Diabetes Education Centre provides comprehensive care to patients with diabetes locally in North Bay, Mattawa, Sturgeon Falls and other communities within Nipissing District.

At four years old Rachelle Gorecki was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. With no history of diabetes or previous experience with the disease, Gorecki’s family turned to the Diabetes Education Centre (DEC) to learn how to manage her illness.

Rachelle Gorecki and her daughter Julia meet with Sandra Kilroy, Registered Dietitian – Certified Diabetes Educator at the Diabetes Education Centre.

The DEC is an outpatient program of the North Bay Regional Health Centre (NBRHC), located in the community, offering comprehensive diabetes education and support by specialized staff. The North Bay location, and two part time satellite programs located in Sturgeon Falls and Mattawa, support clients in North Bay, Sturgeon Falls, Mattawa and other communities within Nipissing District.

Patients can self-refer, or be referred by their primary care provider and other allied health care professionals, to access many services including individual consultation, group education classes, pregnancy and diabetes counseling, the pediatric diabetes program, insulin pump training and support programs, and the endocrinology clinic.

Sandra Kilroy, Registered Dietitian – Certified Diabetes Educator says there can be a steep learning curve for someone newly diagnosed with diabetes. “There is a lot to learn,’ Kilroy says. “Fortunately our centre has a multidisciplinary team of specially trained care providers to provide our clients with comprehensive care.”

Sandra Kilroy and Rachelle Gorecki (with her daughter Julia) outside the Diabetes Education Centre.

It is this multidisciplinary team—which includes registered nurses, registered dietitians, a social worker and admin support—who work together to deliver comprehensive, client centred diabetes education & support services. This team liaises with health care providers in the community (such as physicians, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, optometrists, and in-home care providers) to help clients meet their needs.

Kilroy describes diabetes management education as a journey. “As with managing any chronic illness, there can be many challenges,” Kilroy explains. “Our goal is to provide people with the tools to become effective self-managers, and when there are bumps along the way, we are there to support them through those bumps.”

After her diagnosis as a young child, Gorecki learned how to test her blood sugars and even took over giving herself insulin injections. “My mom did the first needle and I did all the rest,” she remembers. “I hated having someone else do the needles.”

Managing a chronic illness 24/7 is never easy. Teenagers in particular often find it difficult to balance diabetes management in their life and can often resent feeling burdened by tests, injections and appointments.

Gorecki admits she experienced these challenges with her diabetes management as a teenager and stopped using the services of the Centre. After a few years of what Gorecki describes as ‘neglecting her health’, as a young adult she made the decision to resume services at the Centre. “I was very nervous because it had been a while,” she says. “I was emotional about going back because I was embarrassed I had stopped going.” Gorecki was relieved when she arrived and said Kilroy was so supportive—and she has been regularly using the services ever since. Gorecki has recently entered a new stage in her journey with the birth of her daughter Julia earlier this year.

Diabetes Education Centre staff.

Kilroy has been with the Diabetes Education Centre since the program’s inception in 1995. In that time, she says she has been fortunate to see clients like Gorecki transition from the pediatrics education program to the adult diabetes education program. “Our goal as Diabetes Educators is to empower individuals to be self-managers of their chronic disease—it is with them 24/hours a day, 7 days a week.” She says that like Gorecki did, staff at the Centre hope that when clients have struggles, they will access the Centre for support and guidance when they need it.

And Kilroy says Gorecki is an example of someone who has done just that. “I am always in awe of Rachelle’s diligence in the management of her diabetes,” Kilroy says. “She is very attentive to her diabetes and really is a good example of someone who has embraced knowledge and application. It’s wonderful to see her with her beautiful daughter, I feel very privileged, I really do.”

The Mammothon is back for the 12^th year of breast screening challenge!

If you’re a woman between the ages of 50 and 74 who has put off having a mammogram, Wednesday, June 19 is the day to make time for you and your good health!

No appointment necessary and parking is free! Call 705-474-8600 extension 2860 for more information.

Spread the word! Download the poster here and pass it along to a friend or family member!

National Public Safety Communicators Week April 15-21

Ambulance Communications Officers in our region receive more than 36,000 medical and fire calls a year for assistance. On-duty 24/7, 365 days a year, this work is critical to the chain of survival—but the staff performing this vital function are rarely visible.

The North Bay Central Ambulance Communications Centre (CACC) is joining Emergency Communications Centres throughout the Canada in celebrating the second full week of April (April 15-21, 2019) as National Public Safety Communicators Week. This week honours the thousands of men and women who answer emergency calls, dispatch emergency professionals and equipment and render life-saving assistance to citizens.

In her 15 years of dispatching at the CACC, Christine Corbeil has experienced a wide variety of emergencies and tragedies. Corbeil’s fondest memory is providing emergency child birth instructions over the phone to a father. While emergency responders raced to the scene, Corbeil assisted the father in delivering the family’s first child and the emergency responders arrived to find a beautiful baby girl.  “Hearing the father say thank you for helping deliver his beautiful baby girl was a great moment,” Corbeil remembers. She still proudly wears a pink stork pin, a gift to her from her manager following the call.

Often referred to as the first, first responders, communicators have a challenging task. It is imperative that the call taker determine what happened and how to help before responders arrive.

“Remain calm, stay on the phone and help us help you,” says Jennifer Durham-Gagne, a 14 year veteran of dispatching at the CACC.  Call information is sent electronically to the dispatcher for action well before the telephone call is terminated.  And even though cell phone technology has improved significantly over the years, it is still important to know where you are. “Our area spans from Kirkland Lake to Sundridge, so providing your location as Highway 11 isn’t very specific for us,” Durham-Gagne says.

Marc Picard, Manager, CACC says while an emergency call takes only a few minutes, in a crisis it can feel much longer and the call taker must remain calm when most callers are anxious, distraught or confused.

“Call takers are specially trained to gather the critical information needed to prioritize and dispatch calls,” Picard explains. “Not all calls come in from a residential or business address—people need assistance at their cottages, on a snowmobile trail or somewhere on the highway. Dispatchers have to be able to identify a variety of locations on a digital mapping system to be able to send assistance wherever they are.”

Also during this time the call taker has to get specific medical information to both provide pre-arrival instructions to the caller and if a Primary or Advanced Care Paramedic is needed to respond. “They also determine whether assistance is required from Ornge Air Ambulance, Medical First Response Teams, Fire Department or Police,” Picard says.  “Moments later, the next 911 line rings and the process is repeated.”

If you call 911 accidentally, do not hang up. Some helpful tips for cottages and remote addresses include:

• if you own or are visiting a camp or cottage, ensure the civic address is posted by the phone
• post GPS co-ordinates somewhere prominent and/or provide them to your guests and friends
• educate your guests on the location/address/co-ordinates of your cottage and some local points of interest, such as lakes or islands.

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PHOTOS:

Ambulance Communications Officers Christine Corbeil and Jennifer Durham-Gagne at the North Bay CACC.

Ambulance Communications Officer Christine Corbeil poses with her pink stork pin visible on her lanyard.

Ambulance Communications Office Jennifer Durham-Gagne at her work station.

About the North Bay CACC

The North Bay CACC is a department of the North Bay Regional Health Centre located off-site.  Under the direction of the CACC Manager, the North Bay CACC is staffed daily by Team Leaders, full time and part time Ambulance Communications Officers and support staff, including an Operations Supervisor, Information Support Officer, Liaison & Policy Officer, as well as an administration clerk.

On duty CACC staff manage 23 EMS Resources at 10 EMS stations, 9 First Response Teams and 20 Volunteer Fire Departments.  This includes Primary Care and Advanced Care Paramedics, Supervisor units and any air ambulances resources that are in the area.  The CACC also coordinates the use of the NBRHC Community Transfer Vehicle. Behind the dispatchers are an administrative staff that support and assist their work, from payroll, to policy writing, to computer maintenance and upgrades.

There are 58 Fire Departments in the geographical area covered by the North Bay CACC.  Most Fire Departments maintain a tiered response agreement with EMS, which dictates when the CACC should notify them to respond to assist with medical calls, off road rescues or motor vehicle collisions.

CACC coordinates the movement of patients to and from the North Bay Regional Health Centre, West Nipissing General Hospital, Mattawa General Hospital, Temiskaming District Hospital, Englehart and District Hospital as well as the Kirkland Lake and District Hospital within the catchment area as well as the bordering hospitals of Health Sciences North, Timmins and District Hospital, Huntsville Hospital and Centre de Santé Timiskaming to name a few.

With the assistance of the Ornge Communications Centre, emergency calls and non-emergency long distance patient transfers are coordinated with both helicopter and fixed wing air ambulance resources.  There are five hospital helipads, 14 community helipads and three airports within our catchment area.  During daylight hours, an air ambulance helicopter can choose to land directly at the scene of a serious incident if there is a sufficient clearing.

The CACC has a Quality Assurance program which ensures that calls are constantly reviewed to maintain a high quality of service mandated by the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care.

The North Bay Central Ambulance Communications Centre is committed to ensuring a high level of communications services are provided to both the citizens of Ontario, the ambulance services, fire department and police services at all times.

Lindsay Smylie Smith
Communications Specialist |North Bay Regional Health Centre
lindsay.smyliesmith@nbrhc.on.ca
705.474.8600 x 7592 | cell  705.492.1235

Lottie Frenssen started volunteering for the North Bay Regional Health Centre (NBRHC) and its legacy organizations for one simple reason: to help people.

The German native was thankful for the generosity the Sisters of St. Joseph of Sault Ste. Marie showed when she first moved to the city and wanted to give back. “The nuns really took me under their wing and helped me become a registered nursing assistant,” says Frenssen. “So I always said I would help out anyway I could.”

It’s a journey of volunteering that spanned a whopping 50 years. It began by knitting sweaters for babies in hospital, and then she says she felt a tug to volunteer her ‘spare’ time in the Gift Shop. “I hated seeing the Gift Shop closed, because I knew it helped the hospital raise money to purchase needed equipment,” Frenssen explains. “So if I was scheduled to work nights, I would volunteer from 6 to 9 p.m. before going to work.”

After she retired from nursing, Frenssen’s volunteer work expanded into other areas—playing a vital role with the Friends of NBRHC (formerly the Volunteer Association) and serving several terms as President, while also helping to raise funds for capital equipment through the sale of break open tickets.

After a full-half century Frenssen decided it was time to retire from volunteering. Her legacy to NBRHC however, lives on.

In 2018, the Health Centre’s Volunteer Involvement (VI) Committee decided to create the Lottie Frenssen Volunteer Award to honour her years of service. “The award is a small way to pay tribute to Lottie and share her legacy with new volunteers,” says Ron Walsh, member of the VI Committee. “It honours those who share Lottie’s tireless efforts and devotion to the Health Centre and set the standard for volunteering, leadership and caring.”

Today, the VI Committee was joined by Frenssen to recognize volunteer Laurie Mills with the latest award. “Laurie has been volunteering with the Health Centre’s Pet Therapy Program for over 20 years. He has gone out of his way to provide services to all areas of the hospital with his dog Vega, specifically our mental health and the law program,” explains Walsh. “We are very grateful to have such a wonderful man and amazing dog as part of our team.”

Today’s award celebration was part of national Volunteer Week, during which the Health Centre thanks the more than 300 volunteers who donate their time and energy to support the hospital community in more than 40 programs.

For more information on the award, visit www.nbrhc.on.ca

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Contact:
Taylor Grant
Assistant, Communications & Volunteer Department
North Bay Regional Health Centre
communications@nbrhc.on.ca
705-474-8600 ext. 3131

Lottie Frenssen (right) is joined by Laurie Mills and his dog Vega during the national Volunteer Week ceremony.

The North Bay Regional Health Centre (NBRHC), in consultation with the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit, has declared an influenza A outbreak on C1 (Inpatient Rehabilitation).

During this time increased precautionary measures are in place. “The health and safety of patients and their families, staff, volunteers and visitors is our highest priority,” says Mark Daniw, Manager of Infection Prevention & Control. “Our efforts are focused on containing the spread of the virus. We have increased cleaning, isolated infected patients and reinforced hand hygiene practices.”

While it’s an unusually late flu season, it’s still not too late to get your flu shot at the Health Unit, physician offices and participating pharmacies. The NBRHC wishes to remind the public of the following measures to help prevent the spread of infections:

• follow all posted instructions throughout the facility;
• clean hands often, for at least 15 seconds with soap and warm water, or by using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer; and
• postpone your visit with patients if you’re feeling unwell.

This increase in flu activity comes at a time when our Health Centre is experiencing higher than usual levels of inpatient activity and limited bed flow.  We want to thank our staff for their hard work as they continue to provide the best care possible to our communities.

Please familiarize yourself with the options available for non-urgent care like Telehealth Ontario or walk-in clinic availability which can save you an unnecessary visit and wait at the Emergency Department. If you are in an emergency, do not hesitate: call 911 or go straight to the Emergency Department.

For more information on how to protect yourself from the flu visit https://www.ontario.ca/page/flu-facts

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Contact:
Taylor Grant
Communications Assistant
North Bay Regional Health Centre
communications@nbrhc.on.ca
705-474-8600 ext. 3131

Smilezone Foundation revitalizes three different spaces at Wordplay Jeux de mots site

The North Bay Regional Health Centre (NBRHC) unveiled three revitalized spaces at its Wordplay Jeux de mots site in Sudbury today.

Generously donated by the Smilezone Foundation, Wordplay Jeux de mots now boasts a refreshed and welcoming Main Waiting room, Infant Hearing Screening room and Group Programming room featuring new wall murals, vibrant paint, custom furniture, storage and equipment.

The preschool-aged children and their families were previously greeted with plain tables and chairs surrounded by white walls. Now the new Smilezones create a more fun, interactive and functional space for the young clients to enjoy. Over 1,700 families annually are expected to benefit from the new Smilezones in the new year.

Before the main waiting room at Wordplay was a plain and simple environment.

Now children and their families are greeted with new wall murals, vibrant paint, custom furniture and equipment.

A four-year old client of Wordplay Jeux de mots was so enchanted and excited by the murals that most of the session was completed in the waiting room. He pointed to many of the animals, and repeatedly commented “Regarde, (Look) Grand-maman” with a huge smile on his face.  Since the Smilezone’s were opened, families at Wordplay Jeux de mots are constantly commenting on how the transformation has created a happier, more engaging and welcoming space.  The littlest clients can be heard saying, “Wow, this is amazing!”, “I like moose” and “What’s that?”.

Scott Bachly, Chair of the Smilezone Foundation says their organization is honoured to brighten the experience of children receiving services at Wordplay Jeux de mots. “Our mission is to create comfortable spaces where kids can feel uplifted while receiving treatment,” says Bachly. “We are overjoyed that children and their family members now have these new Smilezone spaces to help make their visits more enjoyable.”

A ceremonial ribbon cutting with representatives from Smilezone Foundation and NBRHC, as well as patients and families of Wordplay Jeux de mots

The Smilezones will serve to complement the care and early intervention delivered by the Wordplay Jeux de mots dedicated inter-professional team. “We are exceptionally grateful to the Smilezone Foundation for the improvement to such important areas in our program,” says Tanya Nixon, NBRHC Vice President Mental Health. “The transformation is more than just a cosmetic makeover. The new spaces make children feel comfortable and confident, enhancing their overall experience and creating an environment that promotes optimal communication skill development.”

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Contacts:
Kim McElroy
Manager, Communications Department
North Bay Regional Health Centre
communications@nbrhc.on.ca

On Monday the first patient at the North Bay Regional Health Centre (NBRHC) will be scanned with the brand new state of the art low dose radiation CT scanner.

Paul Heinrich, NBRHC President and CEO says CTs are an important diagnostic tool, used in both urgent and outpatient cases. “As we have new services and increasing patient load, we now see more patients referred for these tests,” says Heinrich. “With the addition of a new CT scanner it will help reduce wait time and provide patients with more advanced levels of care.”

Radiologist Dr. Jeff Hodge says the addition of the second CT scanner will both improve access to care while attempting to reduce wait times. “Many patients will require a CT scan during their time in hospital,” Dr. Hodge explains. “Trying to schedule scans for Emergency and admitted inpatients around already scheduled outpatients can create a backlog, and that’s when the wait times go up.” With two scanners operational, Dr. Hodge says they will be able to accommodate more patients by having one scanner more dedicated to inpatients and emergency patients; and the other more dedicated for outpatients and procedures.

Other improvements that will be seen with the new scanner are a reduced dose of radiation compared to the previous generation scanner it replaces; imaging is taken and shared with the radiologist more quickly; improved quality of images and the machine itself is more comfortable for the patient.

The second scanner will further the Health Centre’s cancer screening opportunities and ability to perform more procedures including biopsies to diagnose cancer. A second scanner is also critical for 24/7 care when one machine is out of service.

This new piece of diagnostic equipment is possible because of the more than $2 million in community donations.

With the addition of another CT scanner, our team at NBRHC anticipates performing over 20,000 scans in our first year.

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Contact:

Kim McElroy
Manager, Communications
North Bay Regional Health Centre
communications@nbrhc.on.ca
705-474-8600 x. 3130

Thanks to a significant investment from the province, the North Bay Regional Health Centre (NBRHC) is excited to be embarking on a unique partnership with the Alzheimer Society Sudbury-Manitoulin North Bay & Districts to improve the quality of care and support for persons living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias as well as their care partners.

The provincial government announced an investment of $2.04 million to help ease hospital pressures in Nipissing, part of a $90 million province-wide investment to help ease alternate level of care (ALC) pressures.

Paul Heinrich, NBRHC President and CEO says bed pressures affect flow across the entire Health Centre. The closure of the 66-bed Lady Isabelle Nursing home caused the Health Centre’s ALC numbers to jump dramatically from 7.5% to 25%. “Sometimes called a ‘patient flow crisis’, these are situations where the Health Centre sees an increase of patients coming in through our Emergency Department (ED) with no available beds to admit them,” Heinrich explains. “These are common in health care and typically last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks—however NBRHC has been experiencing significant bed pressures since the summer of 2017.”

Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli announced the local breakdown for the 14 bed transitional unit:

• 10 bed unit for high risk older adults with complex needs who require a restorative period in a safe place with a view to returning to a home like environment within the community;
• 4 bed short stay/respite program available for overnight care in partnership with the Alzheimer Society Sudbury-Manitoulin North Bay & Districts
• Specialized Day Program operated by the Alzheimer Society will have capacity for up to 12 participants daily, 5 days a week

Long wait lists for long-term care and limited caregiver supports can lead to increased use of the Emergency Department to meet situational crises. Often this results in the use of acute care resources to address housing, respite, and transitional care needs.

Tanya Nixon, VP Mental Health says transitional care encompasses a broad range of services and environments designed to promote the safe and timely passage of patients between levels of health care and across care settings. “High-quality transitional care is especially important for older adults with multiple chronic conditions and complex therapeutic regimens, as well as for their family caregivers,” Nixon says.

“These essential programs will help to improve the quality of care and support services for those living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias as well as their care partners in our community who are living the dementia journey,” says Stéphanie Leclair, Executive Director Alzheimer Society Sudbury-Manitoulin North Bay & Districts.

At this early stage there is no timeline for implementation but we look forward to sharing more details as they become available.

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Contact:

Partnership between the North Bay Regional Health Centre and the North Bay Police Service helps our community receive the right supports in the right place

Policing has changed. A lot of what officers do today varies from what most of us might think ‘traditional policing’ looks like. Many of the calls that come in to the North Bay Police Service (NBPS) are not law enforcement related, but the result of someone in crisis or dealing with mental health and addictions.

That’s where a partnership between the NBPS and the North Bay Regional Health Centre (NBRHC) comes in. Specially trained police officers are joined by registered nurses to form what is known as the Mobile Crisis Team. This team responds to calls and follows up on incidents involving mental health or addictions. Together they assess the situation and help determine the best course of action, whether it is to bring them to the hospital for assessment or connect them with a community service or agency.

Constable Greg Randall (L) and Troy Kennedy (R), Nurse, Mobile Crisis Team.

“Before when a person called 911 in psychological or emotional distress, officers had limited options to help them and this used to put extra pressure on the Emergency Department for the individual to receive care,” explains Sandy Deschenes, Manager of Addictions and Mental Health. “Being in a busy ED can be distressing if you are already in crisis, and the team can de-escalate situations and connect individuals with the right community service without always having to come through the Emergency Department.”

“Before the creation of the Mobile Crisis Team if patrol officers had to bring someone to the hospital for assessment by a physician, they would wait in the ED until the patient was either admitted or discharged,” explains Shawn Devine, Police Chief. “When the Mobile Crisis Team attends the call, patrol officers can then resume their duties.”  In North Bay, having a registered nurse working in the field with the police aids in providing the proper diagnosis and likely courses of treatment to patients, that range from transporting to the hospital to arranging alternate care and medications with other care providers. This has had an impact in reducing the average wait time for officers at the Emergency Department. In 2017 the NBPS responded to 2768 Mental Health related calls with approximately 400 requiring assessment at the NBRHC.

The Mobile Crisis Team can help people in crisis receive the support they need in the right place, from the right provider, the first time. Another important benefit from having the nurses at these types of calls is the ability to provide continuity of care for individuals already accessing mental health services. “If during the call the Team discovers the individual is already involved with a mental health service, we can begin to collaborate with the service,” Deschenes says.

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For more information, please contact:

NBRHC
Kim McElroy
Manager, Communications
705-474-8600 x 3130
Kimberley.mcelroy@nbrhc.on.ca

Volunteer Lorne Cutts retires with record number of hours

Today a longtime North Bay Regional Health Centre (NBRHC) volunteer was honoured for his years of dedication to the Hospital.

A familiar face to many staff, patients and visitors after more than 20 years with the Health Centre, Lorne Cutts has made the decision to retire.

Kim McElroy, manager of communications and volunteers at NBHRC says Cutts has amassed the most ever volunteer hours in record time. “Lorne has demonstrated the true volunteer spirit of giving. After his last shift, Lorne has logged 14,574 volunteer hours with us. To put that in perspective, the average volunteer would need to do one shift a week for over 70 years to reach that same number—something Lorne achieved in only 20 years.”

Lorne played a vital role on the Friends of NBRHC (formerly the Volunteer Association), serving several terms as President and helping to raise funds for capital equipment through a variety of programs and services. This is in addition to the time he gave almost daily on the Information Desk, assisting patients and the public in finding their way in the facility.

In 2013, Cutts was awarded as both the Provincial and National winner of the Home Instead Senior Care® network’s Salute to Senior Service® award. The program was launched in 2012 by the Home Instead Senior Care network to honour seniors’ commitments to their causes and communities.

McElroy credits Lorne’s exemplary service to help foster a culture of volunteerism and philanthropy at the NBRHC. “We are very grateful to Lorne for his gift of time at our Health Centre. His contributions to our organization are greatly appreciated and will not be forgotten,” says McElroy. “Lorne will be deeply missed by the patients, staff and volunteers with whom he worked.”

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Contact:

Taylor Grant
Assistant, Communications Department
705-474-8600 ext. 3131
communicaitons@nbrhc.on.ca