INNOVATIONS
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What Are Healthcare Innovations?
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Youth Poverty Solutions
Community works together to have grassroots conversations around youth poverty and what can be done to solve important issues.
Winter Shelter Funded
Funding though BC Housing allows for a shelter to operate during cold winter months.
Well-Trained First Responders in CPR
First responders are scattered throughout Gabriola Island and respond quickly with CPR and are well-trained.
Volunteer Run Program Grants Seniors Peace of Mind by Providing Transportation to out of Community Medical Appointments
Senior-run program for seniors allows essential travel to and from medical appointments while removing stress from an already stressful situation
Volunteer Programs Make Finding a Meal More Accessible
Development of a Meal Service Program for the elderly as well as food bank distribution out of the local United Church.
Volunteer Program Allows Community Members to Live at Home Longer
Dedicated community volunteers run a “Better At Home” service that allows for community members to live in their homes with the help of volunteers providing numerous services.
Volunteer Driving Program Provides Round Trip Travel for Medical Appointments
Pre-arranged transportation to surrounding communities for medical care and appointments fills a need and creates a solution.
Volunteer and Community Support Drives Successful Hospice and Local Auxiliary
The overlapping volunteer pool proves essential for program support in Ashcroft, leading to exceptional Hospice and Auxiliary groups.
Visiting Urologist Reduces Patient Travel
Urologists noticed patients were cancelling or showing up late for their appointments due to long travel time from 100 Mile House. They decided to send two Urologists to the community and got the Health Society to fund and…
Visiting Specialists Learn with Local Physicians
Local medical staff connect with visiting specialists and surgical teams over lunch, while continuing their Medical Education.
Virtual Palliative Care Rounds Provide Exellent Feedback and Support
By hosting virtual palliative care rounds physicians, Community Paramedics, and the medical treatment team are able to refer clients as needed and discuss patient care in an effective manner.
Virtual Morning Huddle
A physician stays in his community and virtually joins huddle (a brief team check-in, usually in a clinical setting at the start of a shift to manage quality and safety) in another community.
Virtual Elder Connect Program and Access to Services
The Elder Connect Program is a web-based platform that provides information on programs and services seniors can access and involves inter-generational connection.
Virtual and Interactive COPD Pilot Program
Successful Virtual COPD education pilot occurs monthly in the community of Ashcroft…
Video Consultation From Home for End of Life Patients
Palliative patients have a consultation from the comfort of their own homes via WebEx, a virtual platform.
Using Texting to Plan Ahead for Nurse Practitioner Schedules
Nurse Practitioner utilizes texting with Child & Youth Mental Health to communicate anonymized information about a youths general situation in order to find the best placement for them.
Unique Patient Discharge Procedure Increases Productivity and Family Satisfaction
Difficult times leads community to create a unique patient discharge procedure, including bringing together families for dischage planning.
Umbrella for Mental Health Support Provides Access to Youth
Multiple initiatives offer solutions to children in need of mental health support.
Travel Assistance Program (TAP) Funds Locals with Out-Of- Community Appointments.
Free transportation on BC Ferries by obtaining a form from your physicians identifying the need for treatment outside your community.
Tla’min Nation Justice Committee
A First Nations community has a ‘justice committee’ which brings together local groups and services to build on social services.
Telehealth Allows Access to Psychiatry Within Communities
By linking communities through telehealth, access to psychiatry during off-hours helps everyone involved.
Team Based Care Using Technology to Increase Patient Access
Two people have come together to provide team based care in a way that allows for…
Taking Time to Make Connections and Improve Patient Care
A community member shares the successes of making time to meet in person with local community members in their various roles and to work at building these relationships.
Supportive Medical Officer
A supportive Medical Officer speaks regularly to the community’s medical team.
Supporting Families During Pregnancy and Early Childhood
Healthy Beginnings is a community program designed to support families. This unique program is for families needing support in areas of: pregnancy, nutrition, breast feeding, child development, substance abuse issues and parenting.
Supported Housing in Powell River
Community constructing modular homes to support those in need.
Support Group Designed to Connect Patients to Resources
This community developed a ‘Caring Circle,’ which acts as a health care and community support liaison for patients who have been discharged.
Sts’ailes Longhouse Program Creates Cultural Safety
Fraser Health puts 160 to 180 of their staff in a longhouse twice a year to learn about culture and have a meal with their local First Nations Band and learn their teachings.
Stakeholders Meet to Discuss Mental Heath and Youth
Members of local hospital, physicians and schools meet monthly to combat mental health concerns in children and youth.
Stakeholders Band Together to Locally Decide on Funding
Committee of Local Stakeholders, Health Authority, and More Work Together to Address Health Outcomes and Utilize Funding
Source Club Society
Mental health referrals go to a community mental health socialization program called the Source Clube to gain work skills, access hot meals and other activities.
Society Completes Tax Returns to Increase Benefits for Community
Local Community Resource Centre completes over 500 tax returns for residents which allowed residents to access Provincial and Federal services and benefits.
Single Referral EMR for Community Services
Real time referrals are utilized using a single referral point in an electronic medical record (EMR).
Shared Youth Mental Health Coordinator from VCH and MCFD
Advocating for youth mental health has resulted in additonal resourses for community members, who now have access to a Youth Mental Health Coordinator.
Sex Education in Schools
Local physicians go into schools and educate youth on risks that come with sex, rates of teen pregnancy and STDs drop dramatically.
Seabird College Provides Training in Many Medical Related Fields
Post Secondary education in fields such as Licensed Practical Nursing, Dental Assistants etc. leads to great local and Indigenous work opportunities.
Scholarships for Youth To Get Into Healthcare
Community provided scholarships to get youth into medical professions.
Safety Fire Plans Set In Place for Potential Summer Fires
Local team creates multiple evacuation plans in preparation for seasonal fires and shares them with their surrounding communities.
Respect and Support within Medical Workforce Leads to Retention
Shared responsibility of Medical Office Assistants (MOA) and respect from community mean better communication for clinic needs.
Resident Attraction Program
The City and Division of Family Practice partner to create a successful visitor and resident attraction strategy.
Regional Mayors Meet Quarterly to Discuss Health Issues in Their Area
Mayors from this area are taking a ‘regional perspective’ to their health care needs. Coming together every 4-6 weeks, this Health Society brings together voices and perspectives from all their municipal communities.
Quarterly Health Forums Allow for Open Community Dialogue
Community health forums are held locally to provide space for community members to share their experiences and considerations around resolution.
Quality Improvement Tracks ‘Near Misses’ for Review
All near misses are written in a red book, and once a month there is an anesthesia meeting where the group discuss them. They talk about the literature and how their practices can change to avoid these situations in the future.
Psychiatry Telehealth Pilot Program Provides Better Patient Care
Telehealth pilot leads to lower admission rates and faster access to care for psychiatry needs
Providing the Opportunity for Employees to Connect with Others
Employer provides autonomy for employee to make connections and interactions with colleagues.
Program Offers for Seniors Free Workouts to Encourage Movement
Village provide free gym instructions to help seniors feel comfortable using gym equipment and resources
Private Medical Clinic Uses Methods for Quick Turnaround Time
A private health clinic uses methods such as telehealth and dictation in order to provide quick turn-arounds for lab and ultrasound results.
Prescription Pick-Up for Palliative Patients
Home care nurses pick up prescription for palliative patients.
Pool of nurses expanded by travelling to community to transport patients via ambulance
If a community is unable to access nursing transport care, a staffing pool has been put into place that will pay to have a nurse sent to the community and then returns home in the ambulance …
Piloting PCA Pumps in Ambulances
Piloting Patient Controlled Analgesia (PCA) pumps in ambulances with longer transfer time.
Physicians Volunteer to Teach 4H Club Kids New Skills
Community doctors make large impact by volunteering with youth.
Physicians Travel to Aging Patients
Connections to community and patients deepened by physician’s dedication to visiting aging patients closer to home.
Physicians Social Team Building
Divisions of Family Practice creates social and team building activities for their physicians.
Physicians Asking Community What They Want from Their Healthcare
Physicians sat with the community to find out what they need and what they want to feel supported in their own health care. They were not met with a list of demands, rather the community identified areas of improvement and wanted to work together with the physicians to help make it happen.
Physician Advocates for Use of ‘Frost Bite Drug’ in Their Community
Local Physician fights for the use of ‘Iloprost,’ which can help dilates blood vessels and improves blood flow following frost bite. This new drug was only starting to be considered in BC in January 2020.
Peer Support for Those in Need
A local peer program offering addiction support for addicts and non-addicts.
Palliative Care Group Creates Interpersonal Relationships
Dedicated team and care group provide palliative care and companionship
Out of the Box Funding for Medical Student’s Specialized Education
A medical student seeking training in Cardiology proposed to the Mayor that the community’s Health Services Society fund his specialist education for 2 years. In return his family would commit to a 10 year return to service contract with the community.
Nursing Outreach via Facebook
A nurse uses social media to create access to care during forest fire season. This involved maintaining communication with patients and health providers, arranging needed supplies to be dropped off., etc. Post-emergency, the impact of the nurse’s Facebook page was exponential and formalized into a professional page where community members can message her through there.
Nurse Practitioners Speak at Local Community Events
In order to meet the community, build their trust and establish lasting relationships, Nurse Practitioners in this community take initiative in advocating for themselves while connecting with the people.
Nurse Practitioner Online Forum Hub
Nurse Practitioners and health authority regularly meet and have an online forum to ask questions.
Nurse Practitioner Island Health Listserv
A Community of Practice for Nurse Practitioners to communicate and discuss successes and gaps.
Nurse Point of Contact in Community
Patients of Anahim Lake are given direct contact details to a community nurse. This point of contact offers quick responses and real-time support.
Northern Medical Program Travelling Road Show for Students
The University of Northern BC and the Northern Medical Program facilitates a travelling road show to expose urban students to the northern-rural environment.
Northern Medical Program Introduce Medical Students to work with Truck Drivers
The University of Northern BC and the Northern Medical Program bring students to truck stops to assist in providing medical services to a hard-to-reach population group who are always on the go with their job.
No Good Food Gone to Waste
Food Banks provided with would-be orchard discards that help those in need.
Night Care for Seniors
Increased funding from the Ministry has allowed this community to implement night care for seniors in their own homes.
New Physicians Receive Warm Welcome
The Mayor visits new physicians to welcome them to the community.
Municipal Seeks Housing for Seniors and First Nations Seniors
A Municipality and the Age Friendly Society work to get affordable housing for seniors and First Nations seniors in the community.
Monthly Events on Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
Focus on Health initiative spreads to other communities to improve chronic disease management and health promotion.
Midwife-led and Team Based Program Provides Wrap Around Care for Families
Expansive Maternal Child Health Program provides care to mothers and families from…
Micro Units Provide Residents, Locums and Short Term Vacancy Medical Staff a Place to Stay
Changes in development zone areas allow for innovative use of existing properties and micro housing to provide housing options for locums, residents, Registered Nurse coverage and more.
Merging Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) Increases Communication with Physicians
Community successfuly merges Electronic Medical Records (EMRs), leading to a hope for expansion.
Mentorship Hugely Important to Growth and Development
A strong mentorship developed for a local Nurse Practitioner, helped them succeed despite an education without a proper residency.
Mentorship for Midwives Integrated Into Contracts
Peer coaching for newly registered midwives is integrated into their agreement with the College of Midwives.
Overview: Healthcare Innovations
Many rural communities face health care challenges that are different than what their regional and urban counterparts face across the province. Rural community members have developed innovations to overcome inequities resulting from as geographical isolation and limited resources.
“Innovations” can be defined as: “Any model, program, initiative, approach, or work-around that contributes to the success and/or improvement of the community as a whole.” An innovation can be as simple as building a community garden in front of the hospital, to subsidizing a bus service that helps rural patients affordably travel out-of-town for healthcare appointments.
By sharing each innovation, we hope that communities can learn from each other’s successes, cross-pollinate ideas, and form new connections with each other.
RCCbc GENERAL CONTACT
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620 – 1665 West Broadway
Vancouver, BC. V6J 1X1
Phone
T: 604-738-8222
Toll Free: 1-877-908-8222
F: 604-738-8218
Tracey DeLeeuw
info@rccbc.ca
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