聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 At the October 26 meeting of the Sunrise Regional Health Authority, Chairperson Don Rae reported that Greg Ottenbreit, the Minister of Rural and Remote Health, had an informal discussion with the board.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Board members discussed The Health Foundation Gala, which was held October 22, according to a summary of the meeting from the Sunrise Health Region. Community donations continue to be received to support the purchase of new monitoring equipment in the Intensive Care Unit of the Yorkton Regional Health Centre, and a meeting of the board鈥檚 safety and quality committee was held October 24.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Suann Laurent, president and CEO, advised the board that hand hygiene audit results from September showed an 85 per cent compliance rate with many individual facilities and program areas having achieved 100 per cent compliance, according to the CEO report. Regional activities were then highlighted.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Public influenza immunization clinics, which began on October 31, will continue throughout December. Members of the public are being advised by health care professionals to be immunized as early as possible.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Complete listings of clinic dates and locations are being distributed to all mailboxes in the region.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The 2016-2017 fall and winter menu for long-term care was adjusted according to feedback received from the residents during the 2015-16 long-term care tours and resident surveys. A survey of residents and family members will soon occur regularly as part of a provincial initiative. Training was provided to volunteers who will meet with each resident to complete the survey.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The Ituna Pioneer Health Care Centre is the 16th site to receive telehealth (video conferencing) equipment in Sunrise Health Region. The Ituna telehealth site became fully operational on September 27.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Also in September, Theodore Health Centre and Kamsack Nursing Home implemented the Purposeful Interaction program. Purposeful interaction is the practice of anticipating the needs of long-term care residents within a prescribed amount of time and improving resident safety and satisfaction while ensuring better clinical outcomes.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Several new activities have brightened the lives of residents at Yorkton & District Nursing Home, said the summary. Friday movie nights are now a regular activity for residents. In the first few weeks of the program, the average attendance has been 12 to 16 residents. 聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Since October 14, the Grade 1 classroom of Yorkdale Central School has been holding its classes at the Yorkton and District Nursing Home every Friday afternoon with residents partnering with the children for assignments such as reading or artwork. Twelve residents have signed up to participate.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 In a separate initiative, Grade 5 students, also from Yorkdale Central School, have been going to the residents of Melody Manor and Skinner Place for monthly visits. A special event with an 鈥淎lice in Wonderland鈥� theme was held in September which included 11 residents from Saltcoats Lakeside Manor Care Home traveling to join residents at Yorkton and District Nursing Home for an afternoon of fun at the 鈥淢ad Hatter鈥檚 Tea.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Patient Safety Week was recognized October 24 to 28. The health region鈥檚 鈥淪peak Up!鈥� campaign was incorporated into the messaging for the week to encourage everyone to speak up to report things he or she may see, hear, taste, feel or know that could prevent an injury or death.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Dr. Catharina Meyer was appointed to the associate medical staff in the Department of Family Medicine at the Preeceville and District Health Centre effective October 3 while Dr. Shamsher Singh was appointed effective October 11.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Dr. Victor Obiora and Dr. Sirous Jafarian from Canora now attend to medical appointments every second Wednesday at the Norquay Primary Health Clinic. The service began in September and is in addition to the regular schedule of appointments available weekdays in Norquay with Donna Abrahamson, the nurse practitioner.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 LiveWell with Chronic Conditions sessions were held in Yorkton in October and will now be held in Melville in November.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Laurent was nominated and appointed by the provincial Council of CEOs as a member of the Saskatchewan Association for Safe Workplaces in Health.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 At the October meeting, the board approved the purchase of capital equipment and projects totaling $44,888. The financial condition report which included all transactions up to and including August 31, shows the Sunrise Health Region in a surplus position with operating revenues exceeding the operating expenditures by $778,904 or 0.8 per cent of the budget.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The final item of the meeting was a presentation by Roberta Wiwcharuk, the vice-president of integrated health services. The presentation outlined the highlights and successes experienced within her portfolio over the past year. The integrated health services portfolio includes responsibility for services including acute care, long-term care, diagnostic services, emergency medical services, emergency preparedness, inter-professional practice and medical services and infection prevention and control.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 A joint meeting of the board and the Community Health Advisory Committee will be held on November 28, with the next regular meeting of the board to follow on November 30.
