Well Aware – Fall 2018

services, new initiatives and news that impacts our communities.

Nipissing Patients and Caregivers to Benefit From $2.04 Million Dollar Provincial Investment

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.

More information from MPP Fedeli can be found in this video: https://youtu.be/t595Ay6-2Gw

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Longtime NBRHC volunteer recognized for years of service

In the summer 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 NBRHC 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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Mobile Crisis Service Helps Bridge the Gap for Individuals in Crisis

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.

“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.”

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

“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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Introducing the NEW Patient Services Handbook

We are excited to finally be able to share with you our updated patient services guide for 2018/2019.

This handbook was created by, and for, our patients, families, visitors & caregivers to help you navigate the programs and services located our 50 College Drive location.

Some of the new features in the guide include

• detailed floor plans
• parking map
• quick facts list
• information about frequently visited locations

Copies are available throughout the health centre and online here.

We welcome your feedback on this guide, and hear any suggestions for information missing that you feel could be useful to others using the guide. Please contact communications@nbrhc.on.ca with any feedback.

We look forward to working with you to be the best in health care.

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Youth Travels North to Volunteer at NBRHC

Dana Broberg volunteered in the Orthopedic Clinic for the summer

Dana Broberg knows one thing for sure: she wants a career in healthcare. Her area of interest is still up for debate. “Right now I’m trying to decide whether to pursue medicine or medical research,” explains Broberg. “My interests are pretty broad, so I don’t want to close the door to any future possibilities.”

For Dana this includes opportunities like volunteering at the North Bay Regional Health Centre (NBRHC) for the summer. The Waterloo native is currently pursuing a degree in Medical Sciences at the University of Western Ontario and decided to spend her summer up north to gain hands on experience in a healthcare environment.

“I wanted an opportunity to experience having a role in a hospital, because I knew volunteering would provide me with experience in areas of healthcare I might not otherwise be exposed to in school,” Broberg says.

Dana became interested in joining our volunteer team after visiting a family member at the NBRHC. “The facility was so pretty and welcoming, and I saw firsthand how important the volunteers were to my grandparents’ experience,” Broberg recalls.

The Health Centre’s summer program offered Dana a chance to get involved. The program is open to students interested in volunteering between May and August, and provides them with an opportunity to learn new skills, explore interests and meet new people while giving back to a variety of areas throughout the Health Centre.

“The volunteer program here gave me the ability to volunteer in areas that are more relevant to careers in healthcare down the road,” says Broberg about the NBRHC. “Through my experience in the Orthopedic Clinic I’ve gotten a sense of what it’s like to work with patients, and gain a better appreciation of how much goes on behind the scenes.”

Dana says her time volunteering has contributed to a fulfilling summer. “I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to be a part of a team. It’s also been a great way to have a real impact on the lives of the patients and their families,” Broberg says. “I’d encourage anyone interested in volunteering to not be afraid and give it a try. Whatever you’re able to give is valued and appreciated.”

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E-L-O-What?

What is Discharge Planning?
Part of the care and support you will receive while you are with us as a patient includes helping you plan for when you leave the hospital. This is known as discharge planning. Discharge planning starts early in your stay with us.

What is ELOS?
When you are a patient in the hospital, your care team will talk to you about your Estimated Length of Stay or ELOS. Your ELOS is based on how long other patients with similar conditions or situations were admitted to hospital.

I just got here! Why are you already talking about when I leave?
Early communication of this date helps you be prepared, advocate for yourself and recognize you are a part of a safe and timely transition home.

How will I find out important information about my discharge?
Your care team members will communicate with you daily about any changes to your stay through conversations and on the whiteboard in your room.

How will the Passport To Home help?
We are excited to be launching this new guide to help our patients and their caregivers with important information they need to know before they leave the hospital. The interactive passport contains information, check lists and space to write notes to help you better prepare to leave the hospital.

ELOS Passport