We did it again!

Our Chatham-Kent Health Alliance family has once again heard the plea for backpacks and school supplies for area children in need and responded in a BIG way!

Last year with United Way leading the project, more than 1000 area children in need returned to school with brand new backpacks and supplies. This year the need is even greater so that area schools and families have asked for assistance with backpacks and school supplies for more than 1100 children.

In the photo below you’ll see Colin Patey (our CEO) and I standing beside an impressive CKHA collection of backpacks and supplies that included more than 30 kg of lined paper and notebooks, 25 boxes of coloured pencils, 30 boxes of crayons, 10 math sets, rulers, and packages of pens, markers, erasers, pencil sharpeners, duo-tang folders, rulers, liquid glue, binders, glue sticks, pencils and highlighters.

More than $675 dollars in cash donations and enough supplies were collected to purchase and fill 90 brand new backpacks! These items and the money donated by our CKHA family will make a positive impact on many children in our area communities including Wallaceburg, Tilbury (Merlin & Wheatley), Ridgetown, Blenheim, Dresden, Thamesville, Bothwell and Chatham.

I am so proud to say that we are ‘caring people, caring for people’ both in our hospital and in our area communities. Thanks for stepping up and making a difference!

Getting Ready to Go Back to School …

Remember the excitement of starting a new school year with brand new school supplies? A new notebook, the smell of freshly sharpened pencils, a bright new pink eraser, a brand new pencil case …

In 2000, while listening to the radio on her way to work at Chatham-Kent Health Alliance (CKHA), a former Emergency Department Nurse Practitioner, Debbie Selkirk, heard about a program where donations of new school supplies and backpacks made it possible for less fortunate children to return to school, ready for success.

2010 marks the 10th Annual CKHA Backpacks For Kids event and because of your generous support and with United Way leading the project, more than 1000 area children will return to opening day of school feeling good about their chances and knowing they are just like everyone else in their class.

As you go out to purchase school supplies for your children this year, please think about picking up a few extra items and dropping them off in the “shopping carts” in the Chatham Campus cafeteria, or in the Emergency Departments at either CKHA campus.
This campaign ends on August 26th.

Let’s show these kids in need, that we believe they can succeed!

“The Artistic Gift”

Music is a language that everyone can understand. Put together a few singers, a guitar player and music composer (thanks Michelle!), and the results are a gift to send a message that can be enjoyed by others.

This is just what employees of Chatham-Kent Health Alliance (CKHA) did at last week’s BBQ hosted by the Professional Practice Team and Patient & Family Centred Care Steering Committee. What a great way to continue to spread the word about the NOD – a service excellence standard being rolled out at CKHA. The NOD acronym stands for Name, Occupation and Duty. We are asking all employees to consistently use the NOD when introducing themselves.

Artistic talent beyond the profession came into play by singing a song to the tune of “Locomotion”. Here is a little snippet of the song:

It doesn’t matter where you work or who you might be
It only takes a moment for this courtesy
So come on, come on, take the time to NOD with me!

Singing was complemented by an actress who encouraged the audience to use the NOD as she mingled with the crowd during her visit to CKHA. The audience participated and created a “locomotion” train, sharing the NOD with others.

What a fun way to learn and enjoy as others share talents beyond their profession.

Thanks team, for a job well done!

Huddles…coming to your area soon

One of the service excellence standards communication tools being rolled out across the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance is the “huddle”. To be a culture of excellence, huddles, known as a frequent briefings of 8 minutes or less, are encouraged weekly (minimum), involving managers and staff in all hospital departments. Huddles can also be conducted between staff at change of shift, or when anyone identifies a need for a brief communication between members of a team.
These frequent briefings provide a venue that can address the following:

1. Are there any patient/staff safety concerns today?
2. What has been working well on the unit today?
3. Are there any patients with special considerations others should be aware of?
4. Is there any shortage of supplies, or any broken equipment? Do you have the tools and equipment to do your work?
5. Is there any staff requiring extra assistance?
6. Is there any staff that may have extra time to assist others?

Other questions that can be asked include:

1. Are there any individuals (staff, physicians, other) I should be recognizing today?
2. Is there anything we can do better? (Studer, 2003).

Huddles provide an opportunity for managers and staff to develop relationships and a limate of trust. It is a way to foster a culture of safety as well as recognize employees’ needs. Employees want a good relationship with a leader who is approachable, efficient, and willing to work with staff. Huddles create this opportunity and in turn leaders can recognize, and better yet, can act to meet employee and patient needs (Studer, 2003). Focusing on what went well creates a positive approach that supports a culture of excellence. Staff and patient safety can be addressed and acted upon in order to continue to make the departments not only safer for patients, but for staff as well.

This standard has started to be rolled out over the summer. Managers are holding huddles with staff in all departments. If you have not yet participated in a huddle, ask your manager if huddles are…coming to your area soon.

Celebrating Interprofessional Care: Physiotherapists

Over the next few months I'll collect and share information on the different health professionals that work here at CKHA. We'll start with the Physiotherapist group.

Physiotherapy is a healthcare profession directed at evaluating, restoring and maintaining physical function. There are 7,000 registered physiotherapists in Ontario and 12 of the very best work here at CKHA. As primary healthcare professionals, Physiotherapists combine in-depth knowledge of how the body works with specialized hands-on clinical skills to assess, and treat symptoms of illness, injury or disability. With independence in mind, a Physiotherapist's goal is to restore, maintain and maximize strength, function, movement and overall wellbeing.

Working under the direction of the CKHA Physiotherapists are 10 Physiotherapy Assistants (PTA's) and 1 Kinesiologist to complete the team that provides the patient and family a therapeutic treatment plan and essential education about the body and how to keep it healthy.