace in 2013
In keeping with our commitment to make engagement part of our every day, each month we are posing a new topic
for discussion that’s linked to the 12 Gallup engagement questions. Your Opinions Count @ IH is a way to keep
engagement top of mind, and to let us know what it means to you.
Here are a few excerpts from what we heard in response to January’s topic:
“… Our Surgical Bookings office has started a ‘Gratitude Jar’, in which you start the year with an empty
jar and fill it with notes about good things that have happened at work and/or in your personal life over
the year…”
“During challenging changes I am keeping upbeat, telling my co-workers that I believe the change will be
great and that they CAN do it!”
“Two workgroups have undertaken a friendly 18 week weight loss competition. Our goal for 2013 is more
health, less stress!”
“I am and have started singing while I work. It seems to make the patients happy and makes me happy
and makes my job go by faster and nicer…”
“… Maintain a happy positive attitude when I walk through the doors to come to work. BE PLEASANT to
all the staff I encounter …”
Visit the Engagement web page on the InsideNet to view the complete list of responses. All other discussion topics and
responses are also available to view since Your Opinions Count @ IH started in January 2012.
The February topic for discussion is…
What does “quality” mean to you Feel free to share examples!
Please send your feedback to YourOpinionsCount@interiorhealth.ca
and we’ll share excerpts in the next @IH, along with a new topic for discussion.

In Our Own Words
by: Meggie Ross
I
am a nurse. I have worked in both acute
care and community settings over the
past 30 years. Recently I have been on
the receiving end of care for my own, or
a family member’s, health needs.
I am happy that most interactions with our
wonderful and dedicated staff were very
positive; a smile and some small talk to make
us feel at ease, followed by thoughtful and
skilled care. Sadly, I am dismayed by the
number of care providers (all types – nurses,
physicians, technologists) who failed to
introduce themselves.
Introducing ourselves is something we all know
how to do. Our parents and kindergarten
teachers taught us that skill when we were young. A simple “Hello, my name is…” marks the beginning of most valued
social interactions.
Why are we sometimes forgetting this in health care Yes, we are often busy and many of us work in stressful
environments. Yet in all but the most emergent of situations – cardiac arrest for example – our first interaction with
a patient and their family should begin with an introduction. To do otherwise is at best insensitive, at worst
dehumanizing, and emphasizes the power imbalance between patient and care provider.
In my experiences, when health-care staff focused on the task at hand without providing a greeting I felt depersonalized
– and I work in the system! Now imagine someone who is bewildered by the environment, worried, or vulnerable as
many of our clients and patients are. Taking a moment to engage with our patients, clients, and their support persons
through an introduction can make all the difference in the world. It sets the stage for good communication, mutual
respect, and ultimately, a more positive health-care experience.
Now you might be thinking: “I have an ID tag – why do I need to introduce myself” True, most staff have a photo ID
card; however, not everyone wears it and often their name and photo are not visible. Have you ever been talking to
someone and found yourself twisting your head to try to read a name tag dangling backwards on the end of a lanyard
Name tags, even when visible, do not create the same connection that comes from a sincere “Hello, my name is…”
Health care is about healing, teaching, and
providing comfort. We need to remember that
our clients and patients are often anxious,
scared, sad, and vulnerable. We can help ease
those feelings with just a few simple words.
“Hello, my name is Meggie Ross.” Thanks for
reading this and I hope I have given you
something to think about.
Meggie Ross (right), Public Health Nurse in Penticton, says taking a
moment to introduce yourself helps put patients and families at ease.
Now and then, we get great submissions from
employees throughout IH that we want to share
with you. “In Our Own Words” is a new feature
that helps us do that. Please be sure to let us
know if you have something to say.

A Feather in Our Cap
IH Makes BC’s Top
Employers!
I
nterior Health has been named one of BC’s Top Employers for 2013! This special designation recognizes the British
Columbia employers that lead their industries in offering exceptional places to work.
“I am thrilled that Interior Health has been recognized as a Top Employer in B.C.” says John Johnston, Vice
President, People and Clinical Services.
“This acknowledgement tells the rest of B.C. and the country what we already know: IH is one of the best places to
work in the province. I hope all our staff are proud of this and realize it is their dedication and professionalism that
made this possible.”
To be announced on February 8, 2013 in a special feature in the Vancouver Sun, the BC’s Top Employers annual
competition considers a variety of criteria like recruitment and retention, as well as high employment standards and
performance in several areas, including: physical
workplace; work and social atmosphere; health,
financial and family benefits; vacation and time off;
employee communications; performance
management; training and skills development; and
community involvement.
“I would also like to acknowledge the work of
Vincent Yew, Human Resources Business Partner
and Sherri Lampman, Administrative Assistant for
their work in pulling our application together,” says
John.
Interior Health has been selected from hundreds of
other organizations. Take a look at the reasons why
we were chosen by visiting the
Interior Health Top Employer
page and clicking on the Top
Employer tab.
Vincent Yew (above left) managed the IH
application to this competition. He credits Bryan
Redford (above right) and Sherri Lampman (right)
as also being instrumental to receiving this award.
The full list of this year’s Top
Employers for B.C. can be viewed
at www.canadastop100.com/bc.

Bringing the Patient
Experience into Cardiac Care
C
arol Laberge has literally helped save thousands of lives.
But in three decades as a critical care nurse, half of them
working in the cardiac angioplasty program at Fraser Health,
there was always one nagging question.
“I always wondered what the patients were thinking about as they
were going through the experience,” says Carol, now Interior Health’s
Director of Cardiac Services.
“On one hand we told patients they could potentially die if they didn’t
have the procedure done, and then a few short days later, we would
tell them they’re okay and send them home.”
“The health-care system has always really been a ‘provider-centred
system.’ What would it be like if it were more patient-centred”
wondered Carol. “How do we get inside a person’s head to really
understand how patients make meaning of their experiences How
might that change the care we provide”
She got the chance to investigate the answers to some of those
questions when she enrolled in the applied doctorate program in
Human and Organization Development at the Fielding Graduate
University in Santa Barbara, California.
The result A PhD dissertation entitled The Lived Experience of a
Heart Attack: Individual Accounts of Primary Coronary Intervention
Survivors. The thesis looked at what sense and meaning rural residents
make of their experience of having a heart attack and receiving an
angioplasty procedure.
Carol Laberge spent 15 years in cath labs like
the one at KGH, wondering how the patients'
experience might inform the kind of care we
provide and the way we provide it.
The findings won’t surprise anyone from a rural area who has received health care in an urban setting and then returned
home.
There are the consequences of weather and geography in remote locations. And then there are the post-procedure
consequences. Feelings of operating in a fog. Disbelief. Reconciliation with one’s mortality. A sense of not knowing, or of
not being given enough information to understand what to do next.

In the course of the research, Carol asked
study subjects to write poetic compositions to
describe the emotions they felt. What she
received was heart-wrenching.
Damaged animals in a cage,
Illness infects my heart.
Two companions, life and death,
walk together.
Expose my body, expose my heart,
but don’t expose my soul, I’m not dead yet.
Now Carol and her colleagues are beginning
to apply the learnings from her thesis in the
development of the Interior Health Cardiac
Program.
The necessity of medical evacuations of patients like this one illustrate the
geographical challenges rural and remote patients face.
A more robust transport system has been set up to ensure all patients receive access to the care they need.
But much of the work has focused on how to help rural patients deal with the aftermath of a cardiac incident.
The KGH-based cardiac program has established a 1-800 number for patients to get follow-up support. They’re working
at improving communications with referring physicians and other service providers. And they wrote their own cardiac
education booklet to complement the Heart and Stroke Foundation’s Recovery Road book for patients having undergone
cardiac surgery, now taking place at Kelowna General Hospital.
“My idea is I want patients to have a toolkit that they can take home with them that will help address the real needs
they have and the experience they are going through,” says Carol.
There is a lot more work to be done, but by bringing patient stories to life, Carol and the future researchers who will
build on her work are moving the health-care system to a place where patients are the true centre of care.

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PATIENT STORY
Doctor, Nurse ‘Blessing’
to Patient
W
hen Evan Jensen walked into the Royal
Inland Hospital Emergency Department, he
was dazed and his speech was garbled.
He had shown signs of a stroke and his wife, Kristina
Schwende, called the nearest hospital, which was
Ashcroft, and described Evan’s symptoms. She was
advised to take him directly to Kamloops.
Staff were waiting for him when he arrived and he was
seen almost immediately.
“I was not expecting a great experience,” admitted
Kristina, noting the couple had just moved from the Lower
Mainland to the Walhachin area, about 45 minutes west of
Kamloops. “But it couldn’t have been better.”
A “fantastic” ER nurse took charge of Evan’s care after
admission.
“She was so confident and intelligent, yet she had this
great sense of humour,” said Kristina. “She answered all
our questions and put us at ease.”
“I really wish I had got that nurse’s name,” added Evan.
“She was fabulous. I’ve been in the hospital a number of
times in my life and she was far and above the best nurse
I’ve ever had.”
His experiences with medical professionals began in 1986
when he suffered a severe head trauma during a hockey
game that left him in a coma. A few months later, an
aneurysm developed and brain surgery followed.
The incident last summer, diagnosed as a transient
ischemic attack (mini-stroke), is believed to have resulted
from the original injury site.
With the help of RIH Health Service Director, Kris
Kristjanson, @IH was able to discover the nurse
handling Evan’s care that day was RN Diana Hauser.
Walhachin couple Kristina Schwende, left, and Evan Jensen
meet Royal Inland ER nurse Diana Hauser to say thanks for her
excellent care when Evan suffered a stroke in August 2012.
Evan and Kristina were able to meet Diana again in the
middle of January during her regular shift in the ER. They
were all smiles as they connected briefly and were able to
thank her for her excellent care.
Diana told Evan she was happy to see him looking so
well. She said her approach in the ER last August is what
nurses do because they believe strongly in patient-centred
care.
Dr. Russ Mosewich was the neurologist on call which,
in the words of Kristina and Evan, was great luck for
them.
“I have never in my entire life seen a doctor, especially a
specialist, who was more willing to help his patient than
Dr. Mosewich,” said Kristina.
“He showed a genuine interest in my welfare,” said Evan.
“I was also able to get in for a follow-up visit and it was
pretty helpful to get a debriefing of what happened that
day.”
Kristina is now a member of Patient Voices Network.
She said she wants to give back where she can to the
health-care system. Today, the couple remain loyal fans of
the system and particularly the ER nurse and neurologist
who gave them great care when they needed it most.
“We are both so grateful to Diana and Dr. Mosewich. They
are a blessing to their patients and professions.”

Invermere
At a glance
Population: Approx. 3,000
Health Services: Invermere
District Hospital and Invermere
Health Centre. There are also
community and residential
programs and services.
Economy: Mining, agriculture and
lumber, tourism, real estate.
Lifestyle
Situated on the edge of Lake Windermere, in the valley between the
Rocky and Purcell Mountain ranges, Invermere is the economic hub of
the Columbia Valley and boasts a healthy tourism industry. With Fairmont
and Radium hot springs nearby, Invermere offers spectacular mountain
scenery and outdoor activity.
Recreation and culture
Year-round recreational opportunities include skiing, snowmobiling,
whitewater rafting, and golf. Also a birdwatcher’s paradise, Invermere
celebrates the return of over 250 species of birds with its annual Wings
Over the Rockies Festival each May.
In our own words...
"The secret to making a house a home is to surround yourself with
things that make you happy! I am fortunate to work and have my home
in the Columbia Valley, surrounded by all its mountains and beauty.”
- Shelan Verge, Housekeeper, Invermere & District Hospital

Mt. MacKenzie - Revelstoke
Submitted by: Tracey Walderr
Kalamalka Lake - Vernon
Submitted by: Aaron Toma
Deadman Falls - Kamloops
Submitted by: Janice Laplante
Kootenay Pass Summit – Creston
Submitted by: Vicki Staples
Where We Live & Work ... A Spotlight on Our Communities
Our employees regularly share photos of the spectacular scenery that surrounds them wherever they are in the IH
region. Majestic mountain ranges, pristine pine-fringed lakes, blossom-filled orchards, abundant vineyards,
and thick forests alive with wildlife are just some of the beautiful things that make up these places we call home.
Covering over 215,000 square kilometres, Interior Health is diverse in nature and composed of vibrant urban centres
and unique rural communities. This @IH feature shines a spotlight on many of these places … and perhaps will entice
you to add them to your travel wish list.
This month we feature photos near: Revelstoke, Vernon, Kamloops, and Creston.
Submit your photos of the beautiful places that make up IH: InsideNetWebmaster@interiorhealth.ca

snapshots from the region ...
Mom Kelley McLean (left) and Public Health Nurse Amy French read
to little Jaime during a Literacy Week event at the Kamloops Public
Health unit.
Erica Wang, Clinical Pharmacy Specialist-
Cardiology, recently participated in a video
shoot at KGH about the benefits of
electronic health records. A “near miss”
story submitted to the Patient Voices
Network resulted in Canada Health Infoway
producing a video featuring the patient.
Team members Shane Dyck and Gabriella Munegatto, from RIH Food Services, help prepare more than 1,200
meals per day! Food Services accommodates up to 45 diet types and nine textures including diabetic, renal,
and gluten-free diets, as well as allergies, and often a combination of any of these.

Kootenay Boundary Perinatal educator Andrea
Mckenzie (middle) recently orchestrated a
Code Pink – pediatric emergency – simulation at
the Kootenay Lake Hospital ED. From left, RN
Tina DeJong, Dr. Rahul Khosla, and Maternity
RN Sandra Fullerton hone their skills during this
Code Pink simulation.
KLH ED RN Diane Riel (right) and ED Clinical Rural Educator
Eve Burkart received some valuable training at a recent
education session around protocols for the new
decontamination room the Kootenay Lake Hospital in Nelson.
Anna Toon (left) and Nancy Comeau, nurses from Penticton, are
heading off to Rwanda and Tanzania in early February. They will
take about 60 pairs of donated scrubs and other supplies with
them for health-care workers that don’t have uniforms or
protective clothing.

Engagement Makes Me Smile!
Thank you for sharing!
Watch for the Gallup poster contest in next month’s issue.