Growing numbers of mentally ill people and the expanding substance mis-use problem on Vancouver's streets has led to the creation of an additional treatment area in St. Paul's Hospital Emergency Department. Patients who benefit from the new Comox Unit typically visit the St. Paul's ER in times of crisis when they are acting out, delirious or suffering a psychotic episode and need a safe quiet and non-judgmental environment. Specialized staff attend to the patients in the unit, which has four private rooms designed so occupants can't hurt themselves, four open-area beds and another area where injuries can be treated.

A special exercise program is now available for people with osteoporosis — known as "brittle bone disease." Based on the latest research and developed in consultation with B.C. Women's Hospital, the Osteofit program is designed to help prevent or reverse bone loss. The program can also help strengthen muscles and improve balance to reduce the risk of falls and fractures. For more information about Osteofit, phone (604) 875-2555. For more information about osteoporosis, phone OSTOP, the Osteoporosis Society of B.C., at (604) 731-4997 or (800) 363-1933. For more information about the Falls & Fractures Clinic at St. Vincent's Hospital, Heather, call (604) 873306.

In support of the International Year of Older Persons, Providence Health Care has begun discussions with other community, academic and health care partners about the concept of a Centre for Excellence in Health and Aging. Planning is in the early stages, but the vision is of a Centre focussed on promoting wellness and examining how physical surroundings can be designed to accommodate the special needs of older persons. The underlying focus will be on the prevention of disease, the maintenance of wellness, the management of chronic illness and how to maximize the function of older persons with chronic disease.

In patients over age 65, congestive heart failure (CHF) is the most common reason for re-admission to hospital, usually after a heart attack. To help older CHF patients stay out of hospital, St. Paul's Hospital is taking part in a program to provide seamless care between hospital and community. In the summer, the program began enrolling 750 participants, involving both the patients and their families in decisions about their care. The program is operating in collaboration with Vancouver Hospital and Health Sciences Centre and the Vancouver/Richmond Health Board and is funded by Health Canada.

The annual price tag for treating obesity in Canada is $1.8 billion, a St. Paul's researcher says in a recent report. The figure is based on the direct costs of treating and researching obesity, including medication, hospital care and the services of physicians and other health care professionals. Study author and head of the hospital's Obesity Program C. Laird Birmingham, MD, says his total was probably on the conservative side and does not include indirect costs. One-third of Canadians are at increased risk for disability, disease and premature death due to obesity, he added.

A new partnership (to be known as Providence/Vancouver Mental Health) is a joint venture designed to address the needs of persons with serious mental illness, a large majority of whom live in greater Vancouver. This is a cooperative venture between Providence Health Care, Vancouver Hospital and Health Sciences Centre, the Vancouver/Richmond Health Board and the University of British Columbia. Among other things, the new organization hopes to improve and rationalize care and treatment so that the needs of these clients are better understood, strengthen mental health services within the Vancouver/Richmond region and develop a model for mental health programs in Canada.

Providence Health Care is now the provincial referral centre for foot and ankle surgery. Alastair Younger, MD, who heads the program has been inundated with referrals, demonstrating the need for care in this area. The foot and ankle program covers arthritis, post trauma, adult flat foot problems and neurological diseases including diabetic foot surgery. Younger is the only surgeon in Canada performing ankle joint replacements. The foot and ankle program, which started last March, is located at St. Paul's Hospital and is operated in affiliation with UBC.

Ethical dilemmas occur almost daily for people working in health care and, in a multicultural city with advancing health care technologies, these issues are on the rise. Providence Health Care has a full time Ethicist and has created an Ethics Network, which will have ethics teams working to address its most challenging clinical and organizational dilemmas. In time, the resource will be available to patients and residents who may want to seek advice or simply talk to someone about a personal health issue.

Wonton Soup... Steamed Gai Lan with Oyster Sauce... Sliced Chicken in Curry Sauce. No, it's not the take out menu from your favorite Chinese restaurant. It's just a small sampling of the delectable dishes served at Mount Saint Joseph Hospital to acute care patients, extended care residents and cafeteria patrons. With a long history of serving the Chinese community, the hospital specializes in Asian cuisine. Thanks to two outreach programs, the hospital's Chinese food is also available through Meals on Wheels and at a local community centre.

Your elderly mother is in hospital and is anxious about her upcoming surgery. Her doctor needs to conduct an assessment, but her limited English skills make communication a challenge. Through Providence Health Care's recently expanded interpretation services, a trained interpreter is called in to facilitate the appointment and answer her questions. Interpretation services are available across all Providence sites 24-hours per day. Patients or family members can request an interpreter through their care provider. The result? Enhanced patient and family-centered care, and improved access to health care services.

The Diamond Foundation has donated $100,000 to St. Vincent's Hospitals to be used for geriatric research. The research will help distinguish between healthy aging and diseased states and produce treatment strategies to reduce the suffering and associated burden of care that accompanies degenerative changes in aging. The research findings will assist family physicians provide a better level of health care to the community. To find out how you can support specialty geriatrics programs, contact the St. Vincent's Hospital Foundation at 877-3018.

Diagnostics are going digital at St. Paul's Hospital — and that's good news for patients who are getting ultrasounds, CT scans, MRIs and other tests.

PACS (Picture Archiving Communications System) allows digital storage and retrieval of such diagnostic images on computer. The system is the first of its kind in Western Canada. Before PACS, images were kept on film, which is expensive and not as easy to develop, store, retrieve and copy.

For patients PACS means faster turnaround times on tests and more accurate diagnoses. Physicians can now use high-speed networks to share diagnostic images with colleagues at other hospitals — even around the world — and to confer on a patient's case.

At Holy Family Hospital, occupational therapists use a special mat and a computer to aid in diagnosing the cause of aching feet. You simply walk on the mat and 960 special sensors send information to the computer about your gait and the distribution of body weight. The therapist uses the information obtained from the scan as well as the clinical findings to understand which lower body mechanics are out of synch. About 75 per cent of Canadians suffer from foot pain, but only about two per cent ever tell their doctor, possibly because the solution used to involve wearing unattractive, special shoes. Now, thanks to technology, modern orthotics are customized to your foot and are thin enough to be worn in your normal shoes.