Nurses support projects in Africa
In 2010, a group of Niagara Health nurses came together during International Year of the Nurse to support health efforts in Kenya, partnering with international child rights and relief agency Free the Children.
“Across the globe, nurses are being asked to act as catalysts to improve health,” says Interim CEO and Chief Nursing Executive Sue Matthews. “We are blessed in Canada to enjoy a standard of care and living which is among the best in the world. Our nurses wanted to do something for others in our global community that could profoundly improve their health and well being.”
Launching the fundraising effort at the Rose Festival Parade in Welland last June, the nursing team soon organized a bevy of fundraising events, including a giant yard sale, several pasta dinners, raffles and draws, and more. A call went out to local high school students to become involved, which would make them eligible to travel to Kenya to help improve conditions in the African nation.
Key to the initiative from NHS were Sue Battersby-Campbell, Marianne Deprinse, Eric Doucette, Beth Draper, Cindy Ko, Sandy Lindsay, Sue Matthews, Carol Munro and Donna Rothwell.
As a result of their efforts, $11,122 was raised to send two Niagara students to experience the life of the Maasai and Kipsigis people. They will assist with development projects to help communities become independent.
The students are travelling on the 10-day trip in early summer.«
Among the committee members with the hospital’s International Year of the Nurse initiative are, clockwise from front left, Beth Draper, Marianne Deprinse, Eric Doucette and Carol Munro.
Bring out the best in each other
KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS
- Health Education Series – A health series was launched last year to inform and educate Niagara residents about health conditions and local programs and services. With a focus on stroke care and other conditions, 14 health education events and open houses were held, with several thousand in attendance. Community partners included hospital auxiliaries and healthcare agencies.
- Hospital accreditation – After a detailed examination by surveyors who toured our seven hospital sites over five days, Accreditation Canada awarded accreditation to the Niagara Health System last year. The comprehensive review of hospital programs, processes and documentation measures performance against 1,712 different criteria. All aspects of Niagara Health were reviewed as part of the survey, including programs and services, patient safety, quality improvement, risk management, leadership, infection prevention and control, and medication management.
- Niagara Health Now – As one of the primary communication vehicles to inform patients and the public about hospital programs and services, Niagara Health Now has seen an impressive increase in online readership since the first issue two years ago. Page views have climbed from 8,844 in late 2009 to 23,646 in early 2011. The foundations are making good use of editorial space to raise awareness of fundraising initiatives.
- Recruiting specialists – Whether they are hospitalists, surgeons, or radiologists, the need for specialist physicians is never-ending. Hospitals across Ontario and indeed the world compete to attract specialists, mainly to replace those retiring, but also as services expand. In Niagara, efforts over the last year have made a difference in psychiatry, oncology and surgery. In the past decade, more than 170 specialists have been recruited to Niagara Health.
