INNOVATIONS
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Mental Health Support Through Telehealth
It is rare for a community to say that they have fantastic mental health supports, but one community reports that they have many stepping stones in place, and that they utilize Telehealth in their efforts to battle mental health and it is proving to work well for them.
Members of First Nation Attend First Responder Call-outs
Cultural Safety provided with First Nation’s Community Members on First Responder Calls.
Mayor’s Select Committee on Health
The Municipality has a committee that advocates for health in their community.
Mayor Attends Local Medical Advisory Council (MAC) Meetings
Regular attendance at the Medical Advisory Council (MAC) meetings allows for continued engagement and connection between the municipality and local physicians on specific initiatives, strategic planning, and health concerns related to their community.
Maternal Child Health Program a Leading Model for Midwives in BC
Funding Model Used for Maternal Child Health Program Helps Sustainability of Maternity Services in Community
#masks4all: Multiple Stakeholders Come Together to Prevent COVID-19 in Community
#masks4all collaboration between local physician, MSA and local non-profit group creates and delivers a mask program for COVID-19 prevention in Rossland.
Making the Best out of Limited Resources through Collaboration & Common Goals
This community has a Local Health Committee made up of multiple stakeholders who all meet regularly to connect and work together to come up with local solutions with the resources that they have available to them.
LPN Rapid Response Team
Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) assist to support smooth and safe transitions from hospital to home for patients.
Longstanding Tradition of Community Fundraising Overcomes Local Healthcare and Housing Challenges
Community’s geographic isolation leads to self-sufficiency in raising funds for local hospital and seniors housing
Longer Appointment Times
Physicians have 15-minute appointment times which gives more time to address the patient’s issues.
Locals Look After ‘The Yellow House’ Mental Health Services
Community individuals look after The Yellow House where mental health services are referred from local communities and make good connections with outreach services and the hospital.
Local Youth Engagement Strategy is the Start of Something Good
Evolving engagment from community stakeholders continues due to local youth and attendance now includes members of Health Authority.
Local Seniors Activities Provide Options for Healthier Lifestyles
Multiple senior-focused facilities offer activities that increase physical activity and social relations.
Local Physician Uses Community Newspaper as a Voice for Resources
Compelling articles written by local physician to highlight case study resources helps local community
Local Physician Recruiter Builds Individual Relationships
Successful recruitment and long term retention acheived with a focus on creating a community interests between physicians, existing medical staff, and locals
Local Nurse Practioner Works With School Counselor to Support Youth
Youth experiencing lack of continual care are linked in with Nurse Practicioner for support
Local NeuroFit Program Benefits Folks with Neurological Disabilities
Stroke and brain injury clients able to access exceptional care locally, thanks to NeuroFit program.
Local Health and Wellness Coalition Lobbies for Physicians and Community Healthcare
Passionate local coalition lobbies for change in the way community accesses medical service, for example physician recruitment for emergency care.
Local Government Works With Health Authority to Identify Actual Issues- First Step Towards Solutions!
Health Authority helps bring everyone together to identify overlap in work and identify needs with a societal scan.
Local Government Partners with Health Authority – Applying a Health Lens to their Offical Community Plan
Overarching health lens on Offical Community Plan approved, working to impact public health stats along side Health Authority.
Interactive Library Programs Help Attract and Retain Health Care Workers With Families
Newcomers to town with young families can join interactive library services and programs and feel welcomed to the community.
Indigenous Led Circle Offers Mental Health and Addiction Support
Healing Drum Circle part of Programming welcomes all battling with mental health and addiction
Indigenous Care Aids Take on Role in Communities
Care aids and Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) are coming in from Indigenous communities to fill needed roles.
Incentive for Physicians Accompanying Transfers
A municipality pays an extra bulk payment for physicians to accompany patient transfers.
Impactful Mentorship Between a Physician and Nurse Practitioner
A local physician provided support and mentorship for a nurse practitioner who was new to the community and opening their own practice.
Housing for Locums
A funded house for locums to stay in while they are in the community.
House of Community Care
Social workers, nurses, paramedics, mental health workers meet at a house to talk about problems and any complex cases to provide comprehensive care.
Hospital Garden
Local physicians are putting together a hospital garden to improve the interaction of the public population with the hospital.
Hospital Foundation Fundraising
The local Hospital Foundation has been able to raise thousands of dollars towards needed equipment.
Hope Health and Well-being Initiative
In 2016, Fraser Health committed $500,000 annually to improving the overall health and well-being of residents of Hope…
Home Grown Produce Picked and Processed for Community Members in Need
Harvest Share program and community juicing benefits town by supplying those that need it with food and helping local growers with picking crop
Home Away from Home Concept Allows for Safe, Accessible Places for Patients to Stay
Community-driven Home Away from Home offers a place for patients and their families to stay while experiencing medical care, or awaiting transport after discharge. Options range from family units with shared kitchens and room to gather to hostel style.
Highschool Hub Helps Youth Access Clinical Care
Mental health and medical appointments made available to students weekly at a clinic located in their high school.
Helping Hands Program Makes Seniors Lives a Little Easier
Volunteers help seniors complete day-to-day tasks using local funding within the community.
Healthy Relationships Between Physicians, Local Municipality, and Health Authority Result in Support for Community Hospital
Healthy Community Initiatives Created from Partnership with Health Authority and Municipality
Health Promotion programs brought to life through collaboration and communication with the town and health authority.
Healthy Communities Committee
A group of 40 stakeholders work together on grant applications for their community.
Health Authority Holds Discussion to Meet Community Needs
Bi-annual meetings prove to be instrumental in finding solutions to community concerns.
Health Authority Funds Complementary Care Team
Island Health funded social worker and mental health nurse which has been an amazing complement for the physicians.
Health and Wellness Collaborative
A community Health and Wellness Collaborative creates opportunities among members for mutual support, shared advocacy, improved use of funding resources and to improve health outcomes for Gabriola.
HART Team is the Biggest Impact for Emergency Transportation
The High Acuity Response Team (HART) program was designed to focus on the inter-facility transport of highly acute patients by staffing one HART member, 24/7, at the regional referral centres across [Health Authority X]. HART members are typically Registered Nurses (RNs) who have specialized training and dedicated equipment that allow them to provide expert care to patients while travelling to or from rural and remote facilities across [Health Authority X]. This program was implemented so that when a patient who requires a higher level of care during transport, the community is not left without a physician or nurse.
Harm Reduction Advisory Committee Grows
Impressive examples of community networking lead to extensive network to support addiction recovery.
Groundbreaking Relationships with Neighbouring First Nations Community
Powell River and Tla’min First Nation work together to increase community communications.
Fundraising Allows for Construction of Local Hospice House
Land donated by the City leads to creation of new Hospice House and palliative care beds, all within an eight month turn around.
From Dire Straights to Roaring Success, Urban Centres Look to Rural Community to Improve Patient Attachment Strategies
Asking for Division funding pays off and enables community to recruit and retain rural physicians
Fraser Health subsidizes BC Transit in Hope by $25,000 a year
A BC Transit open forum reveals that the ycommunity needs more transit coverage. The District worked to get the Health Authority to subsidize BC Transit of $25,000/year which helped address multiple health outcomes, such as access to transport for medical appointments.
Focus Group for Staffing Model Creation
Physician puts together focus group to understand staff challenges and issues in order to put together a staffing model for acute care that would be approved by staff.
First Team-based Care Models in BC Shows Diverse Representation
Long-standing team-based care model where health professionals work together along with community representatives.
First Nations Virtual Primary Care
A primary care physician brings electronic system on their iPad to visits with remote First Nations community as well as provide virtual visits.
First Nation’s Members Create Successful Transporation Plan During Wildfire
First Nation’s community members created a successful transportation set-up that allowed physician access for both First Nation’s and non-First Nation’s members during wildfire season.
First Nations Holistic Life Planning
A First Nations Band resources the planning of keeping their children and providing holistic planning from birth to death.
First Nation’s Healing Centre Success
A First Nation’s healing centre takes a successful approach at addressing the root of historical trauma while providing appropriate resources for such healing to take place.
First Nations Fire Fighters Integration
Fire fighters from First Nations community responds with ambulance as part of a respectful relationship and understanding of cultural safety for their First Nations community.
First Nations Community Uses a Trauma Informed Lens for Mental Health in Youth
Community works together to fill gap in mental health care resources and address youth mental health and suicide through prevention, education and including a trauma informed lens.
First Nation’s Band Finance Specialist Support for Community Members
A First Nation’s Band provides financial support to families in need of medical care outside of their community.
Filling the Need for Medical Equipment at Home
Local volunteer stores and distributes medical aide devices to those in need.
Federally Funded Social Worker
This community thought that it would be more helpful to have a Social Worker than a Nurse Practitioner, and they were able to have this position federally funded.
Family Parenting Place
The Family Parenting Place is a drop-in centre for children and parents for mentorship, Health Canada programs, perinatal nutrition program, etc.
Equine Therapy Program
A First Nations community has an Equine (horse) Therapy Program for mental health and engaging youth.
Educational Resources for Trauma
Resources provided to parents with trauma who are dealing with young children. There are also resources for community providers to help understand trauma in First Nations bands as a social determinant of health.
Education Pathways to Battle Low RN Numbers
Registered Nurse (RN) numbers are low, so this community has developed education lines to tackle that. A nurse can take a rural emerge course through University of Northern BC (UNBC) and are guaranteed to stay in Bella Coola. Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) pays for it, but the nurses must commit to a 1 year return of service in the community.
Dog Park Brings Community Together and Shows What is Possible With Fundraising
Municipality meets 50/50 fundraising for local dog park, which creates a healthy place that encourages seniors and all community members to be active and expand their social network; a win-win situation for all!
Development of Health Network to Focus on Local Issues
An opportunity to listen and speak on the health of the community, with a focus on finding more innovative ways to exercise funding.
Dedicated Senior Advocate Supporting and Assisting Those in Need
A Community Response Network representative advocates and gets grants for seniors.
Decrease in Police Calls from New Social Worker Hire
Police calls dropped by 40% after an initiative to hire a Social Worker for the community leading to the permanent creation of the position.
Cross-community Connections for Child Poverty
A Lions member attended a presentation on Gabriola’s child poverty put on by the community’s wellness collaborative. From this, he took it back to the Lions and the community and they created a lunch program fully funded by outside operators at the school.
Counselor Off-loads Patients from Nurse Practitioner Needing Counselling Support
Due to longer appointment times, patients were using their Nurse Practitioner as a…
Counselling Presence in Schools Proves to Have a Positive Effect
Counselling is present at the Elementary School four days a week, including a drug and alcohol counselor one of those days.
Connections Bus
A Health Authority bus route helps out-of-town patients travel to larger centres for appointments and subsidized fares.
Complex Patient Care in Community and Emergency Room (ER)
Discharge rounds and community rounds take place using a team based care approach…
Comparing Practice Improvement Stats
[Community X], [Community Y] and a Practice Improvement Group (PIG) connect over lunch hours to compare improvement stats.
Community Wellness Group Gathers to Share, Connect and Network
Local health and social service providers attend group meetings once a month.
Community Supported Gatherings Over Meals Bring People Together
Free luncheons and reasonably priced dinners provide options for community members to gather.
Community Supported Gatherings Over Meals Bring People Together
Free and reasonably priced luncheons and dinners provide options for community members to gather
Community Paramedicine Program
Successful community paramedicine program helps fill recruitment and retention gaps.
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.
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Tracey DeLeeuw
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