Roundup An update for staff, physicians and volunteers
Batter Up
The enduring efforts of staffers Gary Gevaert and Aaron Farbychuk have paid off for a large number of staff participating in this summer’s Hospital Baseball League. Gary and Aaron organize outings and events during their off hours, calling themselves Good Time Events on behalf of Niagara Health staff.
This year’s baseball league has eight teams, coming out to play on Tuesday evenings. The season will go until the end of August. «
ALS – Raising Awareness in June
It slowly robs you of all that you take for granted – the ability to walk, talk, hold a pencil, eat, and breathe. It’s not particular about age, gender, ethnic origin, or where you live. It’s 100 per cent fatal, and there’s nothing you can do to prevent it. You may be able to slow its progression with new trial medications and vitamin supplements, however, the outcome is always the same.
What is it? ALS stands for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, it is a rapidly progressive fatal neuromuscular disease. Fully 80 per cent of those with ALS die within two to five years of diagnosis. As with many other diseases, research is ongoing with hopes that one day there will be a cure.
The month of June has been dedicated to increase awareness of ALS. Numerous education and fundraising events are occurring throughout the summer months across Ontario. Niagara Health’s own Petra Dupuis from Welland Site Diagnostic Imaging is participating in a fundraising walk in Wingham in memory of her father. More information can be found at www.als. ca. To donate for a specific walk, follow the instructions on the ALS website. Go to Donate to a Walk for ALS Team Website – Wingham Walk – Petra’s Website. «
Patient Safety Connection – WalkArounds Results
At the spring Patient Safety Leadership WalkArounds, many areas for improvement were noted by our senior leaders. In our June 11 column, we highlighted some examples that are relative ‘quick fixes’. In this column, learn about some items that require lengthy attention. Some of the patient safety issues identified by staff were system-wide in nature, such as the lack of space in certain areas due to the age/structure of our facilities.
The dominant patient safety system issue identified by staff is related to shortage of staff, specifically nursing. While we recognize this is a concern, this is not a unique NHS challenge. It is international in scope due to an overall shortage of nurses (as well as other healthcare professionals). The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes this phenomenon and hosted summits to tackle the challenge of providing quality healthcare in light of the global need for more nurses and the threat of emerging infectious diseases. The WHO stated: “It is imperative that countries work collaboratively to address urgent workforce issues, as a well-prepared workforce is integral to health system functioning and improvements.”
The NHS believes that collaboration in education, practice development, research and regulation are key to finding creative solutions to this healthcare challenge. We ask for your continued patience as we work through numerous recruitment and retention initiatives that are underway. It is important to note that the overall Niagara Health nursing vacancy rate is about five per cent, compared to a provincial nursing vacancy rate of about eight per cent. Staff expressed their positive experience throughout our first round of WalkArounds. One front-line staff member said that “this is a very important activity to complete the circle of what we do everyday.” Senior leaders also conveyed their gratitude of their experience. One leader said during one of the ER rounds, “I always knew it takes a special person to be a nurse.” Our President and CEO Debbie Sevenpifer stated: “It is vital for senior leadership to hear firsthand any issues relating to patient safety in order that we can prioritize investment of our scarce resources into the greatest areas of need.”
The first NHS Patient Safety WalkArounds have been an overall success. Our senior leaders are looking forward to meeting you in our subsequent WalkArounds. We will continue to provide ongoing and regular updates on our progress in addressing the issues identified by staff and physicians. Please do not hesitate to contact your manager, director, senior team member or Risk Management if you have any concerns or questions regarding this activity.
Thank you for your participation. «
