GASHA Newsletter - Guysborough Antigonish Strait Health Authority

Guysborough Antigonish Strait Health Authority
GASHA Newsletter
V OLUME 1, ISSUE 7
NOVEMBER - DECEMBER
2002
Working Together for a Healthy Community
Inside this issue:
Deck the Halls...Safely!
The holiday season is upon
us and GASHA staff are
getting into the festive spirit
by decorating their workplaces.
Here are a few tips to follow
in order to preserve the
safety of patients, visitors
and fellow employees when
putting up holiday decorations.
als, nor should lights be
left on after normal
working hours. When
the Christmas tree lights
are on, they must be
supervised at all times.
•
•
Christmas Trees
• Trees must be artificial
and flame resistant
when used indoors.
•
Lights on artificial trees
must be CSA approved.
All lights must be in
proper safe working
condition with no
empty light sockets.
Lights must not touch
any combustible materi-
All tree ornaments and
decorations must be
non-combustible or
flame resistant.
Christmas trees should
not be placed in any
lobby, corridor or hallway (except in main
lobbies and in areas
approved by the Fire
Safety Coordinator at
each site).
Other Decorations
• Do not block exits, exit
signs or doors with
decorations.
•
All decorations must be
New Smoking Policy
On January 1st, smoking in
most public places in Nova
Scotia will be restricted.
hibited within 13 feet (4
meters) of GASHA buildings.
There is to be no smoking in
hospitals (some exceptions
apply).
Cessation programs will be
available to staff who wish to
quit smoking. Contact Addiction Services at 863-5393.
Outdoors, smoking is pro-
made from fire resistant
materials.
•
Only artificial wreaths
are permitted.
General Precautions
•
Exits must be kept clear
at all times.
•
Decorations cannot be
hung from sprinkler
heads or pipes, nor
from any exit signs, fire
alarms or smoke detectors.
•
All decorations must be
made from fire resistant
materials.
If you have any questions or
concerns about these safety
precautions, talk to the Fire
Safety Coordinator at your
site.
NShIS Update
Flu Shot Reminder
2
Breast Cancer Website
ICONS
3
Christmas Greetings from the
CEO
3
Employee Recognition
Awards 2001 and 2002
4-5
National Non-Smoking Week
6
GASHA Tobacco Reduction
Strategy
7
Support Line Available
7
FYI:
December is: Lung Disease
Month; Dec 1st is World Aids Day
January is: National Alzheimer
Month; Jan 19-25 National NonSmoking Week; Jan 22 is Weedless Wednesday
Staff ID Cards: HR has been
working hard to make and distribute Staff ID Cards for all GASHA
staff, physicians, volunteers, physician office staff, sisters, visiting
clergy, etc… Please call Melissa
at 867-4100 if you still need your
picture taken.
NShIS Update
Basic PC Skills Training is
underway in GASHA. Lisa
Mullin, our new PC Skills
Trainer, launched her training efforts at St. Martha’s
Regional Hospital on October 21st.
NShIS FACT:
Getting people interested in
computers has been a long
time interest for Lisa. She is
a graduate from the University of New Brunswick and
taught Information Systems
for six years at St. Francis
Xavier University. She has
presented multiple papers
on teaching information
systems, and has participated
in a number of events aimed
at increasing interest in information systems.
The NShIS project is a
provincial project being
funded by the
provincial government
and implemented in
stages in most hospitals
across Nova Scotia.
Site visits are being conducted in all hospitals across
GASHA to prepare management at each site for process
changes as a result of the
new system. These visits are
also helping our team identify who will need training
on what process changes,
and the best way to accom-
plish training with the least
disruption of day-to-day activities at each site. A special
thanks goes out to everyone
who has been participating
in site visits, especially given
all of the accreditation activities underway.
Implementation Team Members are busy “fine tuning”
the system and preparing for
system testing. Standards
Team Members from across
the province are also participating and supporting preparation for implementation
by assisting with the development of training materials,
gathering information and
entering data, and in some
cases participating in system
testing preparation.
Computers and related devices continue to be installed
in both GASHA and
CBDHA in preparation for
“GO LIVE” on February 1st,
2003 for GASHA and
CBDHA on June 1st, 2003.
This year's Physicians Workshop hosted by MEDITECH
took place on October 17th
& 18th at their Canton, Massachusetts’s facility. The
workshop theme, titled
"Using Technology to Promote Quality Care", focused
on how information systems
promote quality and productivity through physician order entry, disease management and community based
care. Nova Scotia physicians,
Dr. Michael Fleming and
Dr. Joe Donachie participated in this 2-day event,
along with over 200 physicians, CIOs, and clinical
liaisons from organizations
across Canada, United
States, and the United Kingdom.
For more information, check
out our project website at
www.gov.ns.ca/health/nshis.
— Contributed by Hillary
Nicholson, NShIS Project
Office
Flu Shot Reminder
The GASHA Occupational
Health and Safety Coordinator, Teresa MacInnis, wants
to remind you that it is not
too late to get your flu shot.
The flu shot is proven to
help protect your health,
your family’s health and the
health of the people we
serve. In fact, the flu shot
decreases the probability of
Page 2
getting the flu by 70-90%
and almost guarantees that if
you get the flu it will be
much less severe.
It is a myth that the flu shot
can “give” you the flu — the
manufacturing process kills
the virus particles in the
vaccine so that the vaccine
simply cannot cause an influenza infection.
We encourage all GASHA
staff and physicians to get
their flu shot in an effort to
protect themselves, their
families and our patients.
The vaccine if free to all
health care workers!
To arrange for a flu shot call
Teresa at 867-4101.
Volume 1, issue 7
Breast Cancer Action Nova Scotia Website
Breast Cancer Action Nova
Scotia now offers the Atlantic Region the Atlantic
Breast Cancer Net at
www.abcn.ca!
What is ABCN?
The Atlantic Breast Cancer
Net was created for Atlantic
Canadians as a central
online location to provide
information needs for those
affected by breast cancer. It
is a place for breast cancer
patients and about breast
cancer patients.
What will you find on
ABCN?
Monthly articles, a Virtual
Soapbox, news and events,
online support, Buddy Connection, Support Group
Finder, Glossary, My Mother
has Breast Cancer, an Event
Calendar, Notice Board,
links and resources and a
mailing list.
Coming soon—we’ll be adding a place to publish inmemoriams for loved ones
and a services directory.
Information contributions
are welcome on an on-going
basis.
Check it out and help spread
the word! It’s our Atlantic
Home on the worldwide
web!
— Contributed by Barbara
Thompson of the ABCN
Christmas Greetings from the CEO
Well, the holidays are
quickly approaching and we
find ourselves in the midst
of preparations for “the Big
Day”. As we busily prepare
for Christmas, let us pause
and reflect on the real mean-
ing of the holiday. Let us
take time to be with our
family, friends and loved
ones.
you and may 2003 bring you
good health and happiness.
Merry Christmas to all! Enjoy the holidays.
May the Christmas season be
a joyous occasion for all of
Best wishes,
Kevin MacDonald
Improving Cardiovascular Outcomes in Nova Scotia
Yes, ICONS is still active in
the Guysborough Antigonish Strait Health Authority and indeed the entire
province!
of this transition are currently being worked on and
ICONS representatives have
been helping to make this a
reality.
On March 30, 2002, the
research portion of Improving Cardiovascular Outcomes in Nova Scotia
(ICONS) came to a conclusion. However, funding for
ICONS was assumed by the
Nova Scotia Department of
Health.
In the future, ICONS will
become part of a larger comprehensive cardiovascular
strategy for the province.
Initially, the goal is to incorporate the findings of the 5year research project into the
regular operations of district
cardiac services. The details
GASHA Newsletter
ICONS will continue to
collect information on patients admitted to our hospitals with Unstable Angina,
Myocardial Infarction, and
Congestive Heart Failure.
This information will be
passed along to the District
Health Authorities to give
them an even better picture
of the state of cardiovascular
disease in their districts.
We continue to have an
ICONS District Coordinator in the Antigonish area
and if you have any questions about ICONS, please
contact Maria DeCoste at
863-9100 or
icmd@icons.qe2-hsc.ns.ca
Please visit our website:
www.icons.ns.ca
“On March 30, 2002,...
funding for ICONS was
assumed by the Nova
Scotia Department of
Health.”
— Contributed by Maria
DeCoste, GASHA ICONS
Coordinator
Page 3
Employee Recognition Awards for 2001 and 2002
2001 and 2002 Awards
Here are pictures of some of the 207 staff and physicians recognized for years of service or retirement at
our 2001 and 2002 employee recognition awards.
The 15 retirees from our district are:
Isabel Delaney, Paul Tomlik, Sharon MacNeil, Mary
Ann MacIsaac, Geneva Morrison, Colina Leblanc,
Irene MacChesney, Ann Power, Shirley Bouchie, Joan
Sampson, Stella Boudreau, Marguerite Horne, Anita
Richard, Alma George, Frank Munroe.
Congratulations to them all!
Page 4
Volume 1, issue 7
Employee Recognition Awards for 2001 and 2002
GASHA Newsletter
Page 5
January 19-25 is National Non-Smoking Week
National Non-Smoking
Week is Canada’s largest,
longest lasting, and arguably
the most successful public
education campaign on the
dangers of smoking. In Nova
Scotia from January 19 - 25,
2003 this year’s campaign
will focus on children and
youth.
What Is Secondhand
Smoke?
Secondhand smoke is a combination of the smoke from
a burning cigarette and the
smoke exhaled by the
smoker. Many people find
secondhand unpleasant,
annoying, and irritating to
the eyes and nose. More
importantly, it represents a
dangerous health hazard.
Over 4,000 different chemicals have been identified in
secondhand smoke, and at
least 50 of these chemicals
cause cancer.
ailments in adults. Most at
risk though, are unborn babies, infants and children.
Secondhand Smoke and
Unborn Children
slows down babies' growth
and development:
- increases risks of miscarriages and stillbirths
- causes fetal growth impairment
- cuts down the unborn
baby's oxygen supply
Secondhand Smoke and
Infants
- has an effect on the baby's
growth
- increases an infant's risk of
dying from Sudden Infant
Death Syndrome
Second-hand Smoke and
Young Children
- causes bronchitis, pneumonia, and middle ear disease
- increases both the frequency and severity of childhood asthma
- causes emotional stress
when children learn that
breathing tobacco smoke in
their house, school or other
indoor public places could
make them very sick
- children are almost twice as
likely to start smoking if
their parents smoke
Who Is At Risk?
Secondhand smoke is dangerous to everyone. Secondhand smoke causes heart
disease, lung cancer, nasal
sinus cancer and respiratory
Page 6
It is an addiction that's very
difficult to beat.
- If you are pregnant, now is
an ideal time for you to quit.
The healthier you are, the
healthier your baby.
- If you find it hard to quit,
contact the Nova Scotia Department of Health or visit
their website at
http://www.gov.ns.ca/healt
h/tcu
- Encourage and support the
management of public places
like restaurants, recreation
centres and shopping malls
to provide a smoke-fee environment
- Find out about the smoking policy in your child's
school and work with school
officials to help clear the air.
- Contact your municipal
government to pass laws to
ban smoking in all indoor
public places and workplaces.
- Join community groups
that support nonsmoking
environments for all Nova
Scotians.
For more information please
contact Smoke-Free Nova
Scotia President Dr. Robert
Strang at:
(902) 864-9633 or
1-866-777-7374 or
visit our website:
http//www.smokefreens.ca
How You Can Protect Children from Secondhand
Smoke?
- Make your home and car
smoke-free areas
- If you smoke, QUIT. Start
with the understanding that
smoking is not just a habit.
Volume 1, issue 7
GASHA Tobacco Reduction Strategy
The district Tobacco Reduction Strategy has been underway for over a year. A lot of
progress has been made in a
number of the strategy components.
Policy: Through support
and encouragement of the
health community, many
municipal units throughout
the district have implemented non smoking bylaws.
These bylaws will protect
residents from the harmful
effects of second hand
smoke as well as play a role
in preventing youth from
starting to smoke. The bylaws also encourage smokers
to quit or cut down. Municipalities within GASHA that
have implemented nonsmoking bylaws are:
Town of Canso
Town of Mulgrave
County of Richmond
County of Inverness
We will continue to encourage and support the remaining municipalities that have
not yet gone smoke free. It is
important to note that the
stronger municipal nonsmoking bylaws will override
the weaker provincial smoke
free places legislation.
GASHA is currently working
on a district wide smoking
policy that will be implemented early in January.
This policy will reflect much
of what is included in the
provincial smoking legislation and will aim to support
staff, patients and others to
stop smoking.
GASHA Newsletter
Media: A mass media proposal was submitted to
Health Canada in September 2002 on behalf of Public
Health Services for the
shared service area. The proposal was accepted and
Health Canada has recommended to the federal minister of health that funding be
granted in the amount of
$220,000 to be used over a
three year period. This
money will be used to implement a mass media tobacco
reduction campaign. The
main theme of the campaign
will be on reducing second
hand smoke exposure in
homes and automobiles.
Plans are currently being
made to begin implementing
the campaign in January
2003.
Cessation: Addiction Services are currently offering
community based nicotine
addiction programs to help
smokers learn tools and techniques for quitting. Programs will be offered in various locations throughout the
district. For more information on these programs call
addiction services. 863-5393
Youth Prevention: Public
Health Services is currently
leading a number of initiatives around preventing
youth from starting to smoke
and giving current youth
smokers the tools to quit.
Public Health Services staff
are currently working with
schools within the district to
implement “Smoke Free For
Life”, a smoking prevention
curriculum supplement and
“No More Butts”, a peer led
smoking cessation program.
The district tobacco reduction advisory committee is
currently looking at ways to
recruit youth in an effort to
from a youth tobacco advisory committee.
Other: The GASHA Tobacco Reduction Advisory
Committee is currently planning activities to be implemented during National
Non-Smoking Week in January.
Good News: Provincial
smoking rates have been
falling! The most recently
released results of the Canadian Tobacco Use Monitoring Survey have demonstrated that both youth and
adult smoking rates are improving. The most recent
Student Drug Use Survey
(2002) has shown that the
youth smoking rate within
the shared service area is at
23.4%, down from 39.9% in
1998.
Need Help to Quit?
Call 1-877-513-5333
Thinking about quitting
smoking, but need some help?
The Canadian Cancer Society
launched a Smokers’ Helpline
to help Nova Scotians quit
smoking.
The Smokers’ Helpline
provides callers with
personalized support, advice
and information over the
phone, including linking callers
with cessation support services
in their own community.
Nova Scotians who want to quit
smoking or friends and family
members who want to help a
loved one quit can call the tollfree number at 1-877-5135333.
— Contributed by Andrea
Donovan, Tobacco Reduction Strategy Coordinator
863-7346 andrea.donvovan@publichealt
h.ns.ca
Page 7
THE GUYSBOROUGH ANTIGONISH STRAIT
HEALTH AUTHORITY
OUR MISSION
Working together to improve the health of communities through the provision of integrated
health care services and the promotion of health.
OUR VISION
GASHA
25 Bay Street
Antigonish, NS
B2G 2G5
The GASHA Newsletter is
publication for the staff,
physicians, CHBs and Board
members of the Guysborough
Antigonish Strait Health
Authority.
It is published every two months
except in the summer: Jan-Feb,
March-April, May-June, SeptOct, Nov-Dec.
GASHA administers the
following hospitals and
programs:
St. Martha’s Regional Hospital
Eastern Memorial Hospital
Guysborough Memorial
Hospital
St. Mary’s Memorial Hospital
Strait-Richmond Hospital
Public Health Services and
Addiction Services (Shared with
Cape Breton DHA)
Send submissions to:
Mitra Foroutan, Public
Relations
Phone: 902-867-4262
Fax: 902-863-1176
mforoutan@gasha.nshealth.ca
Deadline for the Jan-Feb
issue is January 31st, 2003
www.gasha.
nshealth.ca
Healthier people in communities working together for wellness, contributing to a healthier
environment.
A stable, sustainable, integrated system that provides quality services to individuals, families
and communities.
OUR VALUES
Equity—Health for all.
Respect—We believe in the dignity and worth of all individuals and we honour the contributions
of our diverse communities.
Collaboration—We work together as informed partners to achieve improved services, better population health and healthier communities.
Accountability—Collective responsibility for our actions. We are accountable for plans and decisions that are evidence based.
Excellence—We commit to excellence and innovation in health service delivery, health education
and health promotion.
GASHA PEOPLE GASHA PEOPLE GASHA
Welcome to all new
GASHA staff hired since
September:
NShIS:
Lisa Mullin
Strait Richmond Hospital:
Cheryl MacAuley
Arlene Boudreau
Betty Calder
Clara-Mae Boudreau
Jayne Beaton
Keri Coulson
Strait Richmond Hospital/
Eastern Memorial Hospital:
Pamela Soley
St. Martha’s Regional Hospital:
Jose Dessouroux-Rassel
Cheryl Gallivan
Doreen Grant
Heather MacDonald
Maxine England
Anne Brow
Karen Perley
Elaine Kennedy
St. Mary’s Memorial Hospital:
Melissa MacLeod
***
Congratulations to Nancy
MacEachern, Nursing and
Debbie Gillis, Cardiorespiratory, who have successfully
completed the Catholic
Health Association of Canada Health Care Leadership
Certificate program. This
three year program was coordinated by the New Brunswick Catholic Health Asso-
ciation. The Health Care
Leadership (HCL) program
is a certificate program of
professional formation
which seeks to equip and
empower administrative and
management personnel to be
more effective leaders in the
church’s healing ministry in
Canada.
***
Happy Holidays!