The NE LHIN has announced new funding for Northerners who are experiencing mental health and addiction challenges. In total, $4.4 million was announced for projects and services including mental health peer support, care for people with acquired brain injuries, housing support, expanded forensic mental health services for women, and help for parents through the launch of a Northern Ontario Postpartum Mood Disorders Network strategy. Of the announced funding, $3.2 million will go toward developing the new women’s forensic mental health unit here at NBRHC.

Details of the new Forensic Mental Health Service for Women at NBRHC:

The unique needs of women in the forensic mental health system requires the development of a dedicated, highly supported and secure inpatient unit to better respond to specific needs which often involves complex disorders and related challenging behaviours. North Bay Regional Health Centre has been chosen by the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care to develop and operate this specialized intensive treatment, rehabilitation and behavioural management service for the Province which will take into account the differences in the offending, medical and psychiatric profiles of women.

NBRHC will develop and operate an 8-bed forensic mental health service for adult women (18 yrs+) who have been found unfit to stand trial or not criminally responsible due to mental disorder and are subject to Disposition Orders of the Ontario Review Board (ORB) under the Criminal Code of Canada.

The funding announcement also includes $440,000 for a transitional rehabilitation housing program, and $100,000 for behaviour therapy. These two programs are being provided to better serve patients with developmental disabilities and subject to ORB Disposition Orders.

Following the planning and development phase, the new unit will open for patients in approximately 18 to 20 months.

Patients in this unit will stay from 18 months to three years depending on their individualized need and plan of care.

“Women referred to our service will likely have had complicated lives, failed treatments and negative clinical experiences,” said Hélène Philbin Wilkinson, Director, Dual Diagnosis and Mental Health & the Law. “As such, our long term goal will be to foster an internal change process within patients in a trusting therapeutic environment while facilitating continuity of care planning with our referring hospitals. We will work with our partners to gain their input into care decisions about the patient on an on-going basis.”

Paul Heinrich, President and CEO of NBRHC said: “This new highly specialized Provincial level female forensic mental health unit is a testament to the NBRHC team’s reputation for high quality care and demonstrated reliability. In addition, the new community investments will allow some of our long stay mental health patients who require more custodial care with support, to live in an environment more suitable to their well-being, while making hospital beds available for higher level care.”

NBRHC chosen to provide new service

North Bay Regional Health Centre (NBRHC) is now ready to provide forensic assessments for youth across the Northeast Region. The service is geared to young people between the ages of 12 and 18. The youth assessments help inform the courts about the influence of mental illness upon a young person in conflict with the law.

“Although young people may be reluctant to get help for their illness and may find themselves in contact with the law, our service is aimed at pinpointing the mental health problem early so that the judicial and/or correctional system can be avoided. We want to alter the young person’s pathway toward one of wellness,” says Hélène Philbin Wilkinson, Director Dual Diagnosis and Mental Health & the Law at NBRHC.

The service is an enhancement to existing youth services in the Region and will result in more and better services closer to home, addressing emerging mental health care needs of young people.  It is intended to minimize disruption in the young person’s life, promote stability, and optimize social inclusion. Children and youth will have their forensic assessment completed by a multi-disciplinary team, including both Forensic and Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists. The service will improve access to the right type of care in the right place and at the right time.

Psychiatrists support new service

Dr. Susan Adams, Chief of Psychiatry and Head of Mental Health and the Law programs says, “This is a collaborative effort to support the justice system in dealing appropriately with children and adolescents struggling with mental health problems who find themselves before the courts.”

Dr. Doug Marr, Service Chief, Child & Adolescent Psychiatry says, “This is a small service within a larger area of concern; there are large amounts of unmet needs in children’s mental health, child and adolescent psychiatry and related disciplines. The Service of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry welcomes this new initiative and supports it as best it can.”

The Forensic Services for Youth has had consultation and discussion with regional stakeholders and is funded by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and supported by the NELHIN and the NBRHC Project Management Office.

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Contact:
Kathy Stackelberg
Sr. Communications Specialist
North Bay Regional Health Centre
Kathy.stackelberg@nbrhc.on.ca
705-495-7811
705-492-1235

The North Bay Regional Health Centre (NBRHC) has approved the construction and operation of a new state of the art, Cogeneration Power Plant. This project is a partnership with North Bay Hydro Services, North Bay Hydro Distribution Ltd., Plenary Group and Johnson Controls. The health centre will own the facility and North Bay Hydro Services will design and operate it.

The Cogeneration concept has been in the proposal stage for approximately four (4) years and was recently passed by the NBRHC Board of Directors. This $6M plant will operate for more than 20 years and construction is expected to be completed in the fall of 2015.

Due to the partnership with North Bay Hydro, the project is eligible for $2.4M in incentives through North Bay Hydro’s conservation programs…a significant rebate towards the overall project, not to mention the long term efficiency benefits of an operation of this type.

Cogeneration is using one fuel (Natural Gas) to produce 2 outputs – electricity and water. Natural gas is burnt in a large engine, which spins a generator, producing electricity. Heat is recovered from the engine, for free, which is used to help meet the hot water needs of the hospital, such as space heating, hot water for cooking and cleaning, etc.

To put into perspective the magnitude of this project, energy from this plant has the ability to generate enough electricity and heat to supply the energy needs of 1350 homes per year. Its overall efficiency is excellent as it operates at about 85-90% efficiency range, whereas, electricity from a Nuclear Plant, is around 30-40%.

The benefits to NBRHC include more back up power during emergencies, stable and cheaper utility costs as well as new, state of the art infrastructure which will extend the life of existing systems. In recent emergencies, such as the Toronto ice storm, key operations at many hospitals were in jeopardy and had to be closed down. With this new power plant, such events would not hinder the overall operation of the health centre as the plant will have the ability to meet 85% of its power needs. Under the current structure, it can only provide up to 40%.

The President and CEO of the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA), Anthony Dale met with the North Bay Regional Health Centre Board and leadership Friday.

Much of the discussion focused on service delivery changes that have been happening in hospitals, across the province.

“Walking down the halls in your facility I was blown away. You have a magnificent asset with a unique array of services that can play more and different roles in providing health services,” Dale told the Board.

Dale said the OHA supports Health System Funding Reform but at the same time recognizes that this is a big change for hospitals. However, in a zero-percent funding environment, hospitals must either adjust their services or change the way they deliver them.

“Proper capacity planning is needed in order for our health system to be effective. It’s about understanding the right mix of services and resources needed in a community, including the number of hospital beds, long-term care homes, assisted living spaces, home care hours needed, primary care and mental health services available,” said Dale.

Hospitals, with their respective health system partners, have already begun to work together in new models of care to better integrate the services required by their clients and communities, including Local Health Hubs. A Health Hub is a local, integrated health service delivery model where most, if not all sectors of the health system, are formally linked in order to improve patient access.

Moving to a local Health Hub model offers a number of benefits to patients, including: collaboration with public health to help address the broader health care needs of the community; and better support for quality improvement planning for local health systems in rural and Northern Ontario.

“We encourage the expansion of these innovative models of care that facilitate faster and easier movement of patients from a hospital bed to community care, and that also result in better and more cost-effective outcomes. The time is right to examine and consider new models of care, while at the same time being mindful of the impact on all health care providers,” said Dale.

The President and CEO of NBRHC and the NBRHC Board Chair are pleased that Dale took time to visit North Bay and meet with the Board. “The OHA represents the best interests of Ontario hospitals, supporting best practices, providing education and making our case to government and partner organizations. Anthony’s visit to North Bay is strong evidence of his commitment to represent the diverse needs of Ontario hospitals,” said Paul Heinrich, President and CEO, NBRHC.

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Contact:
Kathy Stackelberg
NBRHC Senior Communications Specialist
Email: Kathy.stackelberg@nbrhc.on.ca
705-495-7811
705-492-1235 (cell)

North Bay – When Board members from the North East Community Care Access Centre (North East CCAC) and the North Bay Regional Health Centre (NBRHC) met to discuss opportunities for cooperation and collaboration in September 2012, few could have envisioned the remarkable success those meetings would initiate.

One challenge identified early on was the length of time patients were waiting in hospital for long-term care – sometimes more than 250 days. It was a statistic that both organizations knew had to change.

A formal partnership agreement was signed and staff teams began identifying barriers to placement and setting targets to smooth and improve the transition between hospital and long-term care, which sometimes means waiting at home.

“Collaboration is key…collaboration with our partners in care and with our patients and families. When we discuss discharge planning, the patient, family, doctor, nurse, social worker and CCAC staff all function as a cohesive team to make realistic plans for transition home or to a safe community setting. In addition, we have created improved processes to ensure safe and effective care before, during and after discharge,” says Nancy Jacko, Vice President, Planning, Partnership, and Professional Practice, and Chief Nursing Executive.

With a modest target of a 10% decrease in the length of stay for these patients, in just one year the average length of stay reduced by 66% to 75 days. The joint initiative also saw improvements in Emergency Department wait times and overall hospital occupancy rates in North Bay.

“In addition to the collaboration on discharge planning, another key to our success in North Bay has been the engagement and education of front line staff, family physicians, pharmacists, retirement homes, Community Support Services, and indeed, the entire community,” says Frankie Vitone, Senior Director Care Coordination, North East CCAC. “It is understood that safe patient transitions within the system and into the community are everyone’s responsibility.”

The NBRHC and the North East CCAC are now developing a common goal for timely referrals and assessments in order to improve patient transitions and care planning, and further decrease unnecessary days in hospital.

The North East CCAC plans to replicate this collaborative model with the three other large urban hospitals in the region.

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For further information:

Sean Barrette
Communications Specialist
North East CCAC
Office: 705 522 3460, ext. 4566
sean.barrette@ne.ccac-ont.ca
healthcareathome.ca

Kathy Stackelberg
Sr. Communications Specialist
NBRHC
Office: 705 474 8600, ext. 7811
Kathy.stackelberg@nbrhc.on.ca
www.nbrhc.on.ca

Patient and Family Partnered Care Coordinator Tamara Dube-Clarke attended the Health Achieve Symposium in Toronto recently where she was invited to sit on two panels. This event draws North America’s top health care leaders and over 7,800 health care professionals so NBRHC was very proud that Tamara was asked to take part in two of the educational sessions!

She was able to promote how this year NBRHC has embarked on the journey of More Time to Care – a continuous improvement system that empowers people at all levels to remove waste from their work processes to free up time for care and partner with patients and families to help improve patient outcomes.

Tamara sat on the Accreditation Canada Patient and Family Engagement Panel as well as the Patient Engagement Change Foundation Panel. Upon her return from Health Achieve Tamara had this to say:

“What an amazing opportunity to be invited to be a participant in the two panels. I was so proud to represent NBRHC in sharing what we have done to ensure patients and their families are engaged in their health care experience.

The fact that we have been recognized as leaders in Patient and Family Engagement says a lot about the work that our organization has done in shaping our culture to one that is truly patient and family partnered paving the way to best possible outcomes for the patient, their families and NBRHC employees.

My talk highlighted the use of photoVOICE and digital Story Telling to capture the voice of our patients and those that care for them. Attendees laughed and cried when stories were shared, many leaving the presentation inspired to try photography as a medium for story telling at their organizations.

Those in attendance were very interested in learning how they might better understand the patient’s lived experience when there is difficulty communicating. The idea of using photography to generate conversation and understanding about the mental health experience was very well received. After the presentation attendees lined up to ask questions on how we got started and how they can find out more about our exciting initiatives.

Since returning from Health Achieve we have received many calls and emails requesting further information regarding our initiatives and what we have planned moving forward. I have shared our Patient and Family Partnered Care Roadmap, outlining our plans to support the four core concepts of Patient and Family Partnered Care at the NBRHC; Dignity and Respect, Information Sharing, Participation and Collaboration. This is all part of our new culture of More Time to Care…a continuous improvement process that identifies waste and frees up more time for care team members to partner with patients and family.

At a time when our health care system is under such restraints and growing so complex, it is nice to be reminded that THE  most important thing we can do is listen to our patients and their families and that will move the change we need.”

NBRHC Board Director Jennifer Valenti was fortunate to attend the OHA Conference where she attended one of the panel presentations. The following are some of her comments in a letter to NBRHC President and CEO Paul Heinrich:

I had the privilege of attending the session on Partnered Health Care where Tamara Dube-Clarke spoke on behalf of the NBRHC.  I cannot tell you enough how impressed I am with this young woman. Although she said she was nervous, her presentation was excellent and delivered in an eloquent and genuine manner. I believe she truly captured the audience with her presentation on the work being done at NBRHC.  It wasn’t just what she said but how she delivered the message with her natural grace and poise.  It is obvious that she connects very deeply with her work. The hospital is very lucky to have someone of her calibre on staff.

Nurses, Police and North East LHIN work in partnership to respond to community need

A Mobile Crisis Service is now in place in North Bay as a result of work efforts between the North East LHIN, the North Bay Regional Health Centre (NBRHC), and the North Bay Police Service (NBPS), guided by a community stakeholder steering committee. This service provides an opportunity to strengthen the crisis continuum within mental health services, enhance care coordination and transitions to improve the patient experience and as a result is making Mental Health and Addictions Services more accessible.

This summer, two mental health registered nurses from the NBRHC and nine police officers from the NBPS received specialized training to better serve persons in crisis with mental health and/or addiction issues. The Mobile Crisis Team consists of a registered nurse and a police officer working together. The NBPS and the NBRHC are committed to supporting this service which has been operating since mid-September.

“There is growing recognition that emergency response services as first responders cannot and should not operate alone on the fringe of the health care system, but rather need to be included as mainstream partners in the delivery of crisis services,” says Chief Paul Cook, North Bay Police Service. “Emergency response services naturally cut across many different systems, including social services, legal, health, community and personal safety because a crisis can occur at any time with anybody.”

“It is very important that we find ways to help people in crisis receive the support they need in the right place, from the right provider, the first time,” says Sandy Deschenes, Manager of Crisis Intervention at the North Bay Regional Health Centre. “Often when a person calls 911 in psychological or emotional distress, officers have limited options to helping and usually end up spending hours in an emergency department waiting with the person for care. Mobile Crisis Services are an effective and efficient approach to helping these people. Initiating contact and intervening earlier in a crisis prevents situations from escalating to the point where there are limited options. Having trained professionals respond who can help de-escalate a situation and get people connected to the right service in the community without having to always bring them to the Emergency Department is a win-win.”

“This partnership will bring people-centered care to those who are feeling overwhelmed and in crisis,” says Louise Paquette, CEO of the North East Local Health Integration Network (LHIN). “We have supported this model as a way to bring the right care to people, where they need it. A busy ED can be a difficult place to be if you’re in crisis. People with lived experience have told us they would much rather be treated in home or community.”

NBRHC  joined the Cassellholme Board of Management, the City of North Bay, and Canadore College in signing a memorandum of understanding to look into the prospect of developing a new model of community long-term care, September 16, 2014.

The four institutions are actively exploring a fully-integrated Village living and learning Centre. The project’s intent is to create a continuum of care, from retirement living to seamlessly transitioning into a long-term care facility with more integrated services available to residents and patients, as well as an academic learning centre.

“Casselholme’s board is committed to redeveloping our long-term care facility,” said Dave Mendicino, Chair of Casselholme Board of Management. “We have been working diligently to identify other community partners to work towards a local solution. We are excited to be part of this unique idea that brings our younger population together with our aging seniors for quality care and enhanced quality of life.”

The development of the proposed multi-faceted intergenerational facility would include approximately 30,000-45,000 square feet of practical academic space, and up to 272 long-term care beds and close to 200 units for retirement accommodations.

“We are combining our efforts and intellect to improve access to care and patient flow across all components of the health system in our community,” said Paul Heinrich, President and CEO of the North Bay Regional Health Centre. “Together we get better at improving the patient, resident and student experience.”

George Burton, President and CEO of Canadore College stated: “At Canadore we benefit by enhancing learning opportunities for our students in an interprofessional setting, which aligns perfectly with our applied learning philosophy.”

“Entering into this MOU represents a great opportunity for our community to develop a truly unique and local solution involving a broad range of partners and services,” said Jerry Knox, Chief Administrative Officer for the City of North Bay. “Our collective efforts will always remain focused on developing a sustainable model to support a fully-integrated long-term care solution.”

All four parties are looking forward to prioritizing the exploration of creating a centre of excellence for retirement living, long-term care, community support services, seniors housing and academic studies to better serve the community.

North Bay Regional Health Centre Welcomes New Board Chair

Michael Lowe is the new Chair of the North Bay Regional Health Centre Board of Directors, replacing out-going Chair Phil Geden.

Geden has been the Chairman of the NBRHC Board since April 1, 2011. He was the inaugural board chair of NBRHC and was instrumental in leading the amalgamation of the North Bay General Hospital (NBGH) and the Northeast Mental Health Centre (NEMHC). Geden will remain on the Board as the Chair of the Governance committee.

“We’re pleased to welcome Michael as the new Chair of the Board of Directors,” says Phil Geden. “Michael brings to this leadership role familiarity with NBRHC due to his time on the Board as Vice Chair, and also a depth of experience and knowledge of the health care system, which will be a great asset to the Board and our health centre.”

Lowe is the Controller at the St. Joseph’s Motherhouse, and has served as the Board’s Vice-Chair for three years.

All NBRHC Board positions are volunteer.

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Contact:

Kathy Stackelberg
Sr. Communications Specialist
North Bay Regional Health Centre
50 College Drive, North Bay, On. P1B 0A4
kathy.stackelberg@nbrhc.on.ca
705.495.7811

Photo: Michael Lowe, new Chair of the North Bay Regional Health Centre Board of Directors.

North Bay Regional Health Centre Opens Child and Adolescent Mental Health Unit Providing Services Close to Home

[North Bay, ON] The North Bay Regional Health Centre (NBRHC) and the NBRHC Foundation hosted a grand opening today of the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Unit at its 50 College Drive location. The new six-bed unit includes four beds relocated from Sudbury as part of the decentralization of the 12-bed Regional Children’s Psychiatric Centre allowing children to remain close to home.

“Community support for the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Unit initiative is an important component in making the unit the best possible environment for patients to receive care,” says Tammy Morison, President & CEO, NBRHC Foundation. “Today we are recognizing and thanking donors who have made leadership gifts to this initiative.” This project costs $600,000.

“The reason we are re-locating the program from our Kirkwood site is simple to provide the program as close to home as possible for our patients and families during this stressful time of hospitalization,” says Tiz Silveri, VP of Clinical Services. “We need to provide accessible services to children and their families as close to home as possible.”

A review of the Regional Children’s Psychiatric Centre delivered from the Kirkwood site in Sudbury was completed with a recommendation to divest the services to four communities: North Bay (four beds), Timmins (two beds), Sault Ste Marie (two beds) and Sudbury (four beds). Children up to the age of 18 who need this type of specialized mental health care will be able to remain close to home for their recovery.

“This new model of service will expand the mental health care children and their families receive by bringing together the expertise, skills and processes of multiple local service providers,” says Garry Fay, Director, Addictions and Mental Health at NBRHC. “By doing so, children and families of the Nipissing, Temiskaming, Parry Sound and Muskoka will receive better acute, long term and follow-up care.”

A special donation was presented at the grand opening. “I am making a gift of $45.00 – 50% of my profits from my classes Young Entrepreneur Program. My classmates and I had to donate 10% to a cause in the community, and I wanted to help kids,” said Nine year old Liam Dreany.

“The six-bed children’s mental health unit including 2 acute and 4 long term now located in North Bay focuses on being patient centered, family valued and community integrated,” says Fay.

Two acute care beds existed in North Bay as part of the Women and Children’s Care Centre, they are now part of the six-bed Child and Adolescent Mental Health Unit serving patients and families in Nipissing, Temiskaming, Parry Sound and Muskoka districts.

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Contact:

Photo: Liam Dreany, grade 5 student at St. Theresa School in Callander and his teacher, Charlene Thomson, place his donation leaf on the ‘tree of hope and recovery’.

Donors who were recognized at the grand opening:

Special Donations:

• Liam Dreany
  50% of the profits from his classes Young Entrepreneurs Program
• Kelly Schroeder
  Comfort Quilts for CAMHU patients

Leadership Donors:

• J.P. Bickell Foundation
  $50,000 Gift
• Comsatec Inc.
  $25,000 Pledge
• 2013 Osprey Links Bell Charity Golf Gala
  $22,000 Gift
• McDonald’s North Bay & Sturgeon Falls and the Haines Family
  $25,000 pledge
• North Bay Hydro Social Club
  $10,000 Gift
• Rexall Foundation
  $10,000 Gift
• Bob & Sharron Cunningham
  $10,000 Pledge
• Royal Canadian Legion Ontario Provincial Command Branches
  $7,100 Gift