Central Zone News Zone Your Health Care in Your Community 2012 October
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CENTRAL ZONE NEWS ZONE YOUR HEALTH CARE IN YOUR COMMUNITY 2012 OCTOBER PLACES FOR THE HEART TAKING CARE OF SENIORS IS A LOT OF FUN AND I’VE BEEN Photo by Heather Kipling | DOING IT SINCE I WAS LITTLE. Health care aide Girlie Sareno takes time to chat with Edna Ritten, a resident at Sunset I LOVE SENIORS AND I GET Manor in Innisfail. Sunset Manor is just one of several centres across Central Zone that “ offer a variety of home-like living options for seniors while providing them the security of ALONG WELL WITH THEM having trained support staff at hand. PAGE 3 — Girlie Sareno Your total satisfaction MESSAGE TO ALL ALBERTANS is our No. 1 goal orthy goals should be provincewide health system is that we now have Albertan Satisfaction. ambitious. With that in the leanest administration in health care in Canada. Our physician-led provincewide Strategic Clinical Wmind, I have one goal That makes us unique and, I would argue, better Networks that tie our organization together are one for Alberta Health Services (AHS) positioned than any other health system to let our of the most important innovations in health care and in my time as Chair of the Board: local leaders focus on what they do best: provide another value proposition that makes AHS unique in Stephen Total Albertan Satisfaction. health care and focus on innovation. Canada. Their task is to use innovation to reduce wait Lockwood It goes without saying that Every zone – or hospital, or care centre, for that times and increase access and make sure every part patient and family satisfaction are matter – has to be responsible for making the of the province benefits, no matter where you live, no Board Chair a high priority. But to get there, decisions that make sense for their area and their matter how big or small your community. It has to be we also need the total satisfaction patients. That’s part of what total satisfaction is about, that simple. of our physicians and staff and our health leaders because in that environment, innovation, process Let’s also be clear on this point: we are not across the province. We need total satisfaction in our improvement and increased productivity will happen. proposing or planning a restructuring of Alberta five zones and all of our communities. Why are people drawn to health care, or any job for Health Services. But we are going to continue to learn How are we going to do that? that matter? They want to make a difference. They and to refine the system and empower employees We are already well down the road with the want to feel respected, trusted and to be excited to to move faster. Can we improve? Absolutely. acceleration in the past year of zone-based come to work. They want to do what they do best. That’s true of any organization. And in the process, leadership and decision-making. But we can go much We intend to let them do just that. we will continue to reduce bureaucracy. Nothing further, by unleashing what I see as a lot of pent-up It’s up to our Board and senior management to kills innovation and job satisfaction more than enthusiasm and creativity. create that culture and environment, to decide who bureaucracy. It starts with a basic question: who’s in the best is in the best position to deliver health care and then The health system is more stable now than it has place to make a decision? It’s usually not head office, get out of the way so they can do their work. Above been in the better part of the last decade, and credit and that’s not a criticism of AHS. In the early days all, we’ve got to trust and challenge our people and for that goes to both frontline staff and physicians of our organization, it was necessary to centralize a create an atmosphere where making decisions is and health leaders. This year’s staff surveys show number of services and wipe out hundreds of millions second-nature. satisfaction has improved dramatically. We are of dollars in wasted duplication of administration of Make decisions and focus on patients. Make it making progress on achieving performance targets the former health regions. We are well past that. easier for patients and families to understand and and we want to accelerate that. Patient satisfaction is To borrow a business term, one of the most navigate the health system when they need it. It also improving. important value propositions in creating a needs to be that simple. It has to be that simple. Total Continued on Page 2 PAGE 2 L O C A L L E A D E R S Nurse, paramedic, volunteer CRISIS TO CALM – these are just a few of the hats this man wears. Then IS HIS NORM there’s the life-support training Story by Adam Eisenbarth | Photo by Tannis Shaw program he helped launch ... hen trouble happens, Norm Martineau Martineau has teamed with his close friend is ready to get to work. and colleague Dale Bayliss to launch this training W A licensed practical nurse and program that contributes all funds raised to the paramedic, Martineau has become a mainstay Heart and Stroke Foundation. at the Tofield Health Centre, with 26 years of “We provide Advance Cardiac Life Support Zone leaders: Medical Director service. training for fellow medical professionals, helping Dr. Evan Lundall, left, and Kerry Bales, “Whether it’s a child’s face going from crying to them to further develop life-saving skills for Senior Vice-President, Central Zone. sleeping, or its parents’ faces going from panic patients,” says Martineau. to calm, having the knowledge that you have “It prepares them to deal with sudden cardiac CONNECTING made a difference is what makes this job so events such as stroke, heart attack and cardiac special,” Martineau says. arrest.” COMMUNITIES An active member of his community, Martineau The program is a way of honouring both The direct connection we have to the truly enjoys helping out, whether it’s at work, or his father, and Bayliss’s father, each of whom communities that make up Alberta Health in his various other roles. passed away after suffering a heart attack. Services (AHS) Central Zone is important to “Norm is an advocate for patients, families “I had been thinking of different ways to honour the work we do each and every day. and his colleagues. He handles every situation my father and, when Dale came to me asking if We connect not only through our facilities, with the utmost respect and compassion,” says I would do the course, I didn’t hesitate,” recalls programs, services, staff and physicians, site manager Melody Henriksen. “He truly is the Martineau. “As long as there is interest, we will but also through our community partners, poster boy for Alberta Health Services’ values deliver the courses.” volunteers, health advisory councils, and we are so blessed to have him on our Martineau’s passion for his work comes from foundations and auxiliaries. Each plays team.” his father, whom he honours to this day. an important role. We all live and work in When Martineau is not working at the health “He always said, ‘if you enjoy what you do, you the communities we serve; we call central centre, he’s often volunteering as a medic for the never really have to work a day in your life.’ Alberta home. Living in the communities Tofield Fire Department. “I can honestly say I love what I do.” n we serve means we also know what makes But perhaps closest to his heart is his work as each one unique. a volunteer instructor for the Give Back Program. A one-size-fits-all approach isn’t effective HAVING THE when it comes to meeting health needs. KNOWLEDGE THAT While one community may be recruiting for additional physicians, another may be YOU HAVE MADE A recruiting for additional allied staff. While DIFFERENCE IS WHAT one has an aging population, another may “ MAKES THIS JOB SO be seeing a trend in the opposite direction, with more young families moving in. SPECIAL It is the ties we have with each community — Norm Martineau, left that help us plan appropriately to meet these diverse needs. At the same time, we also have the benefit of being able to tap into the expertise of health colleagues from right across the province. It’s a great combination – one that aims to provide the best care for all Albertans. To learn more about AHS Central Zone and the communities we serve, please visit us online at www.albertahealthservices. ca/5825.asp. We hope you enjoy this issue of Zone News. Dr. Evan Lundall Kerry Bales FINANCIAL CONTROLS WILL BE STRENGTHENED Continued from Page 1 unless given a reason to do otherwise. They’ve the decisions what they think needs to be done and I’ve been asked and expect I will continue to earned and deserve our respect. by empowering employees to drive us toward a best- be asked about the past and the decisions of our We are also going to listen to both our supporters in-class health system. predecessors. How that helps the health system and our critics. They may well have good ideas. They It’s not going to happen overnight; it won’t be today is not clear to me and is not our priority. We may be surprised to hear that we may well agree on easy and not all Albertans will always agree with our are moving forward.