CENTRAL Zone NEWS Zone Your Health Care in Your Community 2013 May
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CHAMPIONS OF CARE: You make a difference Foundations & Thank you! Health Trusts FOR A LOOK AT THE IMPORTANT WORK DONE BY FOUNDATIONS, TURN TO PAGES 6-7 CENTRAL Zone NEWS Zone Your HealtH Care in Your CommunitY 2013 may again,“ i say to all, ‘ay-hay’ (thank you) for all the support from the liaison — Louisa Wildcat strong ties aboriginal health co-ordinator Claudette yellowbird, left, consults with 100-year-old louisa Wildcat, who accessed services from the hospital after finding out a Cree-speaking advocate would be there to support her and her family. it’s all part of alberta health services’ aboriginal health program. PAGE 3 setting priorities Where they’re neeDeD most n the face of it, budgets might seem boring, We are not suggesting it will be easy. it will mean and youth, and those at the end of life. i think you will but here’s why what we are doing now is difficult choices, involving programs and services that agree we must be there for them. We must do more oso important to our patients, families and may have been part of alberta health services for for the people who need more care. We need more communities. many years. community-based care, and we need to focus more there are three essential parts to the budget What are those priorities? Why the need to find on wellness because, in the end, it’s about taking care approved by our Board earlier this month: those cost-savings? of people, and that’s what setting priorities is all about. • We will spend new dollars on growth. Because we are also adding more Continuing in short, we’ll spend more of your health dollars • We will increase spending to meet increased Care spaces in alberta this year at a cost of about where patients need it most. demand. $50 million. We will increase investment in operating We’ll do that in part by reducing administration • We will find cost-savings and redirect those costs for new facilities, such as the alberta Children’s overhead costs by 10 per cent over three years. dollars to where they will have greater impact. hospital neonatal unit, and the new red Deer cancer We are eliminating pay-at-risk for all executives Budgets are all about setting priorities and making facility. We will increase spending on primary Care and effective april 1, 2013, and commencing a review of choices. We will find $220 million in cost-savings mental health and Continuing Care by almost 10 per executive compensation. you can find more details at across the health system, which will be redirected to cent. spending on emergency and other outpatient www.albertahealthservices.ca/8241.asp. Difficult higher priorities. to put it simply, we will move dollars services will increase by 6.4 per cent. spending decisions, yes, but necessary as over the next two to where they will make a bigger difference. on inpatient acute nursing care services, including or three years we change the way health care is at the same time, the Board and senior medical, surgical, intensive care, obstetrics, pediatrics provided to make it easier for patients to get what management have directed the Zones and program and mental health, will increase by 4.6 per cent. they need when they need it. n and portfolio leaders to ensure that patient care is not and we will spend more in support for the frail – Stephen Lockwood, affected. elderly, the vulnerable, complex high-needs children Board Chair, Alberta Health Services PAGE 2 l o C a l l e a d e r s DR. evan lundAll keRRy bales Medical Director Senior Vice-President Central Zone Central Zone RECOGNIZING OUR VOLUNTEERS n addition to the dedicated health care professionals caring for our patients and iresidents every day, there is another group hard at work, giving back their time and energy. and that group is our dedicated volunteers. the support of health care volunteers in central alberta dates back more than 100 as a nurse practitioner, Krista Rawson is an important member of the team for cancer patients. years. The role was introduced at the Central alberta Cancer Centre in 2009. today, our volunteers continue this special tradition of generosity, providing a guiDing hanD a CanCer Diagnosis immeasurable support to our staff as one of our most valuable resources. Volunteers Nurse practitioner helps patients is still a huge BloW add extra care to the quality health care navigate the trials of cancer anD people neeD patients and residents receive. Story by Heather Kipling and James Stevenson | help Working their every day across the Central Zone, Photo courtesy Alberta Cancer Foundation | “ hundreds of hours are logged by volunteers, Way through it urse practitioner krista rawson spends auxiliary members and community groups — Krista Rawson, nurse practitioner of all abilities who provide an array of her days helping patients at the Central services to our facilities and community nalberta Cancer Centre (CaCC) in programs. red Deer make decisions about their cancer for her work, rawson was awarded the pfizer in 2012 alone, over 200,000 hours of care – trying to navigate them through various award of excellence in nursing Clinical practice service was contributed by volunteers, treatments and options. by the Canadian association of nurses in young and old alike. from hospital visitors, “i’m just one person in a net that catches oncology. musical entertainers and workshop people when they’re in crisis,” says rawson. the clinical practice award is given for facilitators, to immunization clinic “Curable or not, a cancer diagnosis is still a leadership in the development of oncology volunteers, laboratory greeters, mealtime huge blow and people need help working their patient care. eight awards of excellence are assistants and pet visitation volunteers, way through it. handed out annually. volunteers fill many roles. “my role is to spend time guiding patients “having krista on site has improved the safety additionally, more than 300 auxiliary through their treatments. sometimes my and quality of care provided to our patients,” members in communities across the role is medical, sometimes it is counsellor says CaCC nurse manager, myrna kelley. Central Zone raise funds that help benefit and sometimes it’s as a cheerleader – all are rawson works with patients with breast, health care. members also support resident important for patients and their families.” lung or gastrointestinal cancers, as most nurse birthday programs, holiday gift purchases, nurse practitioners like rawson are advanced practitioners focus on specific types of cancer. annual bursaries and therapy programs. practice nurses who, through additional from meeting with newly diagnosed patients, to hundreds of local community groups also education, are licensed to diagnose and manage developing treatment plans, to following up with contribute, giving generously of their time chronic illnesses, order diagnostic tests and those who haven’t seen a physician in a while, and talents. prescribe treatments and medications. they can she contributes to the care of 30 to 50 patients thanks to all of our volunteers for the manage independent clinics and carry their own each week. important contributions they make every patient caseload. “there is nothing like having people talk about day. their dedication and commitment rawson began at the CaCC in 2009 and what is important to them to remind me of what strengthens our communities and, most became the facility’s first nurse practitioner. is important,” says rawson. importantly, makes a difference in the lives “We worked on integrating the role of the “i’m grateful for those opportunities. of those we serve. n nurse practitioner into the care team and lay the “patients and staff have been so receptive to groundwork for which patients i might work with,” me, and their acceptance has been critical to she says. this being successful.” n GET THE CARE YOU NEED WHEN YOU NEED IT + Health Link Alberta + Walk-In Clinic IT HAPPENS. + Family Doctor + Community Health Centre + Emergency albertahealthservices.ca/options www.albertahealthservices.ca There are plenty of health care options available. Learn yours by visiting the AHS website. i n Y o u r z o n e PAGE 3 aboriginal health co-ordinator Jackie Norman, left, and Katlyne Ducharme share a laugh at Red Deer Regional hospital Centre. Ducharme is one of many people benefiting from the support of AHS’ aboriginal health Program. BuilDing Cultural BriDges Story and photos by Adam Eisenbarth | t hasn’t been an easy life for katlyne Ducharme. the 22-year-old has battled ialcohol and drug addiction for much of his life. But, as he takes the steps to turn his life around at red Deer regional hospital Centre, Ducharme is thankful for the support he’s receiving from Jackie norman, an alberta health at alberta health services, we care for you, your family, your friends and your neighbours. We’re services aboriginal health co-ordinator. tapped into the unique health needs of communities across the province. and so, when first “Jackie comes to visit me at the unit from time nations people noted there was a need for health care liaisons to provide advice and support for to time. she’s been really supportive and has aboriginal populations, ahs created the aboriginal health program. helped me realize that i can get through this, and start helping others like she is.” “i make regular rounds through the hospital, language, with yellowbird interpreting. norman is one of three aboriginal health co- providing support to our aboriginal patients,” “i never really wanted to use this service ordinators in Central Zone. along with her office says gladys Bigelow, a co-ordinator in rocky knowing that communication would be a in red Deer, she is also stationed in ponoka.