2010 Award Recipients

TOP INNOVATION – AFFILIATE
Gold Apple Winner
Award of Merit Recipients


HEALTHCARE HERO – PROVINCIAL

HEALTHCARE HERO – AFFILIATE

HEALTHCARE HERO – FRASER HEALTH

HEALTHCARE HERO – INTERIOR HEALTH

HEALTHCARE HERO – NORTHERN HEALTH

HEALTHCARE HERO – PHSA

HEALTHCARE HERO – VANCOUVER COASTAL

HEALTHCARE HERO – VIHA

TOP INNOVATION – HEALTH AUTHORITY
Gold Apple Winner
Award of Merit Recipients


WORKPLACE HEALTH INNOVATION
Gold Apple Winner
Award of Merit Recipients


COLLABORATIVE SOLUTIONS
Gold Apple Winner
Award of Merit Recipients




Top Innovation - Affiliate
2010 Gold Apple Winner


Organization:
Providence Health Care
Project:
Lower Mainland Innovation & Integration Fund: Distal Extremity Project
Project Leader:
Cheryl Bishop - Director, Maternity Services & Surgical Program
Location:
Vancouver
Team Members:
Anastasia Elworthy, Dr. Tom Goetz, Dr. Steve Head, Debbie LaFlamme, Dr. Murray Penner, Tamara Younger and many others

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In an era where healthcare providers face increasing pressure to reduce wait times, the Distal Extremity Project at St. Paul’s Hospital represents an important achievement. This project not only serves as a best practices model for other healthcare organizations but most importantly, it has had an almost immediate, direct impact on patient care. The two-pronged project involved creating an intake clinic for both foot and ankle and hand and wrist patients; and expanding dedicated operating room capacity. This was a complex project, involving management of significant capital acquisitions, introducing new clinical techniques and operation models, and developing new clinical referral patterns through the local region.

The results of this hard work and effort on the part of the Distal Extremity Project team are nothing short of astounding. In just 18 months, the improvements to foot and ankle care have resulted in a decrease in the consultation waitlist from just over 3,900 to 1,400 patients. The foot and ankle consultation wait time was reduced from 734 days to less than four weeks. There was a 26 per cent increase in surgical patients receiving care within target wait times. The foot and ankle surgical waitlist was reduced from 352 to 277 patients. The percentage of foot and ankle patients seen within the target wait times increased from 44 per cent to 70 per cent. Lastly, the focus on improved hand and wrist care models resulted in increases in daily operating room productivity from 3.3 to nine cases per day.

This innovative project has inspired leaders throughout the organization to pursue large-scale system improvements.



Top Innovation - Affiliate
2010 Award of Merit Recipients       
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Organization: New Westminster Homelessness Coalition
Project:
I’s on the Street
Project Leader:
David Brown - Manager, Cliff Block Support Housing
Location:
New Westminster
Team Members:
Jack Beatty (New Westminster Mental Health), Vallen Mah, William Schnare

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“I’s on the Street” is a project supported by local businesses and multiple community agencies that engages homeless people and mental health clients in New Westminster by providing them with street cleaning jobs. This unique project creates community collaboration and integration as well as highlights the spirit of acceptance and understanding. In addition to engaging homeless people in work, ”I’s on the Street” also serves as a part of a transitional employment program and provides mentorship training for mental health clients by allowing them to earn work experiences and references.

Organization: Providence Health Care – St. Paul’s Hospital
Project:
Metabolic Syndrome Program
Project Leader:
Susanne Burns
Location:
Vancouver
Team Members:
Sandra Barr, Dr. Gregory Bondy, Dr. Sammy Chan, Dr. Sarah Cockell, Dr. Jiri Frohlich, Dr. Andrew Ignaszewski, Cindy Kam, Raman Khatra, Kay McQueen, Min Naruki-van Velzen, Minette Walker

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Metabolic syndrome is a combination of medical disorders that increase the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The need for better care for this at - risk population led to the design and implementation of the Metabolic Syndrome Program – the first of its kind in Canada. Intensive interactive lifestyle interventions and self-management strategies are integrated in this innovative model, which targets the reduction of metabolic syndrome. The team implemented strategies supporting healthy changes in psychosocial health, physical activity, nutrition and self-management.

The program aims to support the work of primary care physicians and long-term follow-up ensures patient contact and ongoing support for healthy lifestyle changes.



Top Innovation - Health Authority
2010 Gold Apple Winner
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Organization:
Vancouver Island Health Authority (VIHA)
Project:
TelePathology/CoPath
Project Leaders:
Cathy Wenger - Project Manager, VIHA IM/IT Centre for Telehealth & Lisa Moore - Manager of Laboratory Informatics
Location: Victoria

Team Members:
Esther Dunn, Gary Frank, Fraser Hacking, Mandy Jones, Diana Nagy, Dr. Doug Sawyer

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When you are an anatomical pathologist working in an isolated area, obtaining a second opinion in a hurry can be challenging. VIHA knew it needed to address this issue as it provides healthcare to approximately 750,000 people in geographically scattered island and coastal communities. The solution was the TelePathology project. TelePathology uses digital image capture technology to collect macroscopic and microscopic digital images of clinical and anatomic pathology specimens that can then be viewed, transmitted, stored, accessed and assessed by pathologists at separate locations. It allows the real-time, dynamic, collaborative sharing of pathology images from disparate locations across the region.

Today, all of the anatomical pathology workstations within VIHA can both transmit and receive streamed images generated by cameras attached to microscopes. This means that instead of having to manually transport glass slides for second opinions, these opinions can be received in a matter of minutes. In addition, VIHA has also implemented a single, region-wide laboratory computer system, Cerner CoPath Plus, in all of its anatomical pathology locations. This ensures that all of a patient’s previous anatomical pathology results are available for review by the reporting pathologist when they are reporting a current case, even when the previous samples were processed at another location. As the results from the single system are interfaced into its region-wide Cerner Hospital Information System, all providers across VIHA have seamless access to anatomical pathology reports. This also allows for the transfer of work between locations, enabling greater collaboration between sites.

The results tell the story: in the 106 anatomical pathology cases that were analyzed during the project, there was 100 per cent agreement between the referring pathologist’s opinion and that of the consulting pathologist. The image quality was deemed to be of diagnostic quality for all but the most difficult of cases. Thanks to the TelePathology CoPath projects, pathologists in remote locations are able to quickly analyze and provide reports which results in better care for patients in VIHA communities.



Top Innovation - Health Authority
2010 Award of Merit Recipients        
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Organization:
Interior Health
Project:
Creston Valley Hospital Kiosk Pilot Project
Project Leader:
Melanie AbedRabo - eHealth Integration& Education/Training Manager, IMIT
Location: Creston

Team Members:
Jeremy Chapman, Carolyn Drexel

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The Kiosk Pilot Project was created to provide a solution to the overcrowding and long wait times experienced by patients at Creston Valley Hospital Laboratory. Specifically, the kiosk was designed to reduce the wait times of laboratory patients who must have blood tests done on a regular basis by allowing patients to self-register to the lab. During the three-month pilot project, more than 1,157 real-time registrations were completed via the kiosk. In project evaluation, 70 per cent of patients responded positively to questions regarding privacy, trust, ease of use and time. Patients requested to have additional departments added to the kiosk and also gained the ability to self-register for nutritional counselling and diabetic education.

Organization: Vancouver Island Health Authority (VIHA)
Project:
Bridges Project
Project Leader:
Kenneth Moselle, PhD - Manager, Performance Standards & Monitoring
Location:
Victoria
Team Members:
Alan Campbell, Catherine Claiter, Dr. Mary Lyn Fyfe, Dr. Robert Miller, Marti Stewart

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Bridges is a major electronic health record initiative in the area of Mental Health & Addiction Services at VIHA. The goal of the Bridges project is to provide more effective services for the populations of high needs/high risk clients that are priority targets for mental health and addiction services. One of the successes of this project is rapid uptake, with approximately 2,000 clinical profiles being added per month in the first six months of deployment. Another benefit is increased client and staff safety as each client’s profile contains a detailed clinical/behaviour/risk profile. Finally, the Bridges project allows for more timely access to needed services by providing a single mechanism for managing referrals among over 130 programs. The Bridges solution helps to eliminate many of the delays that often accompany referrals and clinicians report that they can now make what they regard as a clinically informed decision around referrals in minutes, compared to what was previously hours or days.



Workplace Health Innovation
2010 Gold Apple Winner    
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Organization:
Interior Health
Project:
Changing the Sheets
Project Leader:
Susan Filek - Ergonomic Specialist
Location:
Penticton
Team Members:
Marjorie Brims, Bill Kirkland, Karen Leach Macleod, Nancy McGovern (Interior Health), Gordon Binsted PhD, Jennifer Jakobi PhD (University of British Columbia Okanagan), Tom Frame (MIP)

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Manual repositioning of heavy or dependent patients in bed is a significant stressor for nursing staff and the cause of 25 per cent of patient handling injuries. Historically, nurses have used soaker pads and other high-friction tools to move these patients despite the known risks to themselves.

The Health, Safety & Wellness team at Interior Health led by Susan Filek developed a practical and very effective slider sheet system to reposition dependent patients in bed. Use of an anti-static and low-friction panel in a fitted sheet is the brainchild of the team and is a unique solution to the problem of repositioning. The system components offer nurses alternate and safer ways to move dependent patients in bed and provide increased comfort, independence and safety for patients.

This low-friction slider sheet system requires minimal training or change in practice to reduce risk of staff injury when repositioning, and provides comfortable and safe assistance to patients. As these products are interchangeable with regular bed linens, there are no significant added costs to launder, purchase or deliver the slider sheets to the clinical areas. The advantages of this system are being recognized within and outside of Interior Health with healthcare providers from across Canada requesting information on the research and implementation results.



Workplace Health Innovation
2010 Award of Merit Recipients
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Organization:
Interior Health
Project:
Innovative Disability Management: Through Team Diversity & Collaboration
Project Leader:
Darlene Doricic - Disability Management Specialist
Location:
Kelowna
Team Members:
Ann-Marie Kehoe

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Faced with escalating costs related to employee sickness absenteeism and with limited resources to deal with a growing problem, Interior Health needed to rethink its employee disability management. With a focus on re-engaging managers in their employees’ well being, the disability management team implemented initiatives to educate managers on key issues and give them tools they could implement immediately.

By focusing on specialized disability management skills in complicated cases, Interior Health has seen an increase in successful outcomes. Sick time levels have decreased and are at the lowest levels seen in a number of years. It is expected that sick absenteeism rates will continue to drop as the disability management team continues to implement and improve these strategies.

Organization: Vancouver Island Health Authority (VIHA)
Project:
Violence Prevention Team
Project Leader:
Tracy Larsen - Safety Team Leader & Violence Prevention Lead
Location: Nanaimo

Team Members:
Peter Dunkley, Cathy McDonald, Lynn Vincent

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VIHA’s Violence Prevention Team developed an in-house Violence Prevention Curriculum which aligns the level of occupational risk with the appropriate level of training. The project focus has been on training program staff to deliver meaningful, unit-based education to front-line staff by integrating violence prevention knowledge into workplace practice. Within each level of training, there are specific stand-alone training modules as well as new employee orientation modules.

At the one - year mark for the project, 186 staff had been trained as Violence Prevention Curriculum Instructors with approximately 5,000 staff receiving quality violence prevention training.



Collaborative Sollutions
2010 Gold Apple Winner      
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Organization:
Providence Health Care & Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA)
Project:
Integrated Care Clinic, Renal Program
Project Leader:
Dr. Monica Beaulieu - Physician & Clinical Assistant Professor (Providence Health Care)
Location:
Vancouver
Team Members:
Shelley Burnett, Lee Clark, Rea Flamer, Dr. Abeed Jamal, Bev Lau, Dr. Adeera Levin, Dr. Marianna Leung, Janet Love, Yvonne McIntosh, Arli Nikkel, Wallace Robinson, Dr. Paul Taylor, Dr. Christopher Thompson, Michele Trask, Dr. Adam White, Anita Zienkiewicz

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More than 210,000 patients in BC struggle with multiple chronic diseases such as diabetes, kidney and heart disease and have to travel every week to different doctors in different locations to treat these conditions. But for some fortunate patients, this situation has changed dramatically thanks to the Integrated Care Clinic (ICC). The clinic was established in January 2009 as a joint demonstration project of the Renal Program at Providence Health Care and the Provincial Health Services Authority. The project involved regional health authority partnerships and the establishment of two other integrated/shared care improvement demonstration projects, one at Langley Memorial Hospital and one at Shuswap General Hospital in Salmon Arm.

The purpose of the project was to demonstrate a model for integrated/shared care improvement by providing streamlined, integrated specialist care for patients with kidney disease and a co-morbidity of diabetes and/or heart disease. The second goal was to develop an enhanced shared-care strategy between the specialist interdisciplinary team and the primary care provider. One team member refers to the clinic as the equivalent of one-stop shopping. Not only do patients get to see all of their specialists – nephrologists, cardiologists and endocrinologists – in the same location on the same day, they are also linked with a nurse who acts as their care coordinator, as well as a dietician, social worker and pharmacist. The ICC team also works in close collaboration with the patient’s primary care provider to ensure continuum of care in the community.

This patient-centered model ensures that there is one plan for the patient that deals with all areas of his or her illness. The clinic has played a key role in redesigning services around the patient such as providing greater convenience, faster access, more choice and improved patient experience. There are currently 150 patients attending the clinic, and an increasing number of referrals. Patients are supported to make healthy choices in their healthcare journey and significant positive results have been observed for many patients



Collaborative Solutions
2010 Award of Merit Recipients
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Organization:
BC Cancer Agency (Provincial Health Services Authority)
Project:
Locally Advanced Breast Cancer Clinic
Project Leader:
Dr. Frances Wong - Chief Physician, BC Cancer Agency Fraser Valley & Abbotsford centres
Location:
Abbotsford
Team Members:
Dr. Peter Doris, Dr. Rhonda Janzen, Dr. Lee Ann Martin, the late Dr. Brian Norris, Dr. Gary Pansegrau, Colleen Sherriff, Dr. Peter Tallos

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Locally Advanced Breast Cancer (LABC) patients present with features that indicate a cancer that is advancing and requires immediate treatment. The Locally Advanced Breast Cancer Clinic enables family physicians in the Fraser Health region to refer patients with suspicion of locally advanced breast cancer to meet with all necessary specialists – a medical oncologist, radiation oncologist and surgeon who may perform the biopsy – at one time. Patients seen in the LABC clinic have some significant improvements in their care, with time from diagnosis to treatment reduced by one-third. Patients whose diagnostic care pathway followed usual care had an average time from tissue diagnosis to treatment of 44.3 days whereas patients seen in the LABC clinic who had their biopsies done by the clinic surgeons had an average time from tissue diagnosis to treatment of 13.1 days.

Organization: BC Provincial Renal Agency (Provincial Health Services Authority)
Project:
Renal Chronic Medication Reconciliation Program
Project Leader:
Dan Martinusen - Clinical Pharmacy Specialist – Nephrology, VIHA and Chair, BCPRA Pharmacy & Formulary Review Committee
Team Members:
Dr. John Antonsen, Dr. Richard Bachand, Dr. Monica Beaulieu, Anne Gloster, Dr. Lyn Johnson, Mary Lou Lester, Dr. Marianna Leung, Dr. Adeera Levin, Dr. Judith Marin, Dr. Karen Shalansky

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Medication reconciliation is a process designed to prevent medication errors at patient transition points and to improve patient safety. Chronic renal patients are at a higher risk than most patients for medication errors; the average kidney patient can be on as many as 19 different medications, especially if they have related conditions such as heart disease and diabetes. Their prescriptions change frequently and they face multiple hospitalizations in any given year. In response, the BC Provincial Renal Agency (BCPRA) and the regional health authority renal programs have initiated a standardized medication reconciliation process for dialysis patients across the province. The program will further expand to pre-dialysis and transplant patients in later phases. Although medication reconciliation is now a requirement for hospital accreditation and is expected to become standard practice for acute care patients across Canada, this program has broken new ground in the country by initiating medication reconciliation for dialysis patients across the province.



Healthcare Heroes                                                                             top
2010 Gold Apple Winner - Health Services Authority & Provincial Healthcare Hero                                               

Dorothy McNaughton - Clinical Coordinator Social Work

Organization:
Sunny Hill Health Centre for Children
Location:
Vancouver

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With more than 38 years of service to children and young adults with disabilities, Dorothy McNaughton has touched the lives of many with her compassion, commitment and belief in the best possible quality of life for individuals with disabilities. For years, Dorothy has been on the forefront of the most innovative changes in the treatment and lifestyle for children with medical fragility and severe disabilities. In the past, many of these children would have remained in extended care hospitals and institutions,but Dorothy strongly believed that they should not grow up and live their whole lives in hospitals; that they would thrive if they could be surrounded by love and support in their homes and communities.

Dorothy advocated and planned the first children’s group homes in Vancouver. She was also instrumental in supporting the development of the At Home Program and the Nursing Support Services– services that continue to operate today. Dorothy is truly a hero to the children and families she has helped both directly and indirectly through the many initiatives she has championed. She is a role model to her colleagues and community partners working in the field of disability. Her belief in possibilities rather than limitations continues to inspire those around her.



Healthcare Heroes
2010 Gold Apple Winner - Affiliate                                                    top 


Dr. Romayne Gallagher - Palliative Care Physician Lead


Organization: Providence Health Care
Location:
Vancouver

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Dr. Romayne Gallagher’s passion for palliative care came from caring for her dying father in her final year of medical school and the experience gave her empathy and insight into what palliative patients and their families go through. Dr. Gallagher believes palliative care includes helping patients understand their treatment choices and the possibility of less invasive care. It is her goal to ensure all those who are making healthcare choices for frail or impaired seniors have the required resources and knowledge to make those choices so that no unnecessary discomfort or suffering is experienced in the name of continuing to treat what can no longer be treated. Dr. Gallagher was the founding director of the division of palliative care in UBC’s Department of Family Practice in 1997. In 2005, she was honoured as BC’s Family Physician of the Year, receiving the Reg L. Perkin Award for British Columbia from the College of Family Physicians of Canada.



Healthcare Heroes
2010 Gold Apple Winner - Fraser Health                                          top


Lucinda Schwab – Public Health Nurse, Prevention & Rehab


Organization: North Surrey Health Unit, STD Clinic & Street Health Outreach (Whalley)
Location:
Surrey

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Lucinda Schwab is changing lives for the better in a very vulnerable, high-risk population. She was one of the pioneers of Fraser Health’s HIV Program, helped expand flu clinics and started foot clinics for the homeless. She initiated a successful outreach program for women working in massage parlours that is now being adopted by other areas in the Fraser Health region. When she isn’t on the streets helping those in need or running one of her programs at the clinic, Lucinda writes thorough orientation manuals for new public health nurses and gathers personal hygiene supplies to give to her clients. Lucinda is passionate about advocating for her clients and getting them the services they need. People on the street know her by name and trust her. She treats everyone with courtesy and respect and her optimistic, can-do attitude is a model for all who work with her.



Healthcare Heroes
2010 Gold Apple Winner - Interior Health
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Dr. Edith Blondel-Hill – Microbiologist


Organization:
Kelowna General Hospital
Location:
Kelowna

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Dr. Edith Blondel-Hill is a renowned microbiologist and a strong advocate of antimicrobial stewardship, infection prevention and control, and standardization of microbiology policies and protocols. Dr. Blondel-Hill has been the driving force behind the “Do Bugs Need Drugs?” campaign aimed at reducing the inappropriate use of antibiotics and encouraging hand washing. Dr. Blondel-Hill is also responsible for Interior Health’s six microbiology laboratories. In the words of one of her colleagues: “It is her heartfelt goal to promote quality improvement within the microbiology lab in order to promote superior patient care and improve outcomes. She is a champion of quality improvement within the laboratory and has been a leader in improving quality by promoting incident reporting within Interior Health laboratory services. Interior Health truly gained a national healthcare champion when Dr. Blondel-Hill accepted the microbiologist position at Kelowna General Hospital.”



Healthcare Heroes
2010 Gold Apple Winner - Northern Health                                     top 


Mara Cote - Executive Assistant to Health Service Administrator and Manager of Executive Services

Organization:
Northern Health, Northwest Health Service Delivery Area
Location:
Prince Rupert

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Mara Cote has spent 28 years working in healthcare administration in Prince Rupert. Mara’s expertise, commitment, energy and can-do attitude help her tackle any challenge put in front of her. It is not unusual for Mara to welcome new hospital staff and visiting government officials into her home, or to provide assistance in a variety of areas from immigration, to housing, to social events. Time and again, hospital officials have come to rely on her stable presence, her wealth of knowledge and her willingness to go above and beyond. So great are Mara’s contributions that they have caught the attention of Northern Health’s Board of Directors. Says former board chair Jeff Burghardt: “Plain and simple, Mara Cote is one of the strongest performers throughout our full region. Her abilities, contributions, effort and dedication go far beyond her simple job description. Mara deserves to be recognized for all she has given to the Prince Rupert Regional Hospital, our community and our region.”



Healthcare Heroes
2010 Gold Apple Winner - Vancouver Coastal
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Patti Zettel, RN , MSN - Primary Care Nurse

Organization: Raven Song Community Health Centre/Bridge Clinic
Location:
Vancouver

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As a nurse clinician working in Vancouver’s downtown eastside, Patti Zettel has met with countless youth detox clients. In each visit, Patti assesses how the young person’s stay in detox is going, both physically and emotionally. But Patti’s reach to these youths goes far beyond clinical care. Patti listens to their needs, provides candid and sensitive advice, and works hard to build trust so that these vulnerable clients will feel safe to return to the clinic for continuing care. Many clients live mainly on the streets and so a visit with Nurse Patti is the only time they access a health professional. Patti’s non-judgmental attitude, sense of humour and genuine compassion makes the difference between someone who walks away feeling labeled, frustrated and dehumanized and someone who feels that they have been listened to by someone who cares. Nurse Patti’s dedication to her work is invaluable to her colleagues and life-changing to her vulnerable young clients.



Healthcare Heroes
2010 Gold Apple Winner - Vancouver Island Health Authority
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Dr. Rivian Weinerman - Site Chief of Psychiatry, South Island


Organization:
Vancouver Island Health Authority
Location:
Victoria

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Dr. Rivian Weinerman is a tireless advocate for patients with mental health and addictions issues. She is a champion of collaborative care and has promoted collaborative care models with family physicians and other front line clinicians. Dr. Weinerman has worked collaboratively to redesign mental health and addictions services in the South Island while ensuring the voices of providers were heard. Dr. Weinerman began her medical career as a family physician and has used that lens to help develop practical and effective collaborative care tools. In 2004, she and her team were the shared care faculty for the federally funded Health Transition Fund primary care collaborative on depression. The result of this work has led to the Vancouver Island Health Authority model of collaborative psychiatric care being adapted for the entire province. Dr. Weinerman’s principles of simplicity, pragmatism and her understanding of the role of family physicians have laid a strong foundation for improved primary mental healthcare in BC with one colleague commenting: “If the future generation is anything like Rivian, there really is hope for the world!”