Providence Health Care - What's New Archive

BC Transplant, an agency of the Provincial Health Services Authority, and the Providence Heart + Lung Institute at St. Paul’s Hospital are pleased to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the heart transplant program in British Columbia. Through continued innovation, and collaboration, over 325 lifeosaving heart transplants have been performed in British Columbia.

In 1988, the first year of the program, two heart transplants were performed at VGH, where the program was first established. In total, 108 heart transplants were performed at VGH before the program relocated to St. Paul’s in 1996. In 2007, the heart program became part of the Providence Heart + Lung Institute at St. Paul’s Hospital.

"This anniversary is a time to reflect on the incredible advances in health care over the last 20 years," says George Abbott, Minister of Health Services. "These new treatments and technologies are thanks to the dedication and passion of those working in the health care system, who continue to inspire the best in patient care today."

Tony Beeftink of Salmon Arm was the second patient to receive a heart transplant in BC. Struck with a virus that attacked his heart at the age of 37, Tony, the father of three children, was close to death before receiving his transplant in December 1988. Twenty years later, Tony has not looked back. A teacher in his local high school, and a keen runner, he is never complacent about the gift of life he received 20 years ago.

“Who knew that I could be so close to not making it all those years ago, but still around today to talk to you about my experience,” says Beeftink. “My transplant has given me the opportunity to see my three children grow up and to share in those life experiences with my wife, Alana. I’ve walked both my daughters down the aisle and now Alana and I are about to be grandparents. I’m looking forward to another chapter in my life that would not have been possible without my transplant.”

Transplantation has now become a well-recognized treatment option for people with critical heart failure, and new advances in prevention, treatment and rehabilitation – many developed in part at the Providence Heart + Lung Institute at St. Paul’s Hospital – are improving the quality of life of British Columbians at risk, or suffering from, heart failure.

“We are proud that our cardiac program at St. Paul’s Hospital is the provincial centre for heart transplantation,” says Dianne Doyle, President and CEo of Providence Health Care. “Over the last 50 years the cardiac program has transformed into a worldorenowned academic health sciences centre, recognized for its innovation and talent. From breakthrough research, to mechanical heart pumps, to our Healthy Heart Program, our skilled team of researchers and clinicians continue to make a difference in the lives of British Columbians.”
“Last year we saw a record number of transplants performed in the province, including a record 23 heart transplants,” says Bill Barrable, Provincial Executive Director, BC Transplant. “None of this would have been possible without the generosity of organ donors and the collaboration of our partner hospitals.”

The following will be available upon request:

-Interviews with healthy, active heart transplant recipients from around the province.

-Interviews with Dr. Andrew Ignaszewski, Head, Division of Cardiology, Providence Heart + Lung Institute.

-Interviews with Dr. Anson Cheung, Surgical Director of Cardiac Transplantation, Providence Heart + Lung Institute, and a leader in the implantation of ventricular assist devices (VADs).

-Backgrounders on:

• Providence Heart + Lung Institute's Cardiac Program
• Biomarkers in transplantation
• Acute heart failure
• British Columbia and general organ donation facts/stats
• BC Transplant
• Organ donor registry

About BC Transplant

BC Transplant (BCT), established in 1986, is a comprehensive health care organization responsible for all aspects of organ transplant in British Columbia, including; preotransplant assessment, organ recovery and donor matching, followoup care at regional clinics across the province, research and clinical trials, and public education.

BC Transplant manages the provincial Organ Donor Registry, the only one of its kind in Canada. Close to 700,000 British Columbians have registered their decision on the Registry. This represents 16% of the provincial population. Registering only takes a minute online at www.transplant.bc.ca.

Over the past four decades, more than 4,500 British Columbians have received a life-saving organ transplant.

BC Transplant is an agency of the Provincial Health Services Authority.

About the Providence Heart + Lung Institute at St. Paul’s Hospital

The Providence Heart + Lung Institute at St. Paul's Hospital merges and integrates all of Providence’s heart and lung research, education and care programs, creating a dynamic academic health sciences centre that is the only one of its kind in Canada. The cardiac program provides a full spectrum of care for patients with critical heart failure – from medications, to heart transplant and rehabilitation.

The B.C. Acute Heart Failure Program, part of the Providence Heart + Lung Institute at St. Paul’s Hospital, is the only program in B.C. which provides the full range of specialized care to patients with critical heart failure. It is currently the biggest and busiest program of its kind in Canada, now receiving referrals not only from B.C., but also from other provinces such as Alberta and Manitoba. The program is a national leader in Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) implants, equipping critically ill heart failure patients with mechanical heart pumps to keep them alive until they can receive a heart transplant. www.heartandlung.ca.

Experts from St. Paul’s Offer Drop-in Sessions on Heart Failure

New Assisted Living for Seniors Opens in Vancouver

The Province is providing $30.2 million to Providence Health Care’s Honoria Conway, providing seniors and adults with disabilities with access to 68 new assisted living units that officially opened today.

“The provincial government is implementing housing solutions that make sense for seniors and people with disabilities,” said Rich Coleman, Minister of Housing and Social Development. “At Honoria Conway, residents will receive the care they need while keeping their independence and privacy.”

Honoria Conway provides 60 assisted living units for seniors and eight units for adults with disabilities. The assisted living homes are self-contained units with a 24-hour response system. Residents receive personal care services, such as recreational opportunities and assistance with medications, housekeeping, meals and laundry services.

Honoria Conway is located at the former St. Vincent’s Hospital site. The land is owned by the Catholic Charities, which is allowing Providence Health Care to use the property. The units are the first component of redeveloping the 7.5-acre site into an innovative “campus of care,” a model of senior care that will provide a range of care levels and services, enabling seniors to stay in their homes longer.

Vancouver Coastal Health is providing personal care and hospitality services for the 60 assisted living units, as well as support services for tenants in the eight units for adults with disabilities.

“With the opening of Honoria Conway, and the recent openings of Cedars at Beulah Gardens and Hofn Icelandic Harbour, I am pleased to say that Vancouver Coastal Health is close to reaching its goal of having nearly 1,000 assisted living units available across our region within the last five years,” said Ida Goodreau, president and CEO of Vancouver Coastal Health. “For many seniors, assisted living provides the appropriate amount of care they need to remain as independent and as healthy as possible.”

The City of Vancouver is expected to approve a grant to offset the development cost charges for the construction of the development.

“Vancouver’s seniors want to continue living independently in their communities, close to family and friends,” said Mayor Sam Sullivan, City of Vancouver. “By opening assisted living developments like Honoria Conway, we are ensuring that Vancouver remains an affordable and livable city at any age or care level.”

Honoria Conway is owned and operated by Providence Health Care, a care provider that operates 14 facilities throughout Greater Vancouver.

“Providence Health Care has a proud history of providing excellent service and support to meet the physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs of those we serve,” said Dianne Doyle, president and CEO, Providence Health Care. “Honoria Conway represents an important seed of commitment to our patients and residents. It symbolizes the legacy of our founding congregation of St. Vincent’s Heather towards the continued evolution of this site into an innovative future Campus of Care.”

The provincial government has met its commitment to provide 5,000 net-new residential care beds, assisted living units, supportive housing and home support and will surpass the commitment by the end of 2008.

The Province of British Columbia is committed to providing more than 4,000 affordable assisted living apartments for B.C. seniors and people with disabilities. To date, more than 3,900 have been allocated in communities across the province. Through the provincial housing strategy, Housing Matters BC, the Province is investing more than $400 million in shelters and affordable housing this year, more than three times as much as in 2001.

Experts from St. Paul’s Offer Drop-in Sessions on Heart Failure

Three Major Health Care Organizations Make BC's Top 50 Employers List

Providence Health Care (PHC), Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) and the Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA) have all been recognized as three of the province’s leading employers. The results of the fifth annual BC’s Top 50 Employers competition were announced on October 18, 2008 by Mediacorp Canada Inc. (the organizers of the Canada’s Top Employers competition).

The BC’s Top 50 Employers competition acknowledges British Columbia employers that lead their industries in recruitment and retention, offering exceptional places to work. The selection of employers is based on high employment standards and performance in several areas, including: physical workplace; work and social atmosphere; health, financial and family benefits; vacation and time off; employee communications; performance management; training and skills development; and community involvement.

"I would like to congratulate these three organizations on being recognized as leading health care employers of choice in the province,” said Health Services Minister George Abbott. “These organizations play an important role in providing British Columbians with the best possible health care. They deserve praise for attracting and retaining the best health care professionals from Canada and around the world.”

The health care industry is one of the BC’s most exciting and fastest-growing industries. Health care careers are varied ranging from highly specialized positions to those that involve basic personal care. Through their work, health care professionals can positively impact individuals, their families and whole communities.

PHC, VCH and PHSA were all three recognized as offering employees progressive work policies, opportunities for growth, competitive compensation and excellent benefits. Additionally, they were each commended for the following employment best practices:

Providence Health Care:

• Helps employees save for retirement with generous pension plan contributions.
• Provides maternity leave top-up benefits (to 85% of salary for 17 weeks).
• Encourages ongoing employee career development with a wide range of in-house training programs and mentoring programs.
• Provides paid work placements to internationally-trained nurses and hires them when their work practicum is completed.

Vancouver Coastal Health Authority:

• Helps employees enjoy their retirement years with generous pension plan contributions and fully-paid retiree health coverage, with no age limit.
• Supports older workers in the transition to retirement with phased-in retirement work options, including reduced hours and the opportunity to mentor other employees.
• Gives all new employees four weeks of paid vacation time.
• Provides onsite daycare facilities for employees with young children.

Provincial Health Services Authority
• Provides maternity leave top-up payments (to 85% of salary for 17 weeks).
• Pays parental leave top-up benefits to new fathers and adoptive parents (to 75% of salary for 10 weeks).
• Helps employees save for retirement with generous pension plan contributions.
• Gives all new employees four weeks of paid vacation.

About Providence Health Care
Providence Health Care (PHC) is one of Canada's largest faith-based health care organizations, operating 14 health care facilities in Greater Vancouver. Guided by the principle "How you want to be treated," PHC's 1,000 physicians and 6,000 staff deliver compassionate care to patients and residents in British Columbia. Providence’s programs and services span the compete continuum of care and serve people throughout B.C. As a renowned academic teaching organization, PHC focuses its services on six “populations of emphasis”: cardio-pulmonary risks and illnesses, HIV/AIDS, mental health, renal risks and illness, specialized needs in aging and urban health.

About Vancouver Coastal Health
Vancouver Coastal Health's focus is three-pronged: care, academics and research. Over 15,300 employees and 2,500 physicians are responsible for the delivery of $2.8 billion in community, hospital and residential care services to over one million people in communities from Richmond through Vancouver, the North Shore, Sunshine Coast, Sea to Sky corridor, Powell River, Bella Bella and Bella Coola. As a provincial referral centre, VCH also provides high-acuity care to adults from across the province. As a provincial centre for academic health care in BC, VCH supports the education of future physicians and health professionals in partnership with academic institutions including University of British Columbia and Royal Roads University. And the VCH Research Institute brings innovation and discovery to patient care, working with numerous organizations to achieve its research goals. Come for the job – you’ll stay for the team: visit http://www.vch.ca/careers/.

About Provincial Health Services Authority
The first organization of its kind in the country, the Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA) plans, manages and evaluates speciality and province-wide health care services across BC, working with the five geographic health authorities to meet local and provincial needs. The goal is to ensure that everyone in the province has access to the kind of specialized health services they need, when they need them, wherever they happen to live. PHSA’s agencies include BC Cancer Agency, BC Centre for Disease Control, BC Children's Hospital and Sunny Hill Health Centre for Children, BC Mental Health and Addiction Services, BC Provincial Renal Agency, BC Transplant, BC Women's Hospital & Health Centre, and Cardiac Services BC. For more information or to learn about career opportunities, visit www.phsa.ca.

Experts from St. Paul’s Offer Drop-in Sessions on Heart Failure

Infection Prevention and Control 2007/2008 Annual Report is Now Available

Infection prevention and control (IPAC) is an important part of Providence Health Care’s commitment to improve patient safety. Health care settings present some inherent risk for acquiring infections, as patients with complicated medical conditions and weakened immune systems come together to receive care. In addition, the continual emergence of new infectious diseases – both in the community and the hospital – poses a further challenge to the control of infections.

The 2007/08 Annual Report, found on PHC Connect and the PHC Website, gives up-to-date details and rates for antibiotic resistant organisms at PHC such as MRSA, VRE and C. difficile, as well as tuberculosis and influenza immunization coverage.

With the implementation of a variety of infection prevention and control strategies, the IPAC team has been successful in reducing the risk of health care associated infections at PHC, including a 35% decrease in MRSA and VRE rates at PHC acute care sites.

“The success of infection prevention and control is dependent on the commitment of health care professionals, physicians, hospital administrators, patients, residents and visitors”, says Dr. Marc Romney, Medical Director, Infection Prevention and Control. “The decreasing rates of health care associated infections presented in the report are a reflection of this commitment to protect our patients from infections.”

Also detailed in the report is some of the exciting work undertaken by the Infection Prevention and Control team, including innovative projects such as weekly Infection Control Rounds, the Infection Control Champions Project, and the re-launch of the Hand Hygiene Campaign Clean Hands for Life. The latter was successful in increasing hand hygiene compliance through the first phase of the campaign by 50%.

The Infection Prevention and Control Team is multidisciplinary in nature, consisting of Infection Control Practitioners, a Medical Director, Infection Control Physicians, Medical Microbiologists and a Healthcare Epidemiologist. IPAC has close links with the microbiology and virology laboratories at PHC, and works closely with local, regional, provincial, federal and international counterpart agencies to implement evidence-based practices in accordance with accepted standards and guidelines.

Important Infection Prevention and Control Facts

What is MRSA (Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus)?
Staphylococcus aureus is a bacterium that commonly lives on skin of healthy people. These bacteria can sometimes get into wounds, where they can cause an infection. In rare cases, they can cause more serious infections of the blood or other body tissues. MRSA refers to a strain of Staphylococcus aureus that is resistant to certain antibiotics (including methicillin or cloxacillin), making infections more difficult to treat. Many people are simply carriers of MRSA and never have any symptoms and never develop an infection. Others may have an infection, which can be treated with antibiotics.

What is VRE (Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci)?
Enterococci are bacteria found in the bowels of nearly all healthy people. Enterococci can get into open wounds and skin ulcers, where they can cause an infection. In rare cases, they can cause more serious infections of the blood or other body tissues, especially in individuals with multiple medical problems. VRE refers to certain strains of enterococci that are resistant to the antibiotic vancomycin, making infections more difficult to treat. Many people are carriers of VRE and never have any symptoms and never develop an infection. Others may have an infection, which can be treated with antibiotics.

What is Clostridium difficile?
Clostridium difficile or “C. diff” is a bacterium that may result in diarrhea and has the potential to cause more serious intestinal complications. It is one of the most common infections acquired in health care settings. Clostridium difficile produces bacterial spores that are able to contaminate the hospital environment.

What is a ‘superbug’?
The term ‘superbug’ is not a medical term. It is commonly used in the media to refer to bacteria, such as MRSA and VRE, which have become resistant to certain antibiotics. It is important to remember that the majority of people with MRSA or VRE are carriers of the bacteria. A smaller number of patients are infected with MRSA or VRE. In addition, infections with these bacteria can still be treated with some antibiotics.

How do these bacteria spread?
The most common way bacteria spread is by direct or indirect contact with a colonized or infected person, usually via contaminated hands. Health care professionals can unknowingly spread organisms during routine activities with patients. A less common way for spread is by direct contact with surfaces like railings, faucets or handles that may have become contaminated.

What precautions are taken when a patient has MRSA, VRE, or C. difficile?
Proper hand hygiene is the best way to prevent the spread of these bacteria. In acute care facilities, a precaution sign will be placed on the door of patients with MRSA, VRE, or C. difficile to advise health care workers of any special equipment (e.g. gloves, gowns) or practices that they should use. Patient activities outside the room may be restricted.
If the patient is in a residential care facility, precaution signs are not used and activities are not restricted. Social activities in these settings are encouraged, as they are an important component of residential care.

What is Providence Health Care doing to control the spread of organisms?
Providence Health Care (PHC) is committed to providing the safest possible care to its patients. We use a multi-faceted approach to ensure that infection prevention and control strategies are integrated into all aspects of care. These include: searching for cases through enhanced surveillance; improving laboratory detection methods; implementing control measures for each case or clusters of cases; working with environmental teams to implement environmental cleaning strategies; educating health care professionals, patients, and visitors; and conducting research to guide policies and procedures.

Are patients screened for certain bacteria before they are admitted?
Yes. PHC has a policy for screening high-risk patients for MRSA and VRE carriage (e.g. those with a recent hospital admission, injection drug users, hemodialysis patients, and residents of residential care facilities). All MRSA or VRE positive patients (whether colonized or infected) are placed on appropriate precautions to prevent the bacteria from spreading to other patients.

What does PHC-associated mean?
‘PHC-associated’ is a term used to differentiate between patients who may have acquired an organism at a PHC facility from those who acquired the organism in the community or other health care facility (i.e. non PHC-associated). It is important to differentiate between PHC-associated and non PHC-associated cases in order to monitor the effectiveness of PHC-specific infection prevention and control strategies. More specifically, a PHC-associated case is a patient who tests positive for a specific organism and has been admitted for greater than 72 hours in a PHC facility or has been admitted to a PHC facility within the preceding 4 weeks.

What can I do, as a patient with MRSA or VRE, to prevent the spread of infections?
Good personal hygiene will help reduce the spread of MRSA and VRE to others. The following are recommended practices:

1. Practice frequent and careful hand hygiene
2. Cover your wound (if applicable)
3. Do not share personal items, such as food, hygiene items, towels or washcloths
4. Keep your environment clean
5. Bathe or shower regularly with soap and water
6. Follow your health care provider's instruction & tell anyone who treats you that you have MRSA/VRE
7. Consider asking if health care providers have washed their hands before they provide direct care

Please click here to download the Infection Prevention & Control Annual Report 2007-08.

Experts from St. Paul’s Offer Drop-in Sessions on Heart Failure

Canadian Patient Safety Week 2008

Knowledge is the Best Medicine. Ask. Talk. Listen.

Medication errors are said to affect at least 1.5 million Canadians per year. According to the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI), one in ten patients receive the wrong medication, or the wrong dose while in hospital. To raise awareness of patient safety issues, and to highlight the important initiatives and innovations related to medication reconciliation happening across the country, the Canadian Patient Safety Institute today launched its fourth annual Canadian Patient Safety Week (CPSW).

Set to take place from September 29 to October 4, CPSW 2008 will see hundreds of healthcare organizations and frontline professionals promoting and sharing information about medication reconciliation within their organizations and communities. Patients and their families will be encouraged to become involved in their own healthcare by knowing their medications, keeping records of them, and sharing accurate medication information with all of their healthcare providers.

“The theme of the fourth annual national campaign – Knowledge is the Best Medicine. Ask. Talk. Listen. – will focus on sharing safety advancements with healthcare providers, patients and their families,” states Phil Hassen, CEO of the Canadian Patient Safety Institute. “The week will encourage patients to become involved by speaking up and asking more questions, communicating with healthcare providers, and understanding the important role they play in providing accurate information about their current medications.”

“Patients are key partners with healthcare professionals to ensure medications are used safely and appropriately,” says Hassen. “One of the most important actions patients can do to get the best care possible is to keep an updated list of their medications (both prescription and non-prescription drugs) and to always take this list with them when they visit a healthcare provider. If a patient is unable to keep this list updated, having an advocate, such as a family member be aware of the medications they are taking and keeping an updated list for them is essential.”

Another of CPSI’s initiatives, Safer Healthcare Now!, has over 1,000 healthcare teams representing more than 270 healthcare organizations, participating in one or more of ten targeted interventions to reduce the number of deaths and injuries related to preventable adverse events. This quality improvement initiative has engaged over 350 healthcare teams across Canada in medication reconciliation interventions to reduce adverse events in acute and long-term care facilities. A pilot project is also being launched in home care settings in conjunction with CPSW. The goal is to build awareness around the frequency of adverse drug events within home care settings and to increase the home care teams responsiveness and involvement in the pilot.
“British Columbia is working hard to reduce preventable medication errors with a number of medication reconciliation initiatives across the province, including the outstanding examples set at St. Paul's Hospital and residential care facilities run by Providence Health Care," said George Abbott, B.C. Minister of Health Services. "Increasing the awareness of medication safety is helping us deliver high-quality, safe patient care."

Medication reconciliation begins with creating a complete and accurate list (Best Possible Medication History – BMPH) of medications that patients are currently taking and comparing the list to medication orders at transition points (admission, transfer and discharge), in order to ensure that all changes are intentional and communicated effectively.

“We hope that CPSW will increase awareness of and involvement in medication reconciliation,” says Marg Colquhoun of the Institute for Safe Medication Practices Canada (ISMP Canada). “Safer Healthcare Now! and Canadian Patient Safety Week provides people with tools they can use to improve safety at transition points in patient care.”

“Regrettably, errors do happen,” adds Hassen. “Our goal is to learn from past adverse events in order to prevent them in the future. Our Canadian healthcare professionals are among the best educated and dedicated in the world. The problem principally lies with processes and systems that need to be improved. The Canadian Patient Safety Institute, through initiatives such as Canadian Patient Safety Week, want to raise the awareness about the challenges facing the healthcare system, and educate the patient on how they can actively participate in ensuring a positive experience by being knowledgeable about their own medication usage, and sharing that information with their caregivers.”

As part of CPSW 2008, CPSI, in partnership with Canada’s Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies (Rx&D) and the Healthcare Insurance Reciprocal of Canada (HIROC), has developed public service announcements for radio broadcast that will air across the country. Several provinces have also signed on to purchase airtime for the PSA.

“Knowledge is the key to better health and we are proud to work with the Canadian Patient Safety Institute as well as health care professionals and all our partners to promote healthy living and the safe and appropriate use of medicines,” said Russell Williams, President of Canada’s Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies.

“HIROC's continued support for CPSW reflects the growing groundswell of support and participation across all levels and organizations," adds Communications and Marketing Manager of HIROC, Anthony Fuchs. "When one considers that our vision is Partnering to Create the Safest Healthcare System, it simply made good sense to support this unique and worthwhile initiative.”

For further information, visit the CPSW website at www.patientsafetyweek.ca. For information on the Safer Healthcare Now! medication reconciliation intervention, please visit www.saferhealthcarenow.ca.

Experts from St. Paul’s Offer Drop-in Sessions on Heart Failure

Project Improves Emergency Department Decongestion

Over 18,000 Emergency Department patients received faster access to care during the past year thanks to an innovative new incentive-based pilot project in Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) and Providence Health Care (PHC).

The Emergency Decongestion Pilot (EDP) was launched in late 2007 as a pay-for-performance experiment to see if funding incentives would encourage better patient flow and faster access to hospital care. While similar to other pay-for-performance initiatives in the United States and Britain, this is the first such ED pilot in Canada.

“When the BC Government supported this VCH-PHC pilot through the Health Innovation Fund in 2007, we believed that this new approach would result in better access to quality patient care,” said George Abbott, BC Minister of Health Services. “The results of this pilot will help us understand how to better improve patient access.”

Under the EDP, Vancouver Coastal Health and Providence Health Care receives additional funding for every admitted and non-admitted patient at Lions Gate, Richmond, Vancouver General and St. Paul's hospitals who are seen within a specific target time. While it is expected a percentage of patients should always be seen and discharged in less than two to four hours based on their level of sickness, and patients requiring a hospital bed receive one within 10 hours from time of arrival, the EDP has pushed to increase the percentage beyond those levels.

“The results of our Emergency Decongestion Pilot have been tremendous,” said Ida Goodreau, President and CEO of Vancouver Coastal Health. “In some cases we are seeing over 25 percent more patients experiencing shorter wait times in the ED, resulting in less time spent in hospital and more positive patient experiences.”

In more specific terms, the number of patients requiring a lower level of care within the national standard of two hours has risen from 54 percent a year ago to 66 percent now. The number of urgent patients requiring care within the national standard of four hours has risen from 45 percent to 59 percent, while the number of patients receiving a hospital bed within the 10 hour standard jumped from 46 percent to 66 percent over the same period – a 20 percent increase.

The funding incentives received through the pay-for-performance do not go to individual physicians or others, but to the hospitals involved for reinvestment into programs that will further improve patient flow throughout the health region.

Examples include:

• The Rapid Assessment Zone (RAZ) at Richmond Hospital to assess and treat mid-acuity patients;

• Upgrades to Vancouver General Hospital’s laboratory information system that has improved turnaround times for lab results by as much as 28 percent for some tests;
• A Fast Track Unit at St Paul’s Hospital for patients with urgent conditions that can be treated relatively quickly; and
• A “progress chaser” to closely manage each patient’s journey through the Emergency Department at Lions Gate Hospital and expedite patient flow.

The success of the pilot has enabled VCH and PHC to keep patients flowing through the hospital system at a time when demand continues to grow. VCH and PHC Emergency Departments see an average of 600 people per day, with the number of patients admitted through those EDs already around six percent higher than this time last year.

“That we can help people receive the care they need more rapidly without negatively impacting their care and outcomes is testimony to how well the entire health system can work together with the right creativity and the right incentives,” said Dr. Jeff Coleman, VCH Chief Operating Officer for Richmond and an Emergency Department physician. “The success of the EDP is due not just to the innovation and commitment of physicians and ED staff, but everyone in the hospitals who realized they have a role to play in helping patients get care more quickly.”

The results - which compare rates in the first half of 2008 with the same period in 2007 - have been most striking in community hospitals such as Lions Gate and Richmond.

At Lions Gate Hospital the number of patients requiring admission who are placed in a bed within the 10 hour target has increased to 57 percent from 39 percent. The number of urgent cases treated and discharged in less than two hours has jumped to 51 percent, up from 29 percent. Fifty-eight percent of less urgent patients are now seen in less than four hours, up from 47 percent.

At Richmond Hospital the number of patients requiring admission who are placed in a bed within the 10-hour target has increased to 67 percent, up from 39 percent. Seventy-one per cent of less urgent cases are now treated and discharged in less than four hours, up from 61 percent. Sixty per cent of urgent cases are now being treated and discharged in less than two hours, up from 56 percent.

Experts from St. Paul’s Offer Drop-in Sessions on Heart Failure

Expansion of Geriatric Psychiatry Clinic Now Open at St. Paul’s Hospital

This summer, a new Geriatric Psychiatry Clinic opened at St. Paul’s Hospital in Elder Care Ambulatory Services on 9B. The clinic provides psychiatric care to patients over the age of 65 with cognitive impairment, dementia, depression, anxiety, or a combination of these symptoms.

An expansion of the geriatric psychiatry services currently offered at Mount Saint Joseph Hospital, the St. Paul’s clinic provides assessment, treatment and follow-up care for elderly patients, and works with the patient and his or her support system to relieve symptoms and maximize quality of life.

“As the elderly are one of our key patient populations at Providence Health Care, this expansion of the Geriatric Psychiatry Clinic will help those who require psychiatric assessment and treatment to access these services in a timely manner,” says David Thompson, Program Director of Elder Care.

Services are provided in an outpatient, physician-run clinic setting. MSJ is the central intake for both geriatric psychiatry clinic sites, and all new patient referrals are completed through Bev Gartaganis, Central Intake Coordinator.

Those with psychotic symptoms are assessed on a case-by case basis, as patients with severe or chronic psychosis are better served with case managers in the Mental Health Department. Patients with substance use disorders in combination with other psychiatric illnesses are also considered and assessed on a case-by-case basis.

Admission is by physician referral only. The clinic is located on 9B, Providence Towers.

Experts from St. Paul’s Offer Drop-in Sessions on Heart Failure

Canada-wide Food Poisoning Outbreak Due to Listeria

There is a Canada-wide outbreak of an illness caused by Listeria monocytogenes, a germ that has contaminated some deli meat products from one Maple Leaf Consumer Foods Inc. plant in Ontario.

Of the approximately twenty cases reported so far in Canada, four are from BC, but none among residents of the Vancouver Coastal Health region.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Maple Leaf Consumer Foods are warning the public not to serve or consume meat products from Establishment 97B.

The affected products can be identified by the Establishment number that appears on the packages. The products made at this facility bear Establishment number (Est) 97B. The establishment number is located near the Best Before or Packed On dates.

These products have been distributed nationally to retail stores and food service institutions such as restaurants, hospitals, nursing homes, and other institutional cafeterias or kitchens. These products may also be sold at deli counters. If the original product identity and Best Before code is not evident, consumers are advised to check with their retailer to determine if the product is included in the list of recalled products. If in doubt, throw it out.

Food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes may not look or smell spoiled. Eating food contaminated with this bacteria may cause listeriosis, an illness which can be serious. Listeriosis can cause high fever, severe headache, neck stiffness and nausea. Pregnant women, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems are particularly at risk. Infected pregnant women may experience only a mild, flu-like illness, however, infections during pregnancy can lead to premature delivery, infection of the newborn, or even stillbirth.

For more information on listeriosis, and what foods people at risk should avoid, please visit the BC HealthFiles. For information on the national outbreak, please refer to the Public Health Agency of Canada website, and for more information about foods recalled, see the CFIA website.

Experts from St. Paul’s Offer Drop-in Sessions on Heart Failure

St. Paul’s Hospital Performs Unprecedented Number of Mechanical Heart Implants

Physicians, patients and representatives from the Province and Provincial Health Services Authority gathered at a news conference today to recognize the B.C. Acute Heart Failure Program’s unprecedented number of ventricular assist devices (VADs, also commonly known as mechanical hearts) implanted this year – more than any other program of its kind in Canada.

A record-setting ten VAD implants have been performed at St. Paul’s so far this year. Five of these procedures took place in the month of May alone with three within the same 24-hour period. Since January, eight lives have been saved with VAD technology, including one patient as young as 19 years of age. Without this lifesaving surgery, almost all of these patients would have died.

“I would like to recognize the amazing work and significant role of everyone involved in the B.C. Acute Heart Failure Program which has helped save the lives of British Columbians and other Canadians,” said Lorne Mayencourt, MLA for Vancouver-Burrard, who attended the news conference on behalf of the Minister of Health. “The record number of mechanical heart implants is a tremendous accomplishment for our health system.”

The B.C. Acute Heart Failure Program, part of Providence Health Care’s Heart + Lung Institute at St. Paul’s Hospital, is the only program in B.C. which provides the full range of specialized care to patients with critical heart failure. It is currently the biggest and busiest program of its kind in Canada, now receiving referrals not only from B.C., but also from other provinces such as Alberta and Manitoba.

The program is a national leader in Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) implants, equipping critically ill heart failure patients with mechanical heart pumps to keep them alive until they can receive a heart transplant. VADs can relieve the symptoms of critical heart failure if needed for up to five years and allow patients to live at home and even return to work while they wait for a heart transplant.

Also present at today’s news conference were some current and former patients whose lives have been saved by the new and revolutionary treatments available through the B.C. Acute Heart Failure Program. Robin Tsai, a 29–year old patient, shared his story and expressed gratitude for his new heart. He lived at home with a VAD implant that he received last July until he received a heart transplant in December.

“We wish to thank Cardiac Services BC of the Provincial Health Services Authority and Vancouver Coastal Health for recognizing the importance of this program and for their generous funding and support,” said Dr. Ron Carere, Associate Director of the Heart + Lung Institute. "This support allows us to provide immediate urgent care to patients who would otherwise not survive, giving them a new opportunity and hope for the future."

About the Acute Heart Failure Program
Launched in May 2002 and funded through Cardiac Services BC (a program operated by the Provincial Health Services Authority) and Providence Health Care, the B.C. Acute Heart Failure Program boasts some impressive firsts. Cardiac specialists at the program were the first in North America to successfully perform two breakthrough heart-pump implants in patients with failing hearts using new-generation VADs, including North America’s first clinical use of the tiny temporary VAD called Impella® (Abiomed) and North America’s first clinical use of the new, long-term VAD called HeartMate II® (Thoratec Corp.) that can work for many years. The HeartMate II® allows patients to live at home with the device in place while they wait for a heart transplant.

About Providence Health Care’s Heart + Lung Institute
Launched in June 2007, the Providence Heart + Lung Institute at St. Paul's Hospital merges and integrates all of Providence’s heart and lung research, education and care programs under one umbrella. Its mandate is to transform cardiovascular and pulmonary research and care—transferring new care solutions from the laboratory to the clinics and communities to improve the lives of British Columbians.

About Providence Health Care
Providence Health Care (PHC) is Canada's largest faith-based health care organization, operating 14 health care facilities in Greater Vancouver that provide acute, residential, rehabilitation and community kidney dialysis services. Guided by the principle "How you want to be treated," PHC's 1,000 physicians and 6,000 staff deliver compassionate care to more than 450,000 patients and residents each year. Teaching and research are conducted in affiliation with the University of British Columbia and other institutions of higher education. PHC's facilities include: St. Paul's Hospital, Mount Saint Joseph Hospital, Holy Family Hospital, St. Vincent's Hospitals (Brock Fahrni Pavilion and Langara), Youville Residence, Marion Hospice and community dialysis clinics in Vancouver, North Vancouver, Richmond, Sechelt, Squamish and Powell River.

Visit www.providencehealthcare.org/events.html for the full list of speakers and details of this morning’s news conference.

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Providence Physician Named President of International AIDS Society

Providence Health Care's physician and director of the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Dr. Julio Montaner will step into his new role as President of the International AIDS Society (IAS) during the closing ceremony of the International AIDS Conference taking place in Mexico City, August 3-8.

This is a significant accomplishment and will position BC and Canada at the table of the largest HIV organization in the world with more the 10,000 members from 185 different countries.

The world's leading independent association of HIV, the IAS speaks as an independent voice for global action to end the AIDS pandemic. The IAS is the custodian and lead organizer of the International AIDS Conference.

Considered one of the world's leading clinical investigators in the field of HIV/AIDS, Dr. Montaner has helped revolutionize patient care in British Columbia. Dr. Montaner is recognized for his vast knowledge and experience in HIV research and treatment, and his ability to shape modern treatment regimens that assist health care professionals to better manage the disease. In the mid-1990s, Montaner played a key role in the development of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), which has been shown to decrease the levels of the virus in the body and allow the immune system to recover. HAART has been the standard of care for the treatment of HIV/AIDS since 1996, and the medications are now distributed free-of-charge to all eligible British Columbians. In addition to leading clinical activities at the Centre for Excellence—Canada's largest HIV/AIDS research, treatment, and education facility—Montaner is also director of the AIDS Research Program and the Immunodeficiency Clinic at St. Paul's Hospital.

Originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina, Dr. Montaner has been with Providence since 1981. Among his many outstanding achievements, Dr. Montaner was awarded the 1995 Pasteur Prize (Canada) for his contribution to clinical research in the field of HIV/AIDS. He also received the BC Innovation Council's BC Science & Technology Champion of the Year Award in 2007. He was given a $1-million award in Research Excellence by Boehringer-Ingelheim in 2001, which he donated to UBC for the creation of an endowment in Health Outcomes HIV Research based at Providence. In 2003, together with his colleagues at the BC Centre, he received a $1.7 million award from GlaxoSmithKline that was donated to UBC for the creation of an endowment in Research on HIV Virology based at Providence.

For conference highlights and webcast schedules, please click here.

The BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS has several papers being presented at the XVII International AIDS Conference in Mexico City. For a schedule of when and where, click here.

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PHC Staff, Physicians and Researchers Awarded for Living the Mission

The Providence Health Care Mission Awards are presented each year at the PHC Annual General Meeting. Recipients of the awards are nominated by peers, volunteers, and patients' families, and represent how we continue to live the mission and values of the Sisters who founded our organization.

The Individual Mission Award is presented each year to someone who consistently lives the Mission of PHC and is a model for others. This year, awards went to two individual nominees: one from residential care and the other from acute care.

Individual Mission Award Winner for Residential Care: Jennifer McDowell

“A well-deserving recipient of this award, Jennifer, a unit clerk from Brock Fahrni Residence, was nominated by her peers for going above and beyond her job to serve the residents, families and staff at Brock Fahrni,” said Dianne Doyle, PHC’s President & CEO at the AGM.

Quoting from one of two nomination forms submitted for Jennifer: “Jennifer is a woman who radiates kindness and respect. Compassionate is the best way we can describe Jennifer. She knows each of the residents, she cares and takes the time to talk to them, hear their complaints and sorrows”

To view the video of Jennifer, please click here.

Individual Mission Award Winner for Acute Care: Kit Schindell

“I think we can all agree that Kit has one of the most difficult jobs out there,” said Doyle.

Her job as the Director of Patient Relations for PHC includes responding to hundreds of letters, emails, faxes and phone calls a year. Many of these concerns, which come to her from an endless list of stakeholders who she works with regularly, including patients, family members, government officials and staff.

Kit has a rare ability to exude and practice the perfect balance of professionalism, concern and empathy when performing her duties.

To view the video of Kit, please click here.

Team Mission Award Winner: The Diamond Drive Resident Care Attendant Team at

St. Vincent’s Langara, Birch Unit

The Team Mission Award is presented each year to a team at Providence that acts in a caring, compassionate and respectful manner and consistently performs above and beyond their normal job requirements.

Quoting from the nomination submitted by Langara resident Ken Walker: “The RCAs on our neighbourhood always treat us with dignity and respect and they go the extra mile to make our neighbourhood special. They listen to us and take our advice and always try to find a way to cheer up the residents who are feeling low. Sometimes this is with singing and dancing and sometimes with their smiles. They make us feel that they love us and that taking care of us is not just a job to them.”

To view the video of the team, please click here.

Research and Mission Award Winners: Dr. Adeera Levin and Dr. Thomas Kerr

The Research and Mission Award is presented to a researcher(s) who conducts an outstanding research program at Providence and exemplifies the mission and values of Providence.

Among her many roles, Dr. Adeera Levin is a Research Scientist with the Centre for Health Evaluation and Outcome Sciences, and a nephrologist with PHC’s Department of Nephrology.

Through her research and clinical focus on chronic kidney disease, mechanisms of disease, and health outcomes research, Dr Levin is active in mentoring young

investigators in kidney related research, and holds numerous grants for clinical studies.

To view the video of Dr. Adeera Levin, please click here.

Dr. Thomas Kerr is a Research Scientist with the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AID, and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine at UBC.

His primary research interests are HIV/AIDS, injection drug use, health policy and service evaluation, and community based research methods.

A key focus of Dr. Kerr’s work has been the scientific evaluation of Insite, North America’s first safer injecting facility, and his research in this area has contributed significantly to international academic, public, and government discussion.

To view the video of Dr. Thomas Kerr, please click here.

Meuser Memorial Leadership Award Winner: Elaine McGlenister

Faye Meuser was a well-known and respected nurse leader at PHC for 27 years. She passed away in June 2007 and, in recognition of her contributions to PHC and her strong leadership, PHC and St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation have established this award in her memory.

PHC will annually recognize one leader who has been employed at PHC for 5 years or more and who demonstrates exceptional leadership within the mission, vision, and values of the organization.

This year’s winner Elaine McGlenister, Operations Leader for the Medicine Program, was nominated by staff, colleagues and fellow leaders for being a visionary leader with a creative and bold attitude who uses a systems approach to address issues and support her staff.

Her nominees said they are continually amazed by her ability to quickly get to the crux of any issue in lightning fast speed and work to a solution. She is a reflective leader who encourages others to do the same and is so encouraging of others to explore ideas from a different vantage point.

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Providence Health Care Nurses are Awarded for their Excellence

During National Nursing Week (May 12-18), Providence Health Care (PHC) is celebrating the unique contributions and achievements of both the nursing profession and the individual nurses who work at PHC.

PHC employs 2,300 nurses including registered nurses, licensed practical nurses and registered psychiatric nurses. As a truly diverse group of health care professionals, PHC’s nurses work as caregivers for the frail and elderly, as nurse practitioners on the cutting edge of practice, as leaders with management responsibilities, as researchers for the Heart + Lung Institute, and as educators — both in PHC’s hospitals and at colleges and universities.

“Nurses have always played a pivotal role in the delivery of care, but today their profession has never been as varied or as challenging,” says Dianne Doyle, PHC’s President and CEO, and a Registered Nurse who began her career in health care as a staff nurse at Royal Jubilee Hospital in Victoria. “At Providence Health Care, we are sincerely grateful for our nurses and are honoured to recognize and celebrate the valuable contributions they make to the lives of hundreds of thousands of British Columbians and their families each year.”

Recently, 23 of PHC’s nurses were honoured with awards from the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA), College of Registered Nurses of B.C. (CRNBC), College of Registered Psychiatric Nurses of British Columbia (CRPNBC) and yesterday’s awards through the B.C. Ministry of Health and B.C. Health Authorities.

"I would like to congratulate our nurses who have been presented these various awards,”
says Doyle. “These individual nurses and, indeed, all the nurses at Providence Health Care, together with their colleagues from other disciplines, continually set high standards that others aspire to match.”

Numerous activities and special events are taking place across PHC’s sites to celebrate Nursing Week.

Background on Recent Awards and Bursaries Received by PHC Nurses
As part of the 100th anniversary of the Canadian Nurses Association and B.C.’s 150th anniversary, the Ministry of Health and the British Columbia Health Authorities have recognized 150 Outstanding Nurses throughout B.C. for their significant contribution to patient care and health care.

The following fifteen PHC nurses were honoured yesterday for demonstrating excellence in nursing through a high standard of care, team work and mentorship:

• Connie Deugau, Registered Nurse (Clinical Nurse Educator), Mount Saint Joseph Hospital.
• Irene Goldstone, Registered Nurse, BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS St. Paul’s Hospital
• Stephen Parker, Registered Nurse (Clinical Nurse Educator), St. Paul’s Hospital.
• Katherine Gerry, Registered Nurse (Staff Nurse), St. Paul’s Hospital.
• Nala Murray, Registered Nurse (Clinical Nurse Educator), St. Paul’s Hospital.
• Bill Moore, Registered Psychiatric Nurse (Clinical Nurse Leader) Mount Saint Joseph
• Steven Roth, Licensed Practical Nurse (Staff Nurse), St. Paul’s Hospital.
• Rosemarie Riddell, Registered Nurse (Clinical Nurse Specialist), St. Paul’s Hospital.
• Martha Mackay, Registered Nurse (Clinical Nurse Specialist), St. Paul’s Hospital.
• Tilly Schalkwyk, Registered Nurse (Clinical Nurse Specialist), Youville
• Janice Muir, Registered Nurse (Clinical Nurse Specialist), St. Paul’s Hospital
• Carol Galte, Registered Nurse (Nurse Practitioner), St. Paul’s Hospital
• Alice Chan, Registered Nurse (Clinical Nurse Specialist), St. Paul’s Hospital
• Janice Victory, Registered Nurse (Clinical Site Director), Mount Saint Joseph Hospital.
• Christine Pahal, Registered Psychiatric Nurse (Staff Nurse), St. Paul’s Hospital.

The Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) has also selected PHC Registered Nurse Irene Goldstone as one of Canada’s top 100 nurses for the CNA Centennial Awards. These one-time awards were created in time for the centennial anniversary of CNA in 2008 to celebrate 100 exceptional registered nurses whose personal contributions have made an outstanding and significant impact on the nursing profession.

Each year, the College of Registered Nurses of British Columbia (CRNBC) recognizes B.C. registered nurses with advanced practice degrees who have made an outstanding contribution to nursing, their organizations and the patients they serve.

This year, five of the CRNBC Awards of Excellence winners are PHC nurses:

• Louise Malysh, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Chronic Pain/Neuromodulation Program, St. Paul’s Hospital, for the CRNBC Award of Excellence in Nursing Practice. This award is presented to registered nurses who demonstrate excellence in nursing practice.

• Leah Shapera, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Wound and Skin Care Program, Providence Health Care for for the CRNBC Award of Excellence in Education. This award is presented to registered nurses who demonstrate excellence in nursing education in the nurses’ own work setting.

• Carol Galte, Nurse Practitioner, Cardiac Science Program, St. Paul’s Hospital, for the CRNBC Award of Distinction in Nursing. This award is presented to registered nurses who have a broad base of nursing experience in more than one domain of nursing and are recognized experts.

• Sue Young, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Renal Program, St. Paul’s Hospital for the CRNBC Award of Excellence in Nursing Practice. This award is presented to registered nurses who demonstrate excellence in nursing practice.

• Sandra Bazley, Registered Nurse, Intensive Care Unit, St. Paul’s Hospital for the CRNBC Award of Advocacy. This award is presented to registered nurses who have made outstanding efforts in advocating for health benefits to a specific group.

Each year, the College of Registered Psychiatric Nurses of British Columbia recognizes six Registered Psychiatric Nurses who have made outstanding contributions to the profession of psychiatric nursing and/or have demonstrated excellence in improving mental health services in British Columbia. Two of this year’s Awards of Excellence in Psychiatric Nursing recipients are PHC nurses, both in the category of leadership in psychiatric nursing, including administration:

• Kent Desrochers, Clinical Nurse Leader, Mental Health, St. Paul’s Hospital

• Mary Shervin, Psychiatry Clinical Nurse Leader, Emergency Department, St. Paul’s Hospital

Providence Health Care (PHC) is Canada's largest faith-based health care organization, operating 14 health care facilities in Greater Vancouver that provide acute, residential, rehabilitation and community kidney dialysis services. Guided by the principle "How you want to be treated," PHC's 1,000 physicians and 6,000 staff deliver compassionate care to more than 450,000 patients and residents each year. Teaching and research are conducted in affiliation with the University of British Columbia and other institutions of higher education. PHC's facilities include: St. Paul's Hospital, Mount Saint Joseph Hospital, Holy Family Hospital, St. Vincent's Hospitals (Brock Fahrni Pavilion and Langara), Youville Residence, Marion Hospice and community dialysis clinics in Vancouver, North Vancouver, Richmond, Sechelt, Squamish and Powell River.

2007 ary 2007Experts from St. Paul’s Offer Drop-in Sessions on Heart Failure

St. Paul’s Hospital Opens BC’s First One-Stop Thyroid Clinic

St. Paul’s Hospital has opened the doors to British Columbia’s first clinic dedicated to the diagnosis and management of thyroid cancers and thyroid hormone disorders.

“Thyroid disorders are on the rise across Canada, especially thyroid cancer,” says Dr. Ehud Ur, Providence Health Care’s Division Head of Endocrinology. “Thyroid cancer is the eighth most prevalent form of cancer affecting women and is growing in frequency in Canada. It is a complex yet ultimately treatable condition that requires specialist multidisciplinary care.”

The new thyroid clinic represents a multidisciplinary collaboration between nurses and physicians, including specialists in endocrinology (hormones), surgery, radiation therapy, radiology and pathology. This new clinic will be able to diagnose and treat patients with a variety of methods all in one location.

The clinic will offer diagnostic facilities, complex treatment regimens and educational resources to help patients understand their condition and deal with the challenges. The clinic will also be a leading center of education of thyroid related disorders to other physicians and students.

Located in the base of the throat, the thyroid gland makes important hormones to help the body regulate critical human functions including energy, muscle strength, weight and mood. Other diseases of the thyroid gland, including overproduction or deficiencies of thyroid hormones and thyroid nodules, also represent medical challenges that warrant prompt advanced care.

Patients will be accepted by referral by general practitioners and other physicians.

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St. Paul's Immunodeficiency Clinic Honoured at AccolAIDS Gala

Providence Health Care's John Ruedy Immunodeficiency Clinic was recognized at the 7th Annual AccolAIDS Awards, presented April 13, 2008 by the British Columbia Persons With AIDS Society's (BCPWA). Presented at the AccolAIDS fundraising gala, the AccolAIDS Awards honour the extraordinary achievements and dedication of organizations, businesses, groups and individuals responding to the AIDS epidemic in British Columbia, and the thousands of people living in B.C. who are affected.

Located at St. Paul's Hospital, the John Ruedy Immunodeficiency Clinic (IDC) opened in the late 1980s, following the onset of the AIDS epidemic, as a primary and specialty care clinic for HIV-infected patients. Clinicians and scientists from the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS work as part of an experienced multidisciplinary clinical team that includes family doctors and specialists, nurses, pharmacists, counsellors, social workers and nutritionists. Improving access to HIV primary and specialized care, and to enhance competence in HIV care among health care providers in the community are the two main goals of the IDC.

As B.C.'s only clinic offering specialized and primary HIV care, the IDC provides health services that respond to a rapidly growing and diverse population, including the needs of people with multi-drug resistance, intolerance to antiretrovirals, or with multiple diagnoses such as hepatitis, mental health or addictions.
"It is a great honour for Providence Health Care and the IDC to be recognized as leaders in HIV/AIDS patient care," said Dr. Rolando Barrios, the IDC's assistant director. "The IDC provides innovative programs and services to many patients who have traditionally lacked access to HIV care." Today, visits to the IDC have grown to more than 12,000 in 2007.

The IDC tied with the Maka Project for Innovative Programs and Services, a category that acknowledges AIDS-specific or related programs or services which demonstrate a unique, progressive and/or creative approach to assisting people affected by HIV/AIDS.

For more information on the IDC, please visit the B.C. Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS website, under "clinical" at http://www.cfenet.ubc.ca/index.php.

Providence Health Care is Canada's largest faith-based health care organization, operating 14 health care facilities in Greater Vancouver, B.C. that provide acute, residential, rehabilitation and community kidney dialysis services. Guided by the principle "How you want to be treated," PHC's 1,000 physicians and 6,000 staff deliver compassionate care to more than 450,000 patients and residents each year, while training medical professionals and making innovative advances in research.

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Metabolic Syndrome Clinic at St. Paul's Hospital a Success

Patient Stories Underscore the Benefit of Vancouver’s B.C. Metabolic Syndrome Clinic at St. Paul’s Hospital

One in four Canadians suffer from metabolic syndrome, a combination of risk factors including excess abdominal fat that can increase their risk of serious heart disease, stroke and Type 2 diabetes. The Metabolic Syndrome Program located within Vancouver’s St Paul’s Hospital, has established a positive, innovative approach that’s helping British Columbians reduce their risk of developing heart disease and diabetes. The clinic was established with the support of a $1.6 million donation from pharmaceutical partner AstraZeneca Canada.

Cardiovascular disease is the third leading cause of premature death for those under 75, while diabetes is a contributing factor in the deaths of approximately 41,500 Canadians each year. As a provincial referral centre that opened its doors in 2006, the St. Paul’s clinic was the first of its kind in Canada. Since then, the Metabolic Syndrome Program has established itself as a centre of excellence where a specialized team of physicians and health care professionals develop individual treatment methods for patients. Hosting the inaugural Western Cardiometabolic Summit on April 12th reflects the innovative reputation the clinic has already established within the medical community.

“The goal of this Program is to set the standard for appropriate Metabolic Syndrome care in Canada and around the world,” says Dr. Andrew Ignaszewski, co-founder of the BC Metabolic Syndrome Program at St. Paul’s Hospital and Division Head of Cardiology at St. Paul’s/Providence Health Care. “Our 18-month program provides both individual and group support to B.C. residents with metabolic syndrome. Our activities – and core philosophy – focus on helping individuals set achievable goals and work through their personal challenges to achieve healthy lifestyle changes.”

Program staff also recognize the importance of strong community-based support networks to both the success of patients and the program itself. “The foundation of the program is a commitment to delivering integrated, world-class healthcare and lifestyle management services to our patients,” says Dr. Sammy Chan, Medical Director of the BC Metabolic Syndrome Program at St. Paul’s Hospital. “When we work with committed partners, and we think openly and strategically about how to deliver these services, it is the residents of B.C. that benefit.”

Patients of the B.C. Metabolic Syndrome Program are the greatest ambassadors of the clinic’s success. “Coming to this program here at St. Paul’s made me feel hopeful for the first time in a long while. I felt like I could finally get a handle on my health and be in control of what happens to me,” says Iva Fisher. “With the team at St. Paul’s behind me, I have lost over 40 pounds and have learned how to manage my metabolic syndrome. I feel strong and am looking forward to a long and healthy life.”

The Metabolic Syndrome Program is striving to establish metabolic syndrome risk reduction programs in community centres to help people across BC make healthy lifestyle changes.

“It’s extremely rewarding for AstraZeneca to be able to support a program that has made such an impact on the lives of so many people in British Columbia,” said Leslie Foord, Senior Manager, External Relations, British Columbia. “This program is another example of the tremendous innovation that exists in British Columbia and we’re proud to have been able to support it,” added Foord.

About the BC Metabolic Syndrome Clinic at St. Paul’s Hospital
Part of the Healthy Heart Program within the Providence Heart + Lung Institute at St. Paul’s Hospital, the Metabolic Syndrome Clinic and program provides comprehensive care of patients with metabolic syndrome. The goal is to reduce the features of metabolic syndrome through intensive lifestyle intervention and self-management support. The program offered to patients consists of both individual and group sessions with a multidisicplinary team.

About AstraZeneca Canada
AstraZeneca is a leading global pharmaceutical company with an extensive product portfolio spanning six major therapeutic areas: gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, infection, neuroscience, oncology, and respiratory. AstraZeneca's Canadian headquarters and packaging facilities are located in Mississauga, Ontario, with a state-of-the-art drug discovery centre based in Montreal, Quebec. For more information, visit the company's website at www.astrazeneca.ca.

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Cracked But Not Broken: CHEOS and UBC Host International Conference on Stimulant Use

The UBC Institute for Mental Health and the Centre for Health Evaluation and Outcome Sciences (CHÉOS) at Providence Health Care Research Institute will host "Cracked But Not Broken" an international conference that addresses stimulant use among adolescents and young adults April 18 - 20 at the UBC Life Sciences Centre.

International conference delegates will explore questions related to pregnancy, stimulant use, concurrent disorders and physical and mental illness associated with stimulant use and discuss the best evidence-based pharmacological and psychosocial treatments for adolescents.

“Stimulant use is especially commonamong adolescents and is generally associated with increased risk behaviour,” says Dr. Michael Krausz, Conference Director and UBC/Providence Health Care BC Leadership Chair in Addiction Research. “It can affect developmental capacities and also hinder a youth’s ability to engage in a productive lifestyle.”

Conference highlights include:

International Perspectives on Methamphetamine and Crack Use
April 18 (10am -12:30pm)
• Stimulant Use from a European Perspective - Dr. Michael Farrell, London, U.K.
• Street Stimulant Use in Hamburg, Germany - Dr. Peter Degkwitz, University of Hamburg.
• Street Stimulant Use in Spain - Dr. Eugenia Oveido, UBC
• Massive Increase in Crack Cocaine Use in Canada - Dr. Daniel Werb, UBC.

Risk Behaviour and Special Challenges:
Pregnancy and Motherhood, Physical Illness and Risk Behaviour
April 18 (1:30pm - 5pm)
• Drug Using Mothers, Roles & Risks of Stimulants - Dr.amelia Arria, John Hopkins Univ., USA.
• The Youth at Risk Survey - Dr. Cameron Duff, UBC. The purpose of the Vancouver Youth Drug Survey is to generate data on current and emerging alcohol and other drug use trends, providing important information to target service priorities and develop relevant, effective programs to best reach youth.
• The CEDAR Project - Dr. Patricia Spittall from UBC and Chief Wayne Christian from Enderby. The Cedar Project monitors HIV and Hepatitis Camong 600-1000 young Aboriginal people aged 14-30 who use injection and non-injection drugs in Vancouver, Prince George and, more recently, Kamloops.

Associated Concurrent Disorders
April 19 (9am - 12:30pm)
• Methamphetamine and Psychosis in Vancouver - Dr. William Honer, UBC
• Mental Illness and Addiction in a Vulnerable Urban Population - Dr. William MacEwan, UBC.
• Concurrent Mental Health and Substance Abuse Disordersamong Women in Pregnancy and Post-Partum - Dr. Shimi Kang, UBC.
• Combined Treatment Approaches for Opiate Addicts and Heavy Stimulant Users with Co-occurring Mental and Physical Disorders - Dr. Vincent Hendriks, The Hague, Netherlands.

A centre of the Providence Health Care Research Institute, the Centre for Health Evaluation and Outcome Sciences (CHÉOS) is an inter-disciplinary research collective founded to pursue excellence through the evaluation, interpretation and communication of health outcome research. CHÉOS works across all of PHC Research Institute's health disciplines including aging, cardiopulmonary health, urban health, HIV/AIDS, mental health, and kidney health.

For a detailed conference agenda please visit: www.cheos.ubc.ca

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Providence Health Care Celebrates Dialysis Unit Upgrade and 1500th Kidney Transplant

As part of March's Kidney Month activities, Providence Health Care's Renal Program held a celebration event to mark two significant milestones: the re-opening of a vital area of the hemodialysis unit at St. Paul's Hospital after $1.34 million in upgrades and the 1500th kidney transplant in the Program's history.
Since doctors completed the Program's first kidney transplant in 1986, Providence has grown into a national leader in kidney transplantation and was the first in Canada to perform a transplant through the new Paired Organ Donor Exchange program. It is also the largest kidney treatment, research and education program in the province.

"Performing 1,500 kidney transplants is a tremendous testament to the skill and expertise developed by Providence Health Care's Renal Program," says Katherine Whittred, MLA for North Vancouver-Lonsdale, who attended the event on behalf of Health Minister George Abbott. "Through the work of dedicated renal care specialists, our government's investment in projects like the hemodialysis unit renovation, and innovative strategies for early kidney disease detection, B.C. continues to lead the way in improving outcomes for patients with chronic kidney disease."

The facelift of the province's largest in-centre hemodialysis unit was funded by the Ministry of Health through the Provincial Health Services Authority and BC Provincial Renal Agency. The renovations will improve patient access and flow, improve workplace efficiency and enhance patient safety and infection control issues.

"These upgrades will enable us to better meet the needs of the 285 patients this unit currently serves and improve their experience overall. This is important when you consider that a dialysis patient commonly visits this unit at least three times a week for four hours each visit," says Dianne Doyle, president and CEO, Providence Health Care. "Providence's Renal Program continually strives to better meet the needs of those with renal risks and illness - from breakthrough research in our laboratories and clinics to helping patients gain independence through the home dialysis program."

Providence Health Care has the largest nephrology department in the province, providing care to patients and families across BC and the Yukon. Its integrated, interdisciplinary team of caregivers - based at St. Paul's Hospital - provides a continuum of treatment, from early intervention to dialysis and kidney transplantation. The range of hospital-based and outreach services provided by the renal team includes hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis, as well as pre- and post-transplant assessment. Providence operates community hemodialysis units in Vancouver, Squamish, Sechelt, Powell River, Richmond and North Vancouver.

Working with the Provincial Health Services Authority and the five regional health authorities, the BC Provincial Renal Agency plans and coordinates British Columbia's kidney care services. Through these and other partnerships, the agency works to improve early diagnosis and intervention, improve treatment options for patients, ensure the financial sustainability of the provincial renal care system, ensure equitable access to services for all kidney patients in the province, and educate British Columbians about kidney disease.

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Free Public Talk: Latest in Cardiac Research, Care & Prevention

Straight From the Heart: Your Guide to the Latest in Cardiac Research, Care & Prevention

Get your pulse racing with the latest information in cardiac research, care and prevention. Our experts, based in two of Canada’s leading cardiac care centres, St. Paul’s Hospital and VGH, will guide you through the secrets of caring for the heart including the role of gender, what study results reveal about angioplasty vs. medical management, understanding risk, and new technology & surgical techniques.

To pre-register for this free event, call 604-875-4372 or email celebrateresearch@vch.ca. Moderated by Dr. Rhonda Low of CTV News at Five and featuring Drs. Chris Buller, Karin Humphries, and Sam Lichtenstein. Also, dietitian Melodie Yong (St. Paul’s Hospital Healthy Heart Program) and exercise specialist Karelyn Hrushowy (VGH Cardiac Rehab Program) will be available to answer your questions from 6 to 7 p.m.

The Public talk on “Straight From the Heart: Your Guide to the Latest in Cardiac Research, Care and Prevention” will be held on Tuesday March 11, 2008 at 7 p.m. (doors at 6 p.m.) at Vancouver General Hospital in the Jim Pattison Pavilion (899 West 12th Ave) at the Cordula & Günter Paetzold Health Education Centre on the Main Level.

To register, send your name and the number of people in your party to celebrateresearch@vch.ca or call 604-875-4372.

For more information: Visit www.vchri.ca

This event is part of UBC’s Celebrate Research Week, and is presented by the Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute and the Providence Health Care Research Institute.

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New Research Could Lead to Reduced Deaths from Septic Shock

New research by St. Paul’s Hospital’s Dr. Jim Russell and the team of Vasopressin and Septic Shock Trial (VASST) investigators – published in the latest edition of the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine – shows some patients with septic shock may have a better chance of surviving if they are treated with the human hormone vasopressin. Sepsis is the body’s response to a severe infection and is a very serious medical condition characterized by an intense whole body inflammatory state. Dr. Russell’s research focused on patients suffering from septic shock, which leads to decreased tissue blood flow and oxygen delivery.

“Septic shock is the most common cause of death in intensive care units,” says Dr. Russell. “With a mortality rate of 40 to 60 per cent, it kills more people annually than heart attacks. Usual treatment includes antibiotics, fluids, oxygen, ventilator support and drugs to support low blood pressure such as the hormone norepinephrine. Our research found that infusion of the human hormone vasopressin could reduce the number of deaths in patients who have less severe septic shock.”

Although vasopressin is widely used to improve blood pressure in patients who have septic shock, no research had ever been done to determine whether vasopressin was more effective than norepinephrine in reducing deaths. The VASST study of 778 patients showed that vasopressin treatment did not change the primary outcome – death within 28 days - in those patients who were suffering from septic shock, but there was a demonstrable difference in patients who had less severe septic shock.

“In fact, our findings showed that in patients who had less severe septic shock, mortality was 26.5 per cent for the vasopressin treated group, compared to 35.7 per cent for the norepinephrine treated group,” said Dr. Russell.

There are about 750,000 cases per year of sepsis in the U.S. and about 75,000 in Canada. The number of cases is climbing around the world due to more resistant organisms, aggressive surgery and aging populations.

“This research provides more data for physicians and care teams that selective infusion of vasopressin in patients who have less severe septic shock has the potential to save the lives of thousands of septic patients,” said Dr. Russell. “Some experts recommend that a new trial of vasopressin in patients who have less severe septic shock is necessary to confidently determine whether vasopressin decreases their mortality.”

Background:

Dr. Jim Russell is a Professor of Medicine at University of British Columbia and a Principal Investigator at the James Hogg Centre for Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Research at St. Paul’s Hospital. He was previously Head of Medicine at St. Paul’s (1993 - 2003) and Head of Critical Care at UBC and St. Paul’s (1982 - 2005). The two major current themes of his research are: (1) the genomics of the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and sepsis; and (2) randomized controlled trials in the critically ill. The research success in sepsis was recognized in an invited review in New England Journal of Medicine (Russell JA. Management of Sepsis. N Engl J Med 2006; 355 (16): 699 – 713.)

St. Paul’s Hospital is a research, teaching and acute institution, operated by Providence Health Care. Providence is the largest faith-based health care organization in Canada, operating eight facilities in Vancouver, B.C., delivering compassionate care to 460,000 patients and residents each year, while training medical professionals and making innovative advances in research.

Experts from St. Paul’s Offer Drop-in Sessions on Heart Failure

Providence Health Care Named a Best Employer for New Canadians

Providence Health Care (PHC) has been selected as one of the 20 Best Employers for New Canadians for 2008, a designation that recognizes the nation's best employers for recent immigrants.
PHC was the only health care organization in western Canada recognized in 2008 for its progressive work policies, educational and training opportunities and competitive compensation that assist new Canadians in making the transition to a new workplace and a new life in Canada.

"I would like to congratulate Providence Health Care on winning this prestigious award and for its role in attracting experienced foreign health care professionals,”said Health Minister George Abbott. “Patients and residents in British Columbia benefit from the skills foreign health care professionals bring to our province, particularly as we face the challenge of shortages of health care professionals overall. They play an important role in providing British Columbians with the best possible health care, particularly given our province’s cultural diversity.”

The second annual Best Employers for New Canadians competition is presented by Mediacorp Canada Inc., the editors of Canada's Top 100 Employers in partnership with TRIEC, a non-profit organization with extensive experience in immigrant employer issues. The 20 finalists represent employers from across Canada that lead their peers in creating workplaces that welcome new Canadians and allow them to make the most of their skills, education and talents.

“It is a great honour for Providence to be recognized as a leading organization that creates a welcoming and productive environment for employees who are recent immigrants,” said Dianne Doyle, PHC’s President and CEO. “Working with our health partners, Vancouver Coastal Health, Fraser Health Authority, the Provincial Health Services Authority of BC and the Ministry of Health, we will continue to enhance our support programs to remain an employer of choice for leading health care professionals from around the world.”

PHC’s mission, vision and values respect the diversity, dignity and interdependence of all persons, which are reflected in the organization’s initiatives and programs that assist employees who are transitioning to life in Canada.

Background on Providence Health Care Initiatives and Services for Foreign Staff

• PHC notifies new applicants of the steps required to have their foreign qualifications evaluated by a provincially recognized evaluation service.

• PHC’s “onboarding” program consists of an organization-wide New Employee Orientation as well as unit-specific and job-specific orientation sessions (up to a week long). When training specifically for their roles, new employees are given “buddy” or “shadow” shifts, where they follow and are mentored by a senior staff member. If necessary, new employees who are recent immigrants are supported with extended shadow shifts and mentoring to gain confidence and better understand the Canadian workplace.

• PHC offers settlement services to help ease the transition for internationally recruited staff coming to work at PHC. These staff receive a relocation allowance and are paired up with a relocation agent who will help them with housing, community services and schools upon their arrival to Canada.

• PHC’s Diversity Services department facilitates and supports health care delivery in a diverse workplace and multicultural environment by providing education, developing resource and training materials and conducting workshops and lectures on cultural competence in health care. New Canadians coming to work in a multicultural environment for the first time especially benefit by learning about the needs of the diverse patient population that PHC serves.

• PHC’s Mission Services department and Pastoral Care Services regularly organize special events around different cultural and religious holidays throughout PHC sites to create awareness and appreciation for the different cultures represented among PHC staff.

• PHC participates in an International Nurse Recruitment Campaign branded under the title “Nurse Vancouver”. This campaign is a collaborative initiative with PHC and the three Health Authorities in Metro Vancouver and is supported by the Ministry of Health. The focus is to actively recruit foreign-trained nurses to help alleviate the nursing shortage in Metro Vancouver. Since its inception in 2006, more than 500 international nurses have been hired including 100 nurses to PHC.

• PHC participates in the Internationally Educated (IEN) Registered Nurses (RN) Post-Licensure Program, a four-month, intensive orientation and training program that provides internationally educated registered nurses already living in Canada (for whom English is a second language) an opportunity to update their skills in order to work in Canada while earning full wages. The fully subsidized program is 16 weeks in length consisting of language and orientation courses, classroom work and preceptorship in a hospital unit at PHC. Following this, nurses assume permanent full-time positions on the unit where they completed their preceptorship.

Every year, Mediacorp reviews information from thousands of Canadian organizations to identify what it takes to be one of Canada's best employers. The winners of the Best Employers for New Canadians competition will be profiled in special editorial features published Mediacorp’s media partners early in 2008. Employers selected for this list will also be featured in the paperback edition of Canada's Top 100 Employers in 2008.

Providence Health Care is the largest faith-based health care organization in Canada, operating eight facilities in Vancouver, B.C. Guided by the principle “How you want to be treated,” Providence delivers compassionate care to 350,000 patients and residents each year, while training medical professionals and making innovative advances in research.

Experts from St. Paul’s Offer Drop-in Sessions on Heart Failure

Summit Draws Leaders to Address Heart and Lung Health in BC

Researchers, educators, clinicians, policy makers, private sector leaders and members of the public will gather at a local summit tomorrow to address the enormous burden of heart and lung diseases. The summit, covering a timely topic for Heart Month, acknowledges the connection between heart and lung diseases and the urgency to address the issue.

Heart disease is the biggest killer of Canadians – an illness that 74,000 die from each year. Lung disease affects one in five Canadians, taking a life every 20 minutes. Together these diseases cost our health care system more than $26.5 billion annually. Scientists are increasingly discovering links between heart and lung diseases, including similar causative factors such as air pollution, cigarette smoke, obesity and viruses. Meanwhile the rates and costs of heart and lung diseases are on the rise around the world.

Hosted by the Providence Heart + Lung Institute at St. Paul’s Hospital, the summit will present the opportunities and challenges that British Columbians face in heart and lung health, and how the province will lead in addressing these. The summit is the first step in a concerted effort to place British Columbia at the forefront of heart and lung health.

What: Restoring & Sustaining Heart & Lung Health in the 21st Century

When: Thursday, February 21, 2008, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Where: Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue, Vancouver, B.C. (580 West Hastings Street)

Speakers:

Dr. Bruce McManus
Director, Providence Heart + Lung Institute at St. Paul’s Hospital

Dr. Peter Liu
Scientific Director, Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health, Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Member, Steering Committee, Canadian Heart Health Strategy
Member, Interim Steering Committee, National Lung Health Framework

Dr. Arden Pope
Mary Lou Fulton Professor of Economics, Brigham Young University
Board of Directors, American Lung Association of Utah

Launched in June 2007, the Providence Heart + Lung Institute at St. Paul's Hospital embraces all of Providence’s heart and lung research, education and care programs under one umbrella. It is the only such institute of its kind in Canada. Its mandate is to transform cardiovascular and pulmonary research and care - accelerating the transfer of new care solutions from discovery to clinics and communities to improve the lives of British Columbians.

Experts from St. Paul’s Offer Drop-in Sessions on Heart Failure

Free Drop-in Sessions: All About Heart Failure

Heart failure affects people in many different ways and can develop over several years or suddenly as a result of a heart attack. For most people heart failure is a life-long condition.

Join experts from St. Paul’s Hospital’s Heart Function Clinic for a series of short lectures on what heart failure is, how it’s treated, what you can do to prevent it, and if you have it, what you can do to manage it. Experts will be available to answer any questions about heart failure and provide valuable information on prevention, drugs for treatment, diet, exercise and self-care.

Presented by Providence Health Care’s Heart + Lung Institute in association with the Canadian CHF Clinics Network, this event is sponsored in part by Medtronic Canada.

What: Free Drop-in Sessions for “Heart Failure Awareness Day”
When: Friday, February 22nd, 10am - 12:30pm (meet the experts) 11am - 12 noon (lectures)
Where: St. Paul’s Hospital, Level 1 Conference Centre, Providence Building

Free underground hotel parking is available on a first come first served basis.

Speakers:

Dr. Andy Ignaszewski, Cardiologist
Ms. Margaret Edmonds, Heart Failure Nurse
Ms. Beverly Lau, Dietitian
Dr. Doson Chua, Pharmacist

For more information, please call 604-806-8733.

Experts from St. Paul’s Offer Drop-in Sessions on Heart Failure

Innovative New Cardiac Operating Room Opens at St. Paul’s Hospital

Sister Margaret Vickers, currently on the Board of Directors at Providence Health Care, has been given Canada’s highest civilian honour – the Order of Canada.
Sister Vickers has been a member of the Sisters of Charity of the Immaculate Conception, a Saint John-based Catholic religious order, since 1955 and has devoted her life to working in health care.

“This prize is of the highest distinction and truly recognizes Sister Vickers’ invaluable contribution to the mission of Catholic Health Care in Canada,” says Providence Health Care CEO Dianne Doyle. “She has accomplished a great deal in her career and deserves this high praise.”

The Order of Canada recognition is the latest in a long list of accomplishments for Sister Vickers. She graduated from St. Martha’s Hospital school of nursing in Antigonish, Nova Scotia and later earned a bachelor of nursing and master of health administration in Ottawa. In 1986 Sister Vickers was presented with an honorary doctor of laws degree from the University of New Brunswick.

Sister Vickers is past chair of the Catholic Health Association and the New Brunswick Hospital Association, of which she was a founding member. In addition, from 1997-2001 she served as president of the Vancouver Archdiocesan Sisters Association and was a member of her religious community’s leadership team from 1998-2002.

Last year, Sister Vickers and her sister Charlotte Vickers, also of the Sisters of Charity, received the highest distinction in Catholic health care from the Catholic Health Association of Canada.

Sister Vickers will travel to Ottawa in the coming year to attend the Order of Canada ceremonies with Governor General Michaëlle Jean. The Order recognizes a lifetime of dedication and outstanding achievement by people in all sectors of society who exemplify its motto DESIDERANTES MELIOREM PATRIAM (they desire a better country).

Providence Health Care is the largest Catholic health care organization in Canada, operating eight facilities in Vancouver, B.C. Guided by the principle “How you want to be treated,” Providence delivers compassionate care to 350,000 patients and residents each year, while training medical professionals and making innovative advances in research.

Background on Sister Vickers

An active member of Sisters of Charity of the Immaculate Conception, Sister Vickers holds a Diploma in Nursing from St. Martha’s Hospital in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, a Bachelor of Nursing and a Master’s of Health Administration from the University of Ottawa and an honorary Doctorate in Law.

She has been a member in various capacities with the Saskatchewan Catholic Health Association, New Brunswick Hospital Association, Canadian Hospital Association, Nurses Association of New Brunswick, New Brunswick Catholic Health Association, United Way of Greater Saint John, American College of Hospital Administrators, Canadian College of Health Service Executives, Advisory Committee for St. Joseph's Hospital and Board of Directors for Region 2 Hospital, Saint John.

After receiving her diploma and degree in Nursing, Sister Vickers went on to post-graduate studies pediatric nursing at Toronto Sick Children’s Hospital and audiology at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal. Combined with her Master’s in Health Administration, this background enabled her to serve in a number of capacities over the years at various hospitals, including St. Vincent's in Vancouver as Assistant Administrator, St. Joseph's Hospital in Saint John, New Brunswick as Director of Nursing, Holy Family Hospital in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan as Assistant Administrator and again at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Saint John as Executive Director and Administrator—a position she held for 22 years.

It has been said that she ran St. Joseph’s with “wisdom and firmness.” According to Minister of Health and Community Services for New Brunswick, she was the driving force behind St. Joseph’s Hospital’s unique personality and quality service to the community. In all things her dedication and efforts were derived from a deep concern for patients in their time of illness and distress.

During her time at St. Joseph’s she helped found a hospice for families of palliative care patients, AIDS Saint John, Birth Right and an Audiology Clinic. She also organized and open the first diagnostic hostel, helped open a day surgery centre, an intensive care unit, occupational therapy unit, an extended care unit and an expansion to the emergency department. All of these accomplishments added another dimension to the care that was provided to the patients. She was also one of the key people involved in the establishment of the St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation, which raises funds to enhance hospital equipment. She was known as the most valuable and committed fundraiser.

In 1986, in recognition of her service and contributions to health care, Sister Vickers was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of New Brunswick.

In the 1990s she returned to St. Vincent’s Hospital in Vancouver, where she had once been an administrative assistant. Now she served as a member of the Board of Directors, helping orchestrate a merger with St. Paul’s Hospital and other Catholic facilities—the largest voluntary merger in Canadian health care history. The new organization, Providence Health Care, has eight sites, including nearly 800 acute care beds and five residential care homes for the elderly.

Since early 2000 Sister Vickers has been a member of the Board Directors and the Providence Health Care society, where she makes valuable contributions. She serves on the Mission and Ethics Committee, the Board Development Committee and the Quality and Performance Improvement Committee. She also serves as Mission Facilitator at one of the organization’s care homes, Brock Fahrni Pavilion, for veterans of Canada’s armed forces.

Sister Vickers was also among the first in Catholic health care to recognize that the ministry must extend beyond the walls of its health facilities. She has been instrumental in the development and ongoing success of Providence in the Park. This is a twice-annual outreach event that sees staff and volunteers from Providence Health Care provide clothing, food and comfort to more than 500 residents of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, Canada’s poorest urban neighbourhood.

Sister Vickers has made an invaluable contribution to health care in Canada. Whether as a Sister of the Charity of the Immaculate Conception, an executive director and administrator, or a board member at Providence Health Care, she and her accomplishments deserve high praise for having set high standards for her colleagues and the organizations she have served. Recently added to the honours she has received during her career is a 2007 Performance Citation Award from the Catholic Health Association of Canada.

Experts from St. Paul’s Offer Drop-in Sessions on Heart Failure

Providence Health Care Board Member Awarded Order of Canada

Last year, Sister Vickers and her sister Charlotte Vickers, also of the Sisters of Charity, received the highest distinction in Catholic health care from the Catholic Health Association of Canada.

Background on Sister Vickers

In 1986, in recognition of her service and contributions to health care, Sister Vickers was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of New Brunswick.

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2007 ary 2007Experts from St. Paul’s Offer Drop-in Sessions on Heart Failure

New Addiction Research Chair Receives $2.25 Million in Funding

The Province’s $2.25-million investment in a new B.C. Leadership Chair will support leading-edge research and the development of innovative treatment approaches by a world authority on addictions, Advanced Education Minister Murray Coell announced today.
“Addiction takes its toll on the lives of millions of Canadians, directly and indirectly, and costs our health-care system and our economy billions of dollars each year,” said Coell. “The Province is dedicated to finding new ways to improve the lives of those struggling with addiction. By establishing this Leadership Chair with our funding partners, we will support groundbreaking work toward new and effective treatment approaches.”

The first Addiction Research Chair at the University of British Columbia will be Dr. Michael Krausz, a noted psychiatrist and researcher, who will also hold a clinical appointment at St. Paul’s Hospital, part of Providence Health Care. Krausz is a world authority on addiction treatment and led the world’s largest addiction trial, carried out in Germany using heroin-assisted therapy. Examples of the research he will conduct in his new role will involve gaining a better understanding of the impact of life experiences like violence and sexual abuse on addiction, as well as looking at medications and other therapies that can improve people’s lives.

“The Province is committed to attracting world-class researchers like Dr. Krausz to B.C.,” said Coell. “His research will help the many people and their families who are suffering from the damage caused by addiction. We can justifiably be proud of how the government, through the Leading Edge Endowment Fund (LEEF), is supporting pioneering research in the province.”

Funding for the B.C. Leadership Chairs was established with an initial provincial commitment of $45 million for LEEF. Twenty leadership chairs will each receive a total endowment of up to $4.5 million, which is cost-shared between the government and the private sector. St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation has committed matching funding of $2.25 million for the B.C. Leadership Chair in Addiction Research. This is the province’s tenth B.C. leadership chair. “The creation of this new Leadership Chair has provided me with the opportunity to bring my experience in addictions research to British Columbia,” said Krausz. “Through research, we can better understand why people become addicted and develop new therapies and strategies to improve their lives.”

“We are very pleased to welcome Dr. Krausz,” said Providence Health Care president and CEO Dianne Doyle. “At St. Paul’s Hospital, we serve thousands of patients with addiction-related health problems every year. Thanks to the vision of the provincial government and the generosity of donors to St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation who supported this cause, the Leadership Chair will be the cornerstone of a world-class addictions research program based in downtown Vancouver.”

Media Contact:

Corinna Filion
Communications Manager
Ministry of Advanced Education
250-952-6400
250-812-7977 (cell)

For more information on government services or to subscribe to the Province’s news feeds using RSS, visit the Province’s website at www.gov.bc.ca.

Experts from St. Paul’s Offer Drop-in Sessions on Heart Failure

Providence Health Care President & CEO Named One of Canada’s Most Powerful Women

Canada's leading women executives in just about every corner of the business world – from medicine and media to education and energy – are on this year's list of Canada's Top 100 most powerful women, including Providence Health Care President and Chief Executive Officer, Dianne Doyle.

The Top 100 Awards are awarded annually by the Women's Executive Network (WXN) to celebrate the success and extraordinary achievements of women from many walks of life. Under the leadership of WXN, an independent advisory board selected winners in eight categories: Corporate Executives, Entrepreneurs, Public Sector Leaders, Trailblazers & Trendsetters, Champions, Professionals, Future Leaders and Arts & Communications.

Doyle was selected as this year's winner in the Public Sector Leader category. Doyle was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of Providence Health Care in September 2006.

She began her career as a staff nurse at Royal Jubilee Hospital in Victoria, BC, but since then has worked exclusively in PHC facilities. She was a Head Nurse and Medical Instructor at St. Paul's Hospital and then moved to Mount Saint Joseph Hospital as Vice President Patient Care Services. She became the Chief Operating Officer and Vice President, Patient Care and Support Services for Mount Saint Joseph in 1995/96 and was then named Acting President and Chief Executive Officer, CHARA Health Care Society.

Doyle is recognized as a champion of Catholic health care provincially and nationally. Currently, she is the Chair of the Catholic Health Association of Canada, a Board member of the BC Health Care Leaders Association, and Vice Chair of both the Catholic Health Association of B.C and the Denominational Health Care Association.

Doyle’s service to the community includes supporting many non-profit groups with her time and expertise. In 2005 she climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro in support of the Alzheimer Society of BC.

Doyle has a BSN from the University of Ottawa and an MSN from the University of British Columbia. In 1990 she received a CHA Health Services Management and CHE Certification from the Canadian Council Health Services Executives. In 2002 she received her Fellowship in the Canadian Council Health Services Executives.